The Pulse 8.48 » Dec. 1-7, 2011

news the PULSE INDEX

RECALL RON,

BY THE NUMBERS

PLUS: GIG CITY GIG TANK LURES geeks with cash

Chattanooga’s Weekly Alternative

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Contents

CHATTANOOGA’S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

dec. 1-7 • 2011 • ISSUE 8.48

ChattanoogaPulse.com • Facebook.com/ChattanoogaPulse

EDITORIAL Publisher Zachary Cooper Managing Editor Janis Hashe Contributing Editor Gary Poole Art Director Bill Ramsey Contributors Rick Baldwin • Rob Brezsny Dave Castaneda • Chuck Crowder • Michael Crumb John DeVore • Allison Gorman • Sandra Kurtz Rick Pimental-Habib • Matt Jones • D.E. Langley Kelly Lockhart • Ernie Paik • Jim Pfitzer • Bill Ramsey Alex Teach • Tara V Photographers Lesha Patterson • Josh Lang Interns Beth Miller • Bruno Araujo

Cover photo by Lesha Patterson

ADVERTISING

COVER STORY

Sales Director Lysa Greer Account Executives Rick Leavell • Michelle Pih

Poor Next Door

CONTACT

Chattanooga’s boom is bypassing the city’s working poor. By Janis Hashe and Cody Maxwell. » 9

Phone 423.265.9494 • Fax 423.266.2335 Email info@chattanoogapulse.com calendar@chattanoogapulse.com Got a stamp?

1305 Carter Street Chattanooga, TN 37402

SCREEN

letters

Feel The Force

Please limit letters to 300 words or less. 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.

John DeVore reviews new Star Wars book, finds it a treat for the obsessed. » 25

the fine print

The Pulse is published weekly by Brewer Media and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on culture, the arts, entertainment and local news. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader.

No person without written permission from the publishers may take more than one copy per weekly issue. The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors.

© 2011 Brewer Media

THE LIST

BREWER MEDIA GROUP President Jim Brewer II

World Heavyweight Chili Championship • There are chili cookoffs and then there is the 3rd Time’s The Charm World Heavyweight Chili Championship. This and much more happens for 24 hours Saturday, December 3, during the annual MainX24 party on the Southside.

The List » Page 15

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Pulse Index

Recall Ron, By The Numbers Number of registered voters during March 2009 City of Chattanooga Municipal Elections: 103,747 Number of registered voters who voted during March 2009 election: 18,773 Percentage of registered voters who voted during the election: 18.09% Number of registered voters who voted for a mayoral candidate during the election: 17,913 Votes cast for Ron Littlefield: 10,234 (57.13%) Votes cast for Rob Healy (Littlefield’s closest competitor): 7,186 (40.12%) Number of months after the election the required number of recall petitions were submitted to Hamilton County Election Commission: 17 Number of signatures required for a recall according to state law: 15,562 (or 15% of 103,747 registered voters at time of election) Number of signatures required for recall by city charter: 8,816 (or 50% of 17,913 votes cast for mayor during election) Number of signatures submitted by recall petitioners: 14,078 Number of signatures submitted by recall petitioners validated by Hamilton County Election Commission: 9,903 Difference between registered voters who voted for Littlefield and total of those who signed a recall petition: 3,844 Difference between registered voters who voted for Littlefield and validated signatures of those who now want him recalled: 331 Percentage difference between those who voted for Littlefield and valid recall signatures certified to recall him: 10.5% Number of months Littlefield has remaining in his term if he runs and loses in the August 2012 recall election: 7 Sources: Hamilton County Election Commission, ballotpedia.com The Pulse Index is intended as an homage to Harper’s Index, a registered trademark of Harper’s Magazine.

We Built Gig City, Now Gig Tank Offers $300K To Make It Hum Chattanooga’s not going to replace Silicon Valley anytime soon, but the city built the nation’s first gigabit-persecond fiber optic network—even if that service does cost more than $300 a month.

Now, the Lamp Post Group, a “venture incubator” backing a pro-

4 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

gram dubbed “Gig Tank”, is offering $300,000 in start-up cash and prizes to entrepreneurs and students to design high-speed apps and business using the network.

The Tank will fund 10 teams with $15,000. The team with the best idea at the end of the program earns the top

prize of $100,000. Ten-to-15 students will also compete for a $50,000 prize, but will receive no start-up funding.

The Gig Tank is also offering a $1,000 finder’s fee to anyone who nominates a candidate who is chosen for the program. For more information, visit thegigcity.com. —Bill Ramsey

Letters

EdiToon

rick baldwin

The Price (?) of Fame • Discrediting false marketing, Chuck Crowder wrote that fame and acclaim should be awarded to the deserving—that which has passed a litmus test. His editorial implied that the famous, should 1) meet criteria proving it to be outstanding, and 2) be acknowledged as such by the public, or even better, by a group of experts. But I tend to think that most of who and what is famous has not met either of these criteria. Fame is not fair, because it is by nature imputed, and often done so by a powerful minority who influence the majority. Fame is also controlled by time and place far more than we want to admit. While I sympathize with Chuck’s frustration with adjectives used by marketers, I wonder if his standards are too ideal. Because of globalization, today’s “famous” are competing with the whole world—YouTube has forever leveled the playing field when it comes to skill. So my question is, are you really only qualified to be called “world-famous” if you are the best on some kind of international platform?

Laura Heath Chattanooga

HIS+HERS HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2011

Chattanooga’s

news » the bowl

ReCALL ROn, PT. II as the carousel turns: littlefield could emerge poorer, but remain mayor

INSIDE»

HIS+HER GIFT GUIDE+

stuffit!

The Pulse His+Her Gift Guide appears again on Dec. 15. Call 423.242.7680 — there’s still time to get in the guide! chattanoogapulse.com • NOVEMBER 24-30, 2011 • the pulse • 15

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jim pfitzer drops into distilleries for a taste

Homo for the Holidays • Our 31-year-old gay son died from HIV/AIDS nineteen years ago. I loved him, cared for him until the end, accepted him, his partner and friends. I became a “member” of the lgbt community by way of ChattanoogaCares and PFLAG Chattanooga. They are my family.

My bio family (siblings, et al) is large with many elephants standing around. Although we’ve been very open with everyone, other siblings have been non-accepting of our response and way of dealing openly with our own situation. For example, one sibling has two gay children that are disowned, not allowed to come home w/partner, and a third child who has partner of another race - also not al-

CHATTANOOGA’S WEEKLYALTERNATIVE » NEWS • MUSIC • ARTS • ENTERTAINMENT » NOVEmbER 24-30, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

lowed to bring partner home.

Result: Total estrangement.

Their way of dealing with the whole situation is “not to deal with it”(total silence).

We have become surrogate parents. However, we had our Thanksgiving Table today with family and do every year; we are so blessed. Thank you.

Matt Nevels Chattanooga

Police, not guns • Chattanooga Organized for Action takes crime, especially violent gun crime, very seriously because many COA members are living with the daily realities of violence and death in the places we live and

“

Our city is more dangerous than Atlanta or Detroit, two of the most dangerous cities in the country. The answer to violent gun crime is not AR-15s, tactical Bear Cat trucks or a Zodiac boat. work. Citizens demanding justifications and holding elected leaders accountable does not mean that we hate free speech or cops. The decision to purchase a slew of AR-15s is, like all other budgetary matters, a question of priorities. Apparently our City Council and City Hall believe that our police should be underpaid, overworked and armed to the

teeth. Rather than forking out money for a unceasing arms race, we should hire more police, pay them more and place a greater emphasis on funding programs that provide essential social services to our most marginalized and impoverished communities.

Our city is more dangerous than Atlanta or Detroit, two of the most dangerous cities in the country. The answer to violent gun crime is not AR-15s, tactical Bear Cat trucks or a Zodiac boat, the answer is taking responsible action to deal with the underlying economic and social conditions that give rise to desperate acts.

Chris Brooks Executive Director, Chattanooga Organized for Action Chattanooga

Got an opinion? Of course you do! Email your letter (300 words or less, please, with name and daytime phone number) to : info@ chattanoogapulse.com. chattanoogapulse.com • december 1-7, 2011 • The Pulse • 5

Dizzy Town politics, media & other & other strange bedfellows

Brother, Can You Spare A Grand?

While Chattanooga’s working poor struggle through another holiday season, the champagne will be flowing on Monday, Dec. 5, at the home of Alexis and Barry Bogo, where Wonderkid Weston Wamp will hold his first campaign fundraiser. On that evening, Young Weston hopes to cash in big—a potential haul of more than $245,000, according to calculations made in a recent Nooga. com report—in his bid to replace incumbent Chuck Fleischmann.

Wamp will need the money. Chuck scored a fundraising bonanza when House Speaker John Boehner dropped into town for a fundraiser, raising more than $200,000 for the congressman’s campaign war chest, which stands at $410,539 as of Nov. 19, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Supporters at Wamp’s wingding will be asked to fork over $500 to $1,000 for the opportunity to meet to the young contender in a “business casual atmosphere”, although presumably the invited already support the Son of Wamp. While we’re certain Occupy Chattanooga will be nowhere near the Bogo home (as they were outside the Walden Club for Fleischmann’s fundraiser), we’re anxious to hear Lady J’s (aka Dr. Jean Howard-Hill) reaction to the well-heeled event after accusing

6 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

Chuck of “whoring” the 3rd District seat to the highest bidder.

Sadly, it takes Big Money these days to be elected to almost any office, and it seems he or she with the most cash almost always wins.

Fleischmann, an attorney, spent a record $1.3 million during the 2010 primary and general election in his winning bid to replace Wamp’s dad, Zach, in Congress.

But that’s chump change compared to the presidential race, which could exceed $6 billion by some estimates. Money changes everything—and with little life experience and no real platform, Wamp will need a fat campaign wallet to battle his wellfunded opponent.

The excessive cost of campaigns is due, in part, to the two-year election cycle. No sooner is a congressman elected than he or she faces the almost instantaneous challenge of gearing up for the battle again. While redistricting and gerrymandering has secured an overwhelming advantage for candidates of a particular party in recent

years, resulting in fewer contested elections and a 90 percent re-election rate for incumbents, Congress’ record low approval rating results in fresh congressmen like Chuck having to face a gaggle of opponents from his own party in a primary race.

Incumbents benefit from name recognition and party loyalty, drawing on a base of support and fundraisers featuring top-name lawmakers like Boehner. In campaigns such as the 3rd District, the odds against beating an incumbent, based on 2010 figures with spending of less than $1 million, is 248 to 9. Even with no real opposition from Democrats it seems, it’s still a tough wager.

The stakes only get higher as you move up the political totem pole.

Consider U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Chattanooga, who will himself face a re-election campaign next year. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Corker has raised more than $10 million as of Nov. 19.

His closest competitor, Zachary Poskevich, also a Republican, has raised just $21,000.

Corker is popular and will likely easily win re-election, but the discrepancy between those figures alarms us—as it should everyone.

Read DizzyTown daily at chattanoogapulse. com. Send us your Dizzyness! Email: dizzy@ chattanoogapulse.com.

On the Beat

alex teach

March of the Bums Police officers are observers by nature. It drives friends and family nuts sometimes, but what do you do? We’re trained to hunt, made worse by the fact that we don’t even know what we’re hunting half the time. So we watch, constantly taking in samples of our environment, running it through the “DonuTron 1000” that is our brain (yes, I just made that up), processing it for anything out of the ordinary, and spitting it back out.

Do you ever get a kick out of overhearing a random conversation from the table behind you at a restaurant? Same thing, but going 24/7 in our heads, even while walking down a sidewalk, as I was tonight. “…Actually, I just bummed this from someone inside,” the man was explaining.

“Well, how about a dollar then?” my future client was asking. “That way I can go buy some.” The other man sighed.

I stopped and joined the conversation. “I’m sorry, do you know each other?”

“Yeah, we’re friends!” Scrappy volunteered (before the other man could interject).

I raised my eyebrow and feigned surprise. “Small world!

I’m friends with Dusty also!”

And it was true. Dusty was a fireman, but to his credit he was much less pervy than the

rest. And that’s saying a lot.

It was that time of year again, prime time for vagrants.

Te mp e r a t u r e s dropped to a point that it was no longer practical to sleep on an open rooftop or on the courthouse lawn, the latter being more difficult than ever since the “Occupy” nuts had taken their space.

The temperatures meant they had to use the shelter (of which there was really only one in town), but it was also the holiday shopping season and guilty-feeling people were everywhere with crisp ten and 20 dollar bills, just waiting to be harassed at the next sidewalk or mall entrance. Awareness of this cash and that there were people eager to spend it makes them aggressive, and competition for space in the shelter (and now the courthouse lawn)

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made them pushy.

Even rail riders (a different sub-set of bums) who were normally invisible by choice were out in force. In the last few days, I’d observed a few with the audacity to approach an elderly woman on a walker at her car on the front row of a hardware store, trunk open and gifts barely placed inside, about as vulnerable as she could be.

They stood to either side of her, hands out and stepping closer.

She was scared, and I was off duty, which turned out to be a bad combination for them.

I reassured her with a smile, walked between her and them and eventually began flogging them like a rooster. (I know.

Sounds weird to me, too—but it works.)

Dusty smiled gratefully and walked away, leaving me with my bum. In truth? I couldn’t stand this guy. We’d had this talk before but he was too drunk to remember. He went by “Scrappy” and loved living on the street. No medical issues, decent IQ at one point, he just hated work and liked being “free”. And unfortunately, his idea of “freedom” was to ask each and every human being he saw for money and cigarettes and feign delusions about Archangels to solidify his weirdness to seal the deal. In short, he was

“

Dusty was a fireman, but to his credit he was much less pervy than the rest. And that’s saying a lot. what insensitive people like me called a “bum” because that’s what “bums” do.

Some need mental help; most, in fact. Others, the minority, just had life pulled out from under their feet. But the ones that do it by choice? Not “vagrants”.

Not “habitation challenged”.

Just “bums”. Stupid people feel good about encouraging this lifestyle by handing them cash (or a smoke) and they can tuck their guilt away into a drawer again—but only if the subject walked away and stopped being there. If they stayed, the stupid people would then have to deal with them, and that wasn’t part of the $5 plan. And this guy?

He was as persistent as Chinese water torture, and my last polite warning had been discarded like the others before it.

Time to change it up.

“I’ve asked it nicely and I’ve asked it firmly, Scrappy. So now I’m beginning to think you just don’t care. About me. About the system.” I broke a major rule and reached around him with my left arm and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him uncomfortably close to my non-gun side and forcing him to walk down the sidewalk with me.

“We’re all just hanging by a thread here, my good man. Two thousand years of civilization, just hanging by a thread. It’s true. And you know how that works?” I looked towards him now. “Because of people like me, Scrappy. People like me maintaining a system of rules in order to live in a civilized society,” I explained as we walked, looking off to the stars wistfully. “We’re barely keeping it together as a society, and you’re straining that thread.” I pulled him yet closer.

“You like roosters?” I asked.

When Chattanooga Police 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. Follow him on Facebook at www.facebook. com/alex.teach.

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Endangered red wolves find home at nature center

By Chris Kelly Howls.

Panting.

Nervousness.

All these actions are typical of the Chattanooga Nature Center’s red wolves. In three large enclosures the wolf pack holds fast to its last stand in captivity. For the most part, they’ve run out of places to live in the wild, and there are only a few hundred red wolves left.

The day I visited they were especially excited.

Running around their enclosures, tongues dangling happily, they embodied wild ecstasy. The wolves were treated to venison, courtesy of a hunter, for their meal. They ate like wolves should eat.

Tish Gailmard, wildlife curator at the center, told me, “We work closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and they advise us with our exhibit and breeding. We have three enclosures with six adults and they’ve bred twice now.” Gailmard proudly showed the plaque won by the center. In 2007, the Chattanooga Nature Center received the North American Conservation Award for red wolf recovery by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

Red wolves are far more endangered than their gray cousins in the Yellowstone area. Like the Mexican wolf, whose total numbers are only in the double digits, their hope for survival lies mostly in captivity. Wild restoration efforts have been difficult.

8 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

I spoke with Montana State Representative Mike Phillips, project leader on the Yellowstone Restoration Project in 1995, and who led the biologists in the Alligator River red wolf restoration project in North Carolina, and also in the ill-fated Smoky Mountain restoration effort in the early ’90s.

Phillips explained to me that one of the greatest problems the wolves face in keeping their gene pool strong is hybridization with coyotes. “Without the presence of intensive management to keep wolves and coyotes apart and minimize hybridization, I don’t know if any area in the Southeast can support reintroduction in the wild,” he said.

The Alligator River project is still running with several wolves still living and thriving in the refuge. The Smoky Mountain effort, however, fell apart because of lack of prey in the area.

After a high mortality rate with litters born within the packs, and many questionable, potentially hybrid pups, the project was cancelled in 1998. The remaining surviving wolves were removed and placed in captivity.

Red wolves are not the fluffy gray canids that grace the cover of calendars in Walmart. They are a smaller, cinnamon-colored ancestor that shares many characteristics in behavior, social structure within packs, and of course, diet. The gray wolf, on its turf

of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem, will take down much bigger prey than the red wolves are capable of overpowering. Moose, elk, bison and mule deer sustain wolf diets in the Northern Rockies while whitetail deer and raccoons make up the diet of this smaller cousin.

These misunderstood predators have been killed, trapped, burned alive and otherwise tortured to the point of extinction. The way a healthy wolf population takes part in the symbiosis of an ecosystem is invaluable.

The wolves take down the old and sick members of deer and elk herds, making the bloodlines stronger by leaving only the strongest members left to breed. They also eat smaller animals such as beavers, stopping destructive dam building and loss of vegetation around riparian areas.

Jeremy Hooper, a UTC graduate and Nature Center employee since 2010, is excited about his role at the center and ready to educate the public about wolves. “Let us be the beginning,” he said. “Come down to the center and we’ll show you the role we play in conserving red wolves and what incredible animals they are.”

Seeing a red wolf in the wild is a true gift, but you would have to go to Northeastern North Carolina to the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge—and get really lucky. Otherwise, take the much shorter drive to the Chattanooga Nature Center. On April 30, 2011, two females were born at the nature center.

The pups, now half grown, are healthy and happy. Autumn is the perfect time to view the wolves. You can also view the bobcat, a woodchuck, and several other mammals and reptiles. Take a good long look around, and see what can be learned from the wild. Visit their website at chattanooganaturecenter.org.

Slipping Through The Cracks

{ Chattanooga’s boom is bypassing many of the city’s working poor } “There’s nothing surer The rich get rich and the poor get children In the meantime, in between time Ain’t we got fun?”

T

Ain’t We Got Fun, 1921

he first news from the 2010 Census about poverty wasn’t good. On Sept. 14, the Associated Press reported that 46.2 million Americans were living in poverty—nearly one in six people— and that the poverty rate had climbed in one year from 14.3 percent to 15.1 percent. Tennessee, according to the same report, fared even worse, with a 16.7 percent poverty rate. In human terms—out of every 100 Tennesseans, almost 17 are living below the poverty line.

The news got worse. AP reported on Nov. 3 that the nation’s “poorest poor” now account for one in 15 people, or 20.5 million Americans. This means “an income of $5,570 for an individual and $11,157 for a family.”

Then, on Nov. 20, a study commissioned by the New York Times chimed in with a newly coined term: the “near poor”. The Census Bureau was using a new method of measuring poverty, called the Supplemental Poverty Measure, and this one showed that 51 million people have incomes less than 50 percent above the poverty line. This new tabulation was 76 percent higher than the figures released in September. “That places one in three Americans either in poverty

or the fretful zone just above it,” said the NYT. But not here in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, right? Things are booming here, aren’t they? Those statistics don’t apply to us…do they?

Even before all the statistics mentioned were published, researchers at the Brookings Institute had released a

report on Oct. 7, 2010 called “The Great Recession and Poverty in Metropolitan America” using data from the Census Bureau’s 2009 American Community Survey. These numbers confirmed, “the worst U.S. economic downturn in decades exacerbated trends set in motion years before, by multiplying the ranks of America’s poor.

“An analysis of poverty in the nation’s 100 largest metro areas, based on recently released data from the 2009 American Community Survey, indicates that: “Several metro areas saw city poverty rates increase by more than 5 percentage points, while many suburban areas experienced increases of 2 to 4 percentage points between 2007 and 2009. The city of Allentown, PA saw a 10.2 percentage-point increase in its poverty rate, followed by Chattanooga, TN with an increase of 8.0 percentage points.” (Italics ours.)

This, taking into account that the old numbers, based on the 2000 census, were already bad enough: According to a presentation prepared by the City of Chattanooga Social Services Department in 2005: “According to the 2000 Census, there were 26,843 individuals living in poverty in Chattanooga—17.9% of the total population—compared to 12.4% nationally.

“The poverty rate for children under 18 was 27% in Chattanooga—compared to 16.6% nationally.

“2002 data is only available at the county level. In Hamilton County, 12.9% of all individuals and 18.6% of all children were living in poverty.”

“We are seeing a big increase in people who have never needed help before,” says Al Tucker, a social services delivery manager for the Social Services Department.

He estimated, depending on the month, that numbers are up between 25 and 35 percent this year.

But numbers don’t have faces. Numbers are easy to ignore. The Pulse asked contributor Cody Maxwell to help tell the story of poverty in Chattanooga.

» page 10

{ By Janis Hashe and Cody Maxwell • Photos by lesha patterson } chattanoogapulse.com • december 1-7, 2011 • The Pulse • 9

I

was standing in line early one Saturday at St. Elmo’s Amman Market with a dirty, barefoot 3 year old. Her baby belly was sticking out from under her favorite pink princess shirt, which stopped fitting her properly a year ago.

We’d been waiting all morning for mama to get in the shower. When we finally heard the water running. we snuck the keys out of her purse and ran out to the car. The plan was coming together. We’d whispered it the night before, in the dark just before going to sleep—tomorrow we’d sneak and go get chocolate.

The only thing standing between us and success were two grizzly old drunks in line in front of us at the store. My partner in crime took the time we spent waiting to reason with me.

We should get two chocolates, she said, in case we couldn’t come to the store again later. We should get two of them so she could give one to her sister.

And we had to hurry, she said, before mama finds us.

I told her I only had two dollars. I took one out of my billfold and gave it to her.

The first old drunk finally decided on his cigarettes and the line moved up one. I looked down at my partner and her belly still stuck out from under her dirty pink shirt. Her feet were dirty, too, and her hair needed combing. She held her chocolate in both hands, looking up at me smiling and trembling with excitement. “It’s gonna be good,” she said.

I turned back around and the old bearded drunk in front of me was holding a dollar bill inches from my face. “Here,” he said. “So

she can get her sister one, too.”

I felt insulted and wanted to tell him that I had more money in my pocket, but I took the dollar so he’d stop dangling it in front of me. I gave it to my girl, told her to tell him thank you and go get another chocolate. She told him thanks and I watched her run barefoot and happy back down the candy aisle.

The old drunk was smiling when I turned back toward him. “I like little kids,” he said. His buddy was standing at the door laughing at him, telling him to hurry up. That old drunk waved bye and he went out the door with his friend. We got our chocolate and went back home.

to ask them personally what all the fuss was about, why they were doing what they were doing and to put a timely, politically serious spin on this story. It didn’t work out that way.

It was just after dark when I got to the courthouse. A group of four or five Occupiers sat near the sidewalk holding up posterboard signs with slogans.

Sometimes cars honked at them as they drove by and when they did, those four or five people cheered.

Flowers were planted in very neat rows in the courthouse yard behind them.

From the courthouse steps, where so many foreclosed homes had been auctioned off, Georgia Avenue’s churchless steeple could be seen, lit up by electric lights and pointing up to the heavens. A great big American flag hung loosely on a pole.

I approached a young man who was standing alone under one of the old trees. He wore smart glasses and was eating soup from a Styrofoam bowl. “It’s a beautiful night for a protest,” I said. He looked up at me over the corner of his bowl, unamused. I told him I was working on a story about poverty in Chattanooga and asked if he’d talk to me about the nature of the Occupy movement and what the Chattanooga group was hoping to achieve.

“All this is based on the larger movement, like what’s happening on Wall Street,” he said. “We’re trying to keep with the solidarity of that larger movement. We have meetings everyday at 7 p.m.”

When asked what the larger movement was moving toward, he explained that it was all about money.

About getting rid of the

I was wondering what the Occupy Chattanooga group was doing on its own, in the immediate area and for the benefit of impoverished people in this city.

10 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

The funny thing is it was that very day I was supposed to start writing this story. The very story you’re reading now. It was supposed to be about the face of poverty in Chattanooga.

It was going to be a very solemn and sad story, a story that profiled people struggling to buy food and clothes for their children.

People who didn’t see the end of November as the beginning of the holidays but as the beginning of a hard, cold season that could hurt them. And there I was feeling like a comical caricature in my own story. My trouble didn’t end there.

A few days before I’d gone down to see the Occupiers on the courthouse lawn to do a little research,

big corporations and big banks that are destroying this country. “This country can’t continue this way.

We’re not going to let it.

The people don’t want it.

We have live streaming on our computers from the other Occupy encampments. We’ve had people from Indianapolis and Nashville stop by. This can really be something if everybody would come together.”

I was wondering what the Chattanooga group was doing on its own, in the immediate area and for the benefit of impoverished people in this city.

“There’s a few of us who have a garden being grown down by the smoking area,” he explained.

“They have vegetables growing in buckets right here on the courthouse lawn. We have organic farming classes and classes on sustainable living we give. People need to learn how to live on their own and not buy all the genetically engineered food. All the hormone-pumped stuff from Wal-Mart.”

Do you guys cook all this food out here? I asked him.

“No. People deliver it to us. People cook in their houses and bring us more than we can eat. Churches drop stuff off. We had somebody bring this soup and some bread down earlier today. You should go get yourself some.”

I declined and asked him directly what the group was doing for those living in real poverty in this city.

There are people out there who are hurting, who may not have anything to eat tonight. The boy smiled shyly. “I don’t really have too much to say about that.

I don’t know that much about it.

“We’re trying to keep with the solidarity of the larger movement,” he said, and bowed his head to swallow a few spoonfuls of his soup. When he looked back up and saw I was still standing there, he said, “Maybe you should talk to some of these other people here. They might be a little more articulate about what’s going on.”

Walking back down the street, I passed a bail bondsman sitting on a concrete ledge at the back door of the county jail. He was talking to a huddled, pajama-clad woman. She was sitting with her legs crossed on the ledge beside him, smoking cigarette after cigarette and holding onto herself. I overheard

bad,” some said. One middle-aged guy was worried that it might hurt future romantic endeavors and one woman sent me an abrupt email. She didn’t want the pictures the photographer had taken of her to be used and she didn’t want to be in the story. “Thank You.” Things were not looking good, but I understood where people were coming from. Nobody wants to be poor. But more importantly, nobody wants to be seen as poor. It’s something to hide, to cover up and be secretly ashamed of. Their reasons for backing out of the story made me see why I’d felt so insulted over the old drunk’s dollar. I didn’t want to be seen that way, either.

I had one prospect left.

Java, a woman I met about a year ago.

When I met Java she was sleeping on abandoned loading docks on 11th Street.

She’d left a bad relationship to sleep on the street. Her days were spent in the Community Kitchen and her nights in St. Catherine’s Women’s Shelter. About a year ago, after being on a waiting list for months, she moved into a small apartment on the 14th floor of Dogwood Manor.

I stopped by to see her last Sunday. Her new apartment was clean and warm and her living room window overlooked the river and North Chattanooga. She told me about the hoops she had to jump through to get the place.

Her rent works on a sliding scale and she was coming up for an evaluation soon.

“It don’t help to worry about it, though,” she said.

She makes jewelry to sell when she can. She gets

“Nobody wants to be poor.

But more importantly, nobody wants to be seen as poor.” part of their conversation.

They were waiting for her man to come out of the back door of the jail there.

A little girl in a nightgown and dirty socks was at the woman’s feet, playing in the dead leaves on the sidewalk.

I’d had a handful of people in mind to profile for the story. It’s not hard to find people living below the statistical poverty line. All these people had enthusiastically volunteered their help when I asked. This will be great, they said. Finally they could say something about what it’s really like.

But by the time the deadline came there had been a mass change of heart. “I really don’t have it all that

» page 12 chattanoogapulse.com • december 1-7, 2011 • The Pulse • 11

a clothing allowance from the Community Kitchen and sometimes uses the money to buy beaded women’s shirts at thrift stores. She takes the beads off the shirts and uses them to make her jewelry.

The purpose of my visit was to interview her. I started the formalities of it but things soon digressed into simple conversation.

I told her about sneaking out the other morning to get chocolate. “You can’t be feeding a baby chocolate that early in the morning,” she said. She told me a story from her hippie commune days.

“I used to take all the children to the Berkeley House Restaurant back then. I’d get a group of some of the children from the commune and maybe one or two more adults and everybody had to be clean. We’d have a nice meal. Great service. And the kids would learn their table manners.

Everybody would behave and enjoy their dinner.

“I liked teaching the kids table manners. You never know. It may be nice to know sometimes which fork to use. Me, I don’t get worried about it. I like whatever

After life on the street, “Java” is settled in her new apartment.

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12 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

fits my hand. Anyway. English riding lessons didn’t do me much good, either.”

When I told her about the incident with the drunk man and his dollar bill she laughed at me.

“Well, what’s there to be mad at? He wasn’t giving you a dollar anyway,” she said. “He was giving it to that little girl for candy. She didn’t get mad about it. If somebody offers you a dollar you take it.”

Java laughed again.

“This little guy Shorty at the Community Kitchen one time stuck his finger in my back like he was trying to rob me and says, ‘Give me all your money.’ And I was thinking like, ‘Heck, I got a bunch of pennies I don’t even like carrying around.’ And I said, ‘OK! Here! I’ll gladly give you all my money.’ I go to give it to him and he don’t want to take it. Now that’s pretty pitiful when you’re getting robbed and then they change their mind.

“Anyway. It was funny. He finally took them, though. I kind of shamed him into taking them.

Lousy little robber, didn’t even want to take the money.”

A

t the Department of Social Services, Al Tucker notes that $1 million in stimulus funds helped many people last year, but that money was gone.

Director Camilla Bibbs-Lee says that of the 14,000 families aided last year, many do not fit stereotypes. They are newly unemployed, helping elderly parents, people who are afraid they will lose their homes or apartments.

Many just need assistance to pay their lighting or heating bills.

They are, in fact, the working poor next door.

“This is not one agency’s problem,” she says. “Innovative ideas are needed to break the cycle.

For-profit, nonprofit and government sectors need to work together…we need to change to a model geared to successful outcomes.”

In the meantime, in between time…is it your problem? Is it our problem? Time to find the answer.

Local, national stats chart rise of poverty in U.S. • According to the 2000 Census, there were 26,843 individuals living in poverty in Chattanooga—17.9% of the total population—compared to 12.4% nationally.

• The poverty rate for children under 18 was 27% in Chattanooga— compared to 16.6% nationally.

• 2002 data is only available at the county level. In Hamilton County, 12.9% of all individuals and 18.6% of all children were living in poverty.

— City of Chattanooga Social Services Department (2005)

• Data from the Census Bureau’s 2009 American Community Survey confirm that the worst U.S. economic downturn in decades exacerbated trends set in motion years before, by

“The city of Allentown, PA saw a 10.2 percentage-point increase in its poverty rate, followed by Chattanooga, TN with an increase of 8.0 percentage points.” multiplying the ranks of America’s poor.

Between 2007 and 2009, the national poverty rate rose from 13 percent to 14.3 percent, and the number of people below the poverty line jumped by 4.9 million.

The number of poor people in large metro areas grew by 5.5 million from 1999 to 2009, and more than two-thirds of that growth occurred in suburbs. By 2009, 1.6 million more poor lived in the suburbs of the nation’s largest metro areas compared to the cities.

Several metro areas saw city poverty

rates increase by more than 5 percentage points, while many suburban areas experienced increases of 2 to 4 percentage points between 2007 and 2009.

The city of Allentown, PA saw a 10.2 percentage-point increase in its poverty rate, followed by Chattanooga, TN with an increase of 8.0 percentage points.

—Brookings Institute: “The Great Recession and Poverty in Metropolitan America”

“1 in 3 Americans in or barely above poverty level.” 51 million people with incomes less than 50 percent above the poverty line. That number of Americans is 76 percent higher than the official account, published in September.

Source: Census Bureau report, produced at the request of the New York Times.

— New York Times, November 20

chattanoogapulse.com • december 1-7, 2011 • The Pulse • 13

28th annual holiday gift wrap

get

wrapped up!

Bring your gift to the Holiday Gift Wrap!

All proceeds benefit

Hamilton Place • Dec. 8-24 • Open all day during mall hours 2 Locations: Tourist Information Center & JCPenney’s (downstairs)

From $3*

(*and up based on size) includes boxes, tissue, variety of papers, ribbons, bows and gift tags!

14 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

CALENDAR

LIST

» pulse picks

THE DEC. 1-7

MAINX24

Main-ly Highlights

THUR12.01 MUSIC Jucifer • Two-by-two metal sludge. $5. 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd.

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

MUSIC

Jucifer rocks JJ’s Bohemia, Thursday 12.01

Chattanooga Harp Ensemble • Fifteen harps…are we in heaven?

Free. 7 p.m. Brainerd United Methodist Church, 4315 Brainerd Rd. (423) 698-6951. brainerdumc.org

» pulse pick OF THE LITTER

FRI12.02 MUSIC Krampus Day with Subterranean Cirqus, Unspoken Triumph, Oxxen

8 a.m.

DADAFLASHMOB 55 E. Main Street • Will dancing be involved?

How about fur teacups?

Come out and see…

• Get krunkin’ with the Krampus! $5. 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd.

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

EVENT Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene

Noon - 4: p.m.

DEMOSS CAPITAL PRESENTS WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHILI CHAMPIONSHIP AT OCI 326 E. Main Street • Listen to the incredible music from the “Loading Dock of Rock” while enjoying all you can eat chili from 20-plus teams.

• AEC Independent Films resume with tale of cult refugee rejoining her family.

Multiple screening times. Majestic 12, 311 Broad St. (423) 265-5220. carmike.com

11 a.m.-Noon

The Wailers

SAT12.03 MUSIC • Marley’s disciples carry on, mon. $18 advance/ $20 day of. 9 p.m. Track 29, 1400 Market St. (423) 521-2929. track29.co

EPB SOUTHSIDE PARADE Rossville Avenue & Jefferson Street • The EPB Southside Parade begins at the corner of Rossville Ave, and Jefferson Street, and extends down Jefferson to Main Street.

EVENT MainX24 Fashion Show • From the inventive minds at Collective Clothing and Zombi Candi. Free. 4 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market St. mainx24.com

4 -5 p.m.

MAINX24 FASHION SHOW 1400 Market Street • At the Chattanooga ChooChoo. Produced by Collective Clothing and Zombi Candi.

8 -9:30 p.m.

SCULPTURE BURN 304 E. Main Street • Warm up for the Main Event with the return of this year’s fire sculpture, “Sanctuary” by Andrew Nigh.

Read about all the events and download a schedule on the MainX24 website: mainx24.com.

From Ducks to Roller Girls, They’ll Be Stepping Out 12.03 • EPB Southside Parade takes to the streets • One of the highlights of the holiday season returns, this year with Art Bikes, Howard High Marching Band, vintage cars and of course, Santa.

Free. 11 a.m. Rossville Ave./Jefferson St./Main St. mainx24.com

SUN12.04 MUSIC The Fells • When the Celts come marching in.

Free. 7 p.m. The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy.

(423) 468-4192. thehonestpint.com

EVENT Have A Seat • ETC takes on homelessness in an original, experimental piece. $10. 6:30 p.m. St. Andrews Center, 1918 Union St. (423) 987-5141. ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com

chattanoogapulse.com • december 1-7, 2011 • The Pulse • 15

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16 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

Music

Time For The Main Thang

By Tara V No time for banter this week, my friends. Lots to do, not enough time.

Gotsta decide which bathroom I will use to switch from day to evening gear and how much money I can spend between chili, beer and holiday gifts. Gotsta find out if there is an app for my friend’s phone that will tell me where all my people are so I don’t have to use the old ways of texting or yelling from a street corner.

Gotsta see all my bands, I will need coffee, gotsta get my coffee.

MY OH MY, where is Sandy? I need a hug.

OK, calm down. We do this every year and figure it out every time, usually with a Sunday headache of joy. Sorry—what in the world am I talking about?

This Saturday we celebrate the Southside with MAINX24.

In its fifth year, we prove wiser and are able to introduce new friends and neighbors to this gloriously unique side of town.

My only nonmusical advice will be to just stay home Friday night…if you just can’t say no to that lil’ red guy on your shoulders, then at least take it easy— you will have 24 straight hours on Main Street to let it all out and more than 90 events to muster through the next day.

Here we go: The Main Event will be held at Track 29 from 9 p.m. till 1 a.m., hosting the world-famous reggae group The Wailers. You know, those guys who played with Bob Marley. It is an all-ages show

honest music

and as has been discussed, you will be there with dreads on or not. That is all I will say about that.

Now for you daytime lurkers, you have to get down to The CampHouse at anytime between 1 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.

There are 12 different performers: Noah Collins, The Family Gardener, Strung Like a Horse and Rick Rushing being local favorites and many others I am excited to hear for the first time. There will also be a Latte Art Competition. Ooh la la.

Another other heavy hitter will be one of my personal favorites—the World HeavyWeight Chili Competition at OCI. Four local bands will grace the stage, including our homies, Glowing Bordis.

There will be a huge Lego Build for kids and adults and you get a taste of what our local friends have cooked up as they try to win the heavyweight belt for best (or maybe even worst) chili of the year!

This year, we welcome The Crash Pad to its first MainX24.

The Crash Pad and its employees rock, and if you haven’t been by yet, then here is your excuse to see what this wonderful hostel has to of-

local and regional shows

Kristin Cothran and the Darkside with Nigel Gibson ($3)

Thu, Dec 1

9pm

The Fells - Free Show!

Sun, Dec 4

7pm

Star and Micey with Raenbow Station ($3)

Wed, Dec 7

9pm

Manic Bloom with Faretheewell ($3)

Thu, Dec 8

9pm

Break out your tacky Christmas sweater!

fer for your next stay-cation.

You can also challenge a few friends to corn hole, pingpong and ladder ball while having a drink and listening to the sounds of Reagan Smash. You can find this hot spot behind Niedlov’s.

Also new this year is The Electric Bull and Music at 509 E. Main Street. Um, yeah, an electric bull…this should make a great area to camp out for those in the photo contest and I can reassure that while I may stop by to hear the Atlanta-based group

MainX24 Saturday, December 3 Main Street mainx24.com Men of Soul and groove out, you will only see my laughter and not my tears of embarrassment on this day.

Do not forget the Bread Factory Lofts Tacky Christmas Sweater Party from 6 to 9 p.m., 1615 Cowart St. You know you have one—pull it on and listen to DJK7 spin.

There is just too much. Go

to the website, print a schedule, figure it out. Occupy Main Street and support our local businesses. Take your kids to the Root Beer Kegger at Terminal, see what Monica has been up to at Mean Mug Coffee Shop, watch local SMTA students play Summit pianos at CreateHere, vote at the Busking Competition or go and Busk Yourself!

And for Santa’s sake DO NOT MISS THE SCULPTURE BURN!!

Did I get a Velo’s coffee yet?

See you Saturday!

What 35 Patten Parkway was meant to be.

Full food menu serving lunch and dinner.

11am-2am, 7 days a week.

Saturday, Dec 17 Unknown Hinson with The Maycomb Criers!

Tickets on sale now: thehonestpint.com/venue

chattanoogapulse.com • december 1-7, 2011 • The Pulse • 17

Chattanooga Live Steam Boars 10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. Find them on Facebook.

Fly By Radio 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. rhythm-brews.com Clayton Lee 9 p.m. Raw, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919. myspace.com/ jimstriker

Thur 12.01

Thursday • December 1

JUCIFER Friday • December 2 Krumpus Day Subterranean Cirqus Unspoken Triumph • Oxxen Saturday • December 3 Taxicab Racers Harrison Hudson Tuesday • December 6 Guilty Pleasures Dance Party Friday • December 9 W.B. Givens Saturday • December 10 Leaving Miss Blue • Black Betty

Sushi Bar Restaurant Nightclub 409 Market Street 423.756.1919

$2 DRAFT M DJ T SPICOLLI Open Mic 50 NIGHT W DUBSTEP T PARTY UPSTAIRS Monday Night FOOTBALL

¢

WINGS $3 SUSHI ROLLS WED. & THURS!

WEEKEND!

FRI sat

1

$ BEER

10-11

PM

LIVE MUSIC WITH

CLAYTON LEE

1

$ BEER

10-11

PM

LIVE MUSIC WITH

PATRICK SCOTT

Party on Two Floors!

1st Floor: Live Music • 2nd Floor: Dancing

Rick Rushing and the Blues Strangers 7:30 p.m. Sugar’s Ribs, 507 Broad St. (423) 508-8956. sugarsribs.com Jucifer 8 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-1400. myspace.com/ jjsbohemia Brock Blues Band 8 p.m. The Lounge at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. (423) 499-5055. thepalmsathamilton.com Plan B Band 8 p.m. Acoustic Café, 61 RBC Dr., Ringgold.

(706) 965-2065. ringgoldacoustic.com Lucero, Futurebirds 9 p.m. Track 29, 1400 Market St, Choo Choo Campus.

(423) 266-5000 track29.co Kristin Cothran and the Darkside 9 p.m. The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy.

(423) 468-4192. thehonestpint.com Channing Wilson, Drake White, Brent Cobb 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. rhythm-brews.com

Fri 12.02 The New Empires CD Release 7 p.m. Pasha Coffee and Tea, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 475-5482. pashacoffeehouse.com Lorrie Morgan 8 p.m.

Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. (423) 642-TIXS. chattanoogaonstage.com Mark Andrews

18 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

Sat 12.03

PULSE PICK The Fells • Celtic is back at The Pint.

Free. 7 p.m. The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy.

(423) 468-4192. thehonestpint.com 8 p.m. The Delta Queen, 100 River St. (423) 468-4500. deltaqueenhotel.net Nothing & The Nobody’s 8 p.m. Acoustic Café, 61 RBC Dr., Ringgold.

(706) 965-2065. ringgoldacoustic.com Fifth Year Anniversary Party: Mike McDade, Butch Ross, Mark “Porkchop” Holder, TJ Greever 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pk. (423) 266-1996. tremonttavern.com The Pool 9 p.m. Sugar’s Ribs, 507 Broad St. (423) 508-8956. sugarsribs.com Krumpus Day:

Subterranean Cirqus, Unspoken Triumph, Oxxen 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-1400. myspace.com/ jjsbohemia xxx 9 p.m. Raw, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919. myspace.com/ jimstriker Mark “Porkchop” Holder 9 p.m. The Office (inside Days Inn), 901 Carter St. (423) 634-9191. Find them on Facebook.

Roger Alan Wade 10 p.m. T-Bones Cafe, 1419 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4240. tboneschattanooga.com

Caleb Lange 6:30 p.m. Pasha Coffee and Tea,3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 475-5482. pashacoffeehouse.com Gateway 2 Nowhere, Day 7, Gears Of Insanity, Reverse Signature, Protestega 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 412 Market St. (423) 757-1569. warehousevenue.com Red State 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Underground, 607 1/2 Cherokee Bvld.

(423) 265-8711. myspace.com/ziggysundergroundmusic Mark Andrews 8 p.m. The Delta Queen, 100 River St. (423) 468-4500. deltaqueenhotel.net Johnston & Brown 8 p.m. Acoustic Café, 61 RBC Dr., Ringgold.

(706) 965-2065. ringgoldacoustic.com The Wailers 9 p.m. Track 29, 1400 Market St, Choo Choo Campus.

(423) 266-5000 track29.co The Pool 9 p.m. Sugar’s Ribs, 507 Broad St. (423) 508-8956. sugarsribs.com Taxicab Racers 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-1400. myspace.com/ jjsbohemia Patrick Scott 9 p.m. Raw, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919. myspace.com/ jimstriker Marty Adams 9 p.m. The Office (inside Days Inn), 901 Carter St. (423) 634-9191. Find them on Facebook.

Fifth Year Anniversary Party: Jordan Hallquist & Gabe Newell, Slim Pickins, Strung Like A Horse 10 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pk. (423) 266-1996. tremonttavern.com Abbey Road Live 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. rhythm-brews.com Nim Nims 10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. .

Sun 12.04 Sweet Georgia Sound 12:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Market, 1829 Carter St. (423) 648-2496. chattanoogamarket.com The Fells 7 p.m. The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy.

(423) 468-4192. thehonestpint.com Dick Delicious and The Tasty Testicles 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Underground, 607 1/2 Cherokee Bvld.

(423) 265-8711. myspace.com/ziggysundergroundmusic Open Improvisational Jam 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. barkinglegs.org

Mon 12.05 The Oak Ridge Boys 8 p.m. Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. (423) 642-TIXS. chattanoogaonstage.com Southside Casual Classics 8 p.m. The CampHouse, 1427 Williams St. (423) 702-8081. thecamphouse.com

Tue 12.06 Family Force 5, Hawk Nelson, Manafest, Tyler Melashenko, Oaklynn, Brando

7 p.m. The Warehouse, 412 Market St. (423) 757-1569. warehousevenue.com Guilty Pleasures Dance Party 8 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd.

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

Wed 12.07 Prime Cut Trio 8 p.m. The Lounge at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. (423) 499-5055. thepalmsathamilton.com Lauren Alaina 9 p.m. Track 29,

1400 Market St, Choo Choo Campus.

(423) 266-5000. track29.co Star and Micey, Raenbow Station 9 p.m. The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy.

(423) 468-4192. thehonestpint.com Long Gone Darlings, Noah Collins 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. rhythm-brews.com

Send live music listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@ chattanoogapulse.com.

901 Carter St (Inside Days Inn) 423-634-9191

Friday, Dec. 2: 9pm

Mark “Porkchop” Holder Saturday, Dec. 3: 9pm

Marty Adams

Sunday, Dec. 4

Sunday Night Football • $5 Pitchers

Tuesday, Dec. 6

Server Appreciation Night

$5 Pitchers • $2 Wells • $1.50 Domestics

Regular Gigs Thursdays

thepalmsathamilton.com

All shows are free with dinner or 2 drinks!

Stop by & check out our daily specials!

Sundays

Ben Friberg Trio

Irish Music Session

7 p.m. Table 2, 232 E. 11th St. (423) 756-8253. table2restaurant.com

3 p.m. The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy.

(423) 468-4192. thehonestpint.com

Jimmy Harris

7 p.m. The Coconut Room at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. (423) 499-5055. thepalmsathamilton.com

Open Mic Night

7:30 p.m. The CampHouse, 1427 Williams St. (423) 702-8081. thecamphouse.com

Blues Jam with Rick Rushing 7:30 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St., (423) 634-0260. marketstreettavern.com

Fridays Johnny Cash Tribute Band 5 p.m. Chattanooga Choo 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000. choochoo.com

Ben Friberg Trio

6:30 p.m. Table 2, 232 East 11th St. (423) 756-8253. table2restaurant.com

Jimmy Harris

7 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. (423) 499-5055. thepalmsathamilton.com

Saturdays Johnny Cash Tribute Band 5 p.m. Chattanooga Choo 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000. choochoo.com

Mondays

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri: 4-7pm $1 10oz drafts, $3 32oz drafts, $2 Wells, $1.50 Domestics, Free Appetizers

Facebook.com/theofficechatt

Music Monday 7 p.m. Pasha Coffee and Tea, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 475-5482. pashacoffeehouse.com

Big Band Night

8 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. (423) 499-5055. thepalmsathamilton.com

Nightly Specials

Tuesdays Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pk. (423) 266-1996. tremonttavern.com

Troy Underwood

8 p.m. Southside Saloon 1301 Chestnut St., (423) 757-4730. southsidesaloonbistro.com

Wednesdays Jimmy Harris 6:30 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. (423) 499-5055. thepalmsathamilton.com

Ben Friberg Trio

7 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260.

Find them on Facebook.

Jimmy Harris

DJ ScubaSteve’s Jenntastic Wednesdays

7 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. (423) 499-5055.

9 p.m. Holiday Bowl, 5518 Brainerd Rd. (423) 899-2695. holidaybowlbrainerd.com

chattanoogapulse.com • december 1-7, 2011 • The Pulse • 19

WHERE CHATTANOOGA’S FINEST ARTISTS SHOP

NOW WITH 2 LOCATIONS! HAMILTON PLACE & DOWNTOWN!

Both Stores

Fine & Graphic Art Supplies

Canvas • Brushes • Paints • Paper • Pens

Professional Custom Framing Choose from 100s of Frames & Mats

SHOP OUR NEW HAMILTON PLACE STORE!

Home of Our New Home Accent & Gift Gallery Fragrant Scents • Holiday Tableware • Pottery • Cookbooks • Gifts

IN-STORE » JAN. 18-21, 2012 » REGISTER AT WWW.ART-CREATIONS.COM

Tom Lynch Demos & Workshops

Full Schedule of Art Classes Begin in January!

Register online at www.art-creations.com for workshops & classes!

Painting • Drawing • Bookbinding • Mixed Media • Cartooning & More

Classes for Adults & Children, Novices & Advanced!

Art Creations

Hamilton Place

New

7351 Commons Blvd.

Art Creations

North Shore

201 Frazier Ave.

(Behind Smokey Bones)

(Downtown on the North Shore)

Monday-Friday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday: Closed

(423) 266-3626 Ext. 2

(423) 266-3626

www.art-creations.com • Facebook.com/Art Creations 20 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

Between the Sleeves

ERNIE PAIK

San Francisco Bay Area-based guitarist Henry Kaiser has a decadesspanning musical career, known as a restless sonic wanderer and one of the forefathers of American free improv guitar. Taking early inspiration from unconvenHenry Kaiser tional guitarist Everything Forever Derek Bailey and Captain Beefheart, (There) Kaiser has covered a vast amount of territory, both musically and physically, recording in places like Madagascar, Burma, and even Antarctica (documented in a Werner Herzog film); tying his diverse music together, whether crafting his own inventive pieces or paying tribute to acts such as Miles Davis and The Grateful Dead, Kaiser plays with impeccable precision, curiosity, and a sense of purpose.

His new CD, Everything Forever, is comprised of one 80-minute long “live trance” improvised guitar solo recorded in a single take without overdubs. The idea may be a

daunting one, but as expected from Kaiser, he stays moving with enough ideas to propel the album. To free improv aficionados, what might be surprising isn’t what he uses but what he doesn’t use to hold the listener’s attention; no wild or oddball extended techniques are employed—a few crystalline harmonics are about the extent of it— and Kaiser doesn’t even do string bends or vibrato. Most of the tones are clean, clear notes played on his Fender Stratocaster, with occasional glides, taking no apparent inspiration from a particular source and following no genre. Kaiser uses Lexicon stereo delay units, so that after a passage is heard in the center channel, it is repeated once in the left channel and soon after also in the right channel, and throughout the piece, Kaiser manages to adeptly sustain distinct bass and treble counterpoint.

Eighty minutes is certainly a time commitment, and listeners who expect dramatic gestures or some kind of grand finale will not get them, although the album is not totally free of crests and dips. The meditative meanderings of Everything Forever demonstrate that for a seasoned traveler like Kaiser, it’s the journey and not necessarily the destination that is key.

Obsessive record collectors surely find parts of the films High Fidelity and Ghost World to ring true—in particular, the latter’s scene with 78 collector Seymour bemoaning the fact that calypso bandleader Lionel Belasco’s astounding work is unrecognized today.

There’s a unique Various Artists kind of joy in uncovering obscure and This May Be My gems, Last Time Singing neglected and there’s a certain (Tompkins archival philosophy Square) that taps into this, striving not to make “greatest hits” compilations but instead, “greatest should-havebeen hits” collections. Harry Smith assembled his iconic and influential Anthology of American Folk Music by choosing tracks because of their peculiarity instead of popularity, and Mike McGonigal covered a mind-bogglingly diverse array of postwar gospel on his outstanding Fire in My Bones collection in 2009. Following that set comes McGonigal’s This May Be My Last Time Singing, a 3-CD trove of “raw African-American gospel” culled from ob-

scure 7” singles that were self-released or from regional labels.

Fire in My Bones is a tough act to follow, but This May Be My Last Time Singing matches it in quality, with every single track having distinctive qualities that lead the listener to understand why it stood apart from the hundreds of uninteresting obscure singles in McGonigal’s collection that didn’t pass muster.

The collection, with annotations for every song, centers on the ’60s and ’70s, apparent at times with soul, pop, and funk influences manifested in organ vamps, electric guitar licks, or funky beats, but classic gospel call-and-response exchanges are plentiful, as well. Spirited and moving, these singers are clearly singing their hearts out, with an animated, unfettered vitality not commonly heard on slick studio productions.

One tidbit sums it up—the liner notes point out that the slogan for the Bible Days Revival Church, which delivers the stirring “Supernatural Prayer” with a rowdy congregation shouting behind the pastor’s hypnotic vocal cadence, is “The church that’s different.” With affecting, memorable, and sometimes rough and low-fidelity recordings, the tracks on this set are certainly different but no less reverent.

Art of the City

This Holiday Season We’ve Got Your

The Family That Shows Together

December 1-3 • 7 pm

By Michael Crumb Among the MainX24 events, Planet Altered’s gallery on Main Street will host a very unusual and rewarding art opening featuring diverse works from one of Chattanooga’s most creative families. The name of this show is “Patterns”, and it will focus on patterns that we encounter in our lives.

Although this show is not listed on the MainX24 advance cards, it will open on Saturday, Dec. 3, and run through the end of January 2012. The wide diversity of media presented will provide much interest, and viewers will be able to compare works ranging from architectural drawings to quilts, including scientific data scans as well as paintings and photographs.

Probably the best-known artist of this family, Daud Ahkriev has recently completed his statuary installation at First Street by Market Street, where the large figures “Fall” and “Winter” stand tall on adjoining pedestals.

The whole “Four Seasons” installation can now easily be viewed together, where the first statues, “Spring” and “Summer” flank the entrance to the Market Street Bridge.

“Fall” and “Winter” are dramatic and voluptuous, perched on spheres, indicating their pervasive and intense influences on our planet. Nature’s seasons transform the context of our lives, and they continually inspire artists.

Daud Ahkriev has been best known as a painter, and his more recent paintings have shown startling conceptual developments that have heightened the impact of his work. His development of the Market Street sculptural group has been wonderfully received. These figures show a beautiful intricacy that sustains multiple views.

Ahkriev’s son Timor Ahkriev has been showing his paintings at the AVA Gallery on Frazier Avenue. A number of landscapes show his stylistic versatility. Both Daud and Timor Ahkriev will contribute paintings to the family exhibition at Planet Altered.

Devon Kronenberg will present a remarkable “abstract” painting in a purple tonality from oil and sand.

“DSCF2044.JPG” (2009) actually represents a pixilated computer image, so in this rather unique approach abstraction and representation converge through a mathematical process. Though purple is the dominant tonality in this work, there are other tones, and the medium of mixed oil and sand promises an engaging texture.

Devon Kronenberg has also been engaged with other styles, and his landscapes and urban facades are fine accomplishments.

Devon’s father Craig Kronenberg will be bringing both architectural drawings and a maquette of an imaginary high-rise building. Although Kronenberg did design high rises that were built in the Philippines, this particular building remained in its potential state.

Heidi Hefferlin is married to Craig Kronenberg,

ticket Charles Dickens’

A ChristmAs

CArol

“After the Sunset, Olvera, Spain” by Timur Akhriev

December 6 • 7 pm

GUitAr CoNsort

rECitAl

December 8 • 7 pm

holidAy voCAl

CoNCErt

dECEmbEr 13 • 7 pm

Devon Kronenberg

and their architectural firm has produced a significant impact on downtown Chattanooga. From the shuttle bus stop shelters to Renaissance Park to the new look of Warehouse Row, many Chattanoogans are familiar with their work. Heidi Hefferlin will also present architectural drawings.

Another son, Ray Kronenberg, will be showing his photographs.

He is the namesake of Ray Hefferlin, a physicist who will bring diagrams of diatomic molecules, offering a look into the very small scale of our natural world. Ray Hefferlin is Heidi Hefferlin’s father.

Celebrated painter Melissa Hefferlin (married to Daud Ahkriev, stepmother to Timor) will also bring work to this show. Her oil painting “Taking Tea” was added to the Hunter Museum’s collection in 2010. Her often lightly toned and sometimes whimsical subjects have been endeared to Chattanoogans for some time now.

Inelda Hefferlin and Lorene

Powers have quilts hanging at this opening. The art of quilting has been gaining wider recognition in both the folk and fine art realms.

Finally, Jennifer Harrell will present a farm master plan of great interest, especially to those who realize the importance of land use.

Such an accomplished family show ought to be a great delight for art lovers. Be sure to attend!

“Patterns” Opening Dec. 3 during MainX24 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Planet Altered, 48 E. Main St. (423) 400-4100. planetaltered.com

piano

rECitAl

dECEmbEr 15 • 7 pm

mUsiCAl thEAtrE

shoW CAsE

aLL eVenTS 7 pm AdmissioN $5 At thE door

CENtEr for CrEAtivE Arts 1301 DaLLaS rD • 423.209.5942 cenTerforcreaTiVearTS.neT

chattanoogapulse.com • december 1-7, 2011 • The Pulse • 21

Arts & Entertainment Thur 12.01 Natural Instincts 11 a.m. In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423)267-9214. intowngallery.com Screening of The Little Match Girl, accompanied by Cricket & Snail 6.m. Hunter Museum, 10 Bluff View. (423) 267-0968. huntermuseum.org Enchanted Garden of Lights 6 p.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA. (800) 854-0675. seerockcity.com A Christmas Carol 7 p.m. Center for Creative Arts, 1301 Dallas Rd. (423) 209-5942.

Mystery of TV TalkShow 7 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. funnydinner.com Live Team Trivia 7 p.m. T-Bones Sports Cafe, 1419 Chestnut Street.

UTC Men’s & Women’s Choruses 7:30 p.m.

Patten Chapel, UTC. utc.edu/music

Fri 12.02 North Pole Limited 5:45, 7:30, 9:15 p.m.

Chattanooga Grand Junction, 4119 Cromwell Rd. (423) 894-8028. tvrail.com The Royal Family 6:30 p.m. Flo Summit Theatre, First-Centenary United Methodist Church, 419 McCallie Ave. (423) 756-2428. oakstreetplayhouse.com Mystery of Flight 138 7 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market

22 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

PULSE PICK Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene

• AEC Independent Films resume with tale of cult refugee rejoining her family. Multiple screening times.

Majestic 12, 311 Broad St. (423) 265-5220. carmike.com

St. (423) 517-1839. funnydinner.com A Christmas Carol 7 p.m. Center for Creative Arts, 1301 Dallas Rd. (423) 209-5942.

James Greggory 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. thecomedycatch.com Have A Seat 7:30 p.m. Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga, 1918 Union St. (423) 987-5141. ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com Behold The Lamb 7:30 p.m. Re:Create Café, Salvation Army, 800 McCallie Ave. (423) 756-1023. csarmy.org It’s a Wonderful Life 7:30 p.m.

The Gem Theater, 700 Tennessee Ave. Etowah.

(423) 263-3270.

Beauty and the Beast 7:30 p.m.

The Colonnade, 264 Catoosa Circle, Ringgold, GA. (706) 935-9000. colonnadecenter.org Emperor’s New Clothes 7:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. theatrecentre.com Lorrie Morgan 8 p.m. Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. (423) 757-5156. chattanooga.gov Wide Open Floor 9 p.m. Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. barkinglegs.org Live Team Trivia 9 p.m. Amigo’s Mexican Restaurant, 5450 Hwy 153. (423) 875-8049. chattanoogatrivia.com Stand Up Comedy: Jason Russell & Cori Healy 9:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. funnydinner.com

Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. imagesbar.com

Sat 12.03 MainX24 6 a.m. Main St. & the Southside Neighborhood. mainx24.com Chattanooga Market: Holiday Market 10 a.m. First Tennesee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd. chattanoogamarket.com Winter Wonders Exhibit 10 a.m. Creative Discovery Museum, 321 Chestnut St. (423) 648-6043. cdmfun.org Helping Hands Exhibit 10 a.m. Creative Discovery Museum, 321 Chestnut St. (423) 648-6043. cdmfun.org Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge by Kayak with TN Aquarium 10 a.m. Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge, 525 Priddy Ln. Birchwood.

(931) 484-9571.

outdoorchattanooga.com $5 Felines Adoption Event 10 a.m. The Pet Placement Center, 5975 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 877-0738. thalppc.com GA Winery Santa’s Wine Workshop Noon.

Georgia Winery, 6469 Battlefield Pkwy.

(706) 937-WINE. georgiawines.com Have A Seat 2 p.m. Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga, 1918 Union St. (423) 987-5141. ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com Mystery at the Nightmare Office Party 5:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. funnydinner.com North Pole Limited 5:45, 7:30, 9:15 p.m.

Chattanooga Grand Junction, 4119 Cromwell Rd. (423) 894-8028. tvrail.com Enchanted Garden of Lights 6 p.m. Rock City,

1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA. (800) 854-0675. seerockcity.com The Royal Family 6:30 p.m. Flo Summit Theatre, First-Centenary United Methodist Church, 419 McCallie Ave. (423) 756-2428. oakstreetplayhouse.com A Christmas Carol 7 p.m. Center for Creative Arts, 1301 Dallas Rd. (423) 209-5942.

Behold The Lamb 7:30 p.m. Re:Create Café, Salvation Army, 800 McCallie Ave. (423) 756-1023. csarmy.org It’s a Wonderful Life 7:30 p.m.

The Gem Theater, 700 Tennessee Ave. Etowah. (423) 263-3270.

Beauty and the Beast 7:30 p.m.

The Colonnade, 264 Catoosa Circle, Ringgold, GA. (706) 935-9000. colonnadecenter.org Emperor’s New Clothes 7:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. theatrecentre.com James Greggory 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. thecomedycatch.com Mystery at the Redneck-Italian Wedding 8 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. funnydinner.com Lantern Tours 8:30 p.m. Ruby Falls, 1720 S Scenic Hwy. (423) 821-2544. rubyfalls.com

Stand Up Comedy: Jason Russell & Cori Healy 10:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. funnydinner.com Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. imagesbar.com

399 McCallie Ave. (423) 757-5156. chattanooga.gov Pauly Shore 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. thecomedycatch.com

Tue 12.06

Sun 12.04 Deck The Falls 8 a.m. Ruby Falls, 1720 S Scenic Hwy. (423) 821-2544. rubyfalls.com Chattanooga Market: Holiday Market 11 a.m.

First Tennesee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd. chattanoogamarket.com Free First Sunday Noon. Hunter Museum, 10 Bluff View.

(423) 267-0968. huntermuseum.org It’s a Wonderful Life 2 p.m.

The Gem Theater, 700 Tennessee Ave. Etowah. (423) 263-3270.

Beauty and the Beast 2:30 p.m.

The Colonnade, 264 Catoosa Circle, Ringgold, GA. (706) 935-9000. colonnadecenter.org “A Chamber Noel” with the CSO 3 p.m.

The Sheraton Read House Hotel, 827 Broad St. (423) 266-4121.

A Classic Christmas Concert - CCR 3 p.m. Lee University, 1120 N Ocoee St., Cleveland.

(423) 614-8000. leeuniversity.edu The Polar Express 5 p.m. IMAX Theater

PULSE PICK MainX24 Fashion Show • From the inventive minds at Collective Clothing and Zombi Candi. Free. 4 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market St. mainx24.com

at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. tnaqua.org North Pole Limited 5:45, 7:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Grand Junction, 4119 Cromwell Rd. (423) 894-8028. tvrail.com Enchanted Garden of Lights 6 p.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA. (800) 854-0675. seerockcity.com Caroling with the Fishes 6:30 p.m.

Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (423) 648-2496. tnaqua.org Have A Seat 6:30 p.m.

Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga, 1918 Union St. (423) 987-5141. ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com Sunday Slasher Films 7 p.m. Sluggo’s Vegetarian Café,

501 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 752-5224.

Mon 12.05 Deck The Falls 8 a.m. Ruby Falls, 1720 S Scenic Hwy. (423) 821-2544. rubyfalls.com Enchanted Garden of Lights 6 p.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA. (800) 854-0675. seerockcity.com Live Team Trivia 6 p.m.

Bart’s Lakeshore, 5840 Lake Resort Ter. (423) 870-0770. chattanoogatrivia.com “Women of Letters”: Ruth Holmberg, Ruth and Chocolate 7 p.m.

Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 North Terrace Rd. (423) 493-0270. jewishchattanooga.com The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas Concert 7:30 p.m.

Memorial Auditorium,

Deck The Falls 8 a.m. Ruby Falls, 1720 S Scenic Hwy. (423) 821-2544. rubyfalls.com Enchanted Garden of Lights 6 p.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA. (800) 854-0675. seerockcity.com Songwriter’s Line-up 7 p.m.

The CampHouse, 1427 Williams St. (423) 702-8081. thecamphouse.com Live Team Trivia 7:30 p.m. BrewHaus, 224 Frazier Ave. (423) 531-8490. chattanoogatrivia.com

Wed 12.07 Deck The Falls 8 a.m. Ruby Falls, 1720 S Scenic Hwy. (423) 821-2544. rubyfalls.com Main Street Farmer’s Market 4 p.m. Main St. at Williams St. Enchanted Garden of Lights 6 p.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA. (800) 854-0675. seerockcity.com Live Team Trivia 7:30 p.m. Buffalo Wild Wings, 120 Market St. (423) 634-0468. chattanoogatrivia.com

Email calendar items to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com. chattanoogapulse.com • december 1-7, 2011 • The Pulse • 23

Stop Violence. Give Hope.

92 domestic violence fatalities were reported last year in Tennessee.

Partnership’s Family Violence Center has been breaking the cycle of violence and giving hope to victims for 25 years.

Call 755-2700 to stop the violence.

Visit StopViolenceGiveHope.org to give hope.

24 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

Screen

john devore

Revenge of the ‘Star Wars’ Nerds “

No matter how much I argue against movies that substitute slick special effects, nonstop action scenes, and plot-driven stories for good writing and character development, I know deep down that I’m a hypocrite.

I can criticize Michael Bay movies endlessly for focusing on visuals to the detriment of story. I can call Sucker Punch the worst movie of the year because it was essentially one long experiment in computer-generated graphics. I can make jokes about the stilted dialogue commonplace in many comic-book films. But in the back of my mind, I know that I once drove 12 hours to New York City to camp out in front of the Ziegfeld Theater for tickets to Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith.

I like to tell myself that it was for a good cause; all proceeds from ticket sales went to charity. But I know that if pressed, I couldn’t tell you what charity it was for.

For all I know, I might have been supporting a group that reintroduces nerds into the wild. No, I went because it was “Star Wars” and “Star Wars” has light sabers and Wookies and the Force and spaceships and is so much cooler than Harry Potter ever will be. Just this weekend, I spent an inordinate amount of time ignoring my family in order to beta test a new computer game based in the “Star Wars” universe. If I wasn’t careful (and had unlimited access to funds), I might have something of a problem. So when my editor offered me a chance to review an advance copy of the paperback release of The Secret History of Star Wars: The Art of Storytelling and the Making of a Modern Epic by Michael Kaminski, I was cautious. By cautious, I mean I immediately ordered a copy and set up a tent by the mailbox.

The book arrived last week. It is approximately 450 pages in ten-point font and contains eight (8!) appendices. The amount of detail included in the book is astonishing. It goes beyond any documentary included on any release thus far, compiling facts from innumerable interviews conducted with cast, crew, and associates from the beginning of the film releases. It contains excerpts from multiple drafts of every script from every movie, with commentary and in-depth analysis of plot changes and character development. It is,

[George] doesn’t care about the relationships between people beyond the broad strokes… what he’s interested in is moving the plot forward.

He doesn’t want to see a three-minute scene about character.

in a word, tedious. That isn’t a criticism really, as I found the tedium fascinating and fun. It simply reads like a textbook. If there were a college course on “The making of Star Wars”, this would be required reading.

As much as I love the subject, the book isn’t without its faults. There is no primary source information; everything is secondary, pulled from interviews, scripts, and press details. Kaminski has a tendency to indulge tangential information; there are long passages explaining the films of Akira Kurosawa and their influence on George Lucas. The author’s voice is dry and at times can read like an academic thesis, interested in padding word count or covering material interesting only to experts.

The book isn’t for the casual “Star Wars” fan or moviegoer. It is for the obsessed only.

The most interest-

ing part of the book for me is the characterization of George Lucas as a filmmaker.

In particular, Larry Kasdan, screenwriter of The Empire Strikes Back was quoted as saying, “[George] doesn’t care about the relationships between people beyond the broad strokes…what he’s interested in is moving the plot forward. He doesn’t want to see a three-minute scene about character.”

Lucas is described consistently as an experimental, visual filmmaker. Film for him is primarily about the visual experience, not the emotional impact of character discovery. Actors for Lucas aren’t much different than props, which is why R2-D2 gives as good a performance as Harrison Ford. It also explains why good actors like Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor are so wooden in the prequels. But for all his faults in working with actors, Lucas has led the way in the development of special effects. He created Industrial Light and Magic with the profits from the “Star Wars” franchise. Without his efforts, we would never have seen dinosaurs come to life or learned what shapes a boggart can take. Before we dismiss his blatant merchandising and constant reissues as mere greed, we should look at what he’s given us as an audience.

“The Secret History of Star Wars” was an enjoyable read for me. I was worried that I might have finally outgrown the series. I recently sold all my “Star Wars” books and didn’t even consider buying the Blu Ray release. But the other day, while watching Disney’s Beauty and the Beast with my 2 year old, I asked him what happened to the Beast at the end. He looked at me, smiled and said, “He’s turning into Luke Skywalker.” I guess I’m not the only hope. There is another.

The Secret History of Star Wars: The Art of Storytelling and the Making of a Modern Epic

By Michael Kaminski.

Legacy Book Press, 2011, $39.95.

Chattanooga’s Premier Dance Facility Monday ~ Friday 10 a.m. ~ 7 p.m.

Saturday 10 a.m. ~ 4 p.m.

423.531.8929 Come in for Chattanooga’s largest selection of dancewear and accessories!

6435 Lee Highway (Second Floor) in the old McKay building Chattanooga

barrerish@gmail.com

chattanoogapulse.com • december 1-7, 2011 • The Pulse • 25

Sushi & Biscuits

MIKE MCJUNKIN

South of the Border

Although carniceria literally means “butcher shop” in Spanish, most of the carnicerias in Chattanooga look like a small market when you first step through the door. The grocery aisles are a mix of the familiar and the not-so-familiar. Pasta and spaghetti sauce may share an aisle with prepared moles and tamarind pods. The spice sections in the larger carnicerias are a goldmine of what are considered specialty or hard-to-find spices in the big chain stores. You can find dried lavender, eucalyptus, and even hibiscus for less than a bottle of McCormick black pepper.

If you look closely, somewhere, tucked away in a corner will be a glass case filled with fresh-baked breads and pastries. Pan dulce: a chewy, lightly sweetened Mexican bread topped with a sweet, topping and buñuelo: a thin, deep-fried pastry normally sprinkled with a cinnamon-and-sugar mixture is delicious and comforting. If the gods are with you, there will be bolillo, the bread used to make the crack of the sandwich world, the Mexican torta.

Come for the butt, stay for the liver

The best parts of the local carniceria are the butcher shop and the restaurant, an incredible resource for inexpensive eats. They have beef, chicken, and some seafood, usually tilapia and shrimp, but the star of the show is our friend Mr. Pig. LOA # 7 at Main and Market will even order a whole pig for you if you are in the mood for a little roast piggy. But whatever animal you decide to invite for dinner, rest assured every part of

26 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

that animal is available and very reasonably priced.

Stroll a little further back to the wondrous land of the carniceria restaurant. There are old tables, mismatched chairs and figuring out where to order may be a guessing game at first. But once you get your bearings you’ll find many familiar foods, just in an unfamiliar setting: carne asada (grilled steak), chorizo (a fresh Mexican sausage), pollo (chicken), or lengua (beef tongue. The tacos are usually $1.25 to $1.50 each and come in two corn tortillas with a variety of condiments you can add yourself.

Keep in mind that you may have to ask to see the full menu—sometimes only the day’s specials or the taco menu is displayed to the general public. At Loa #6 on Lee Highway, the asada plate is a must-have. A huge pile of lean, perfectly seasoned steak is cooked to order, chopped into small pieces and served with their home-style beans and rice with tortillas. Once you get your food you can belly up to the condiment bar and pimp

Open La te Free WiF ! i!

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“ The Secret's in the Combination Hot Coffees & Hot Chocolate

Cappuccino Mochas Lattes Hot Chocolate Mexican Hot Chocolate Chattanooga’s Best Ice Cream

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Custom-Blended Ice Cream and Yogurt

Mon-Sat 9am-11pm Sun 1-11 pm 129 Walnut St. 138 Market St. 423-702-5173

1.00 OFF ONE $4.00 $

ITEM

ICE CREAM OR GOURMET COFFEE

If the gods are with you, there will be bolillo, the bread used to make the crack of the sandwich world, the Mexican torta. your platter with an array of sauces, salsas, including cactus (salsa nopalitos) and a guacamole that is spectacular. This guacamole is not dip like you get at the Americanized Latin places, it is almost saucelike in consistency, and those big balls in the guacamole are the avocado pits. Just leave them in the pan. LOA #7 has a slightly smaller restaurant, but on Fridays they serve a whole, fried tilapia plate for the same price you’d pay for a fish sandwich, fries, drink and a side of shame at the golden arches. It’s a whole fish, so take advantage of those little tasty morsels of tilapia cheek meat that we rarely ever get here in the South.

Remember, when you see the latest Bobby Flay meat-and-two-sauces recipe or when you find a perfect dish but it has that expensive or unfamiliar ingredient, check with your local carniceria or market. Odds are good they will have just what you need and it will be cheaper, better quality, and you will be supporting a local business.

Mon-Thu: 11am-8pm Fri-Sat: 11am-9pm Sun: Noon-8pm

Swamp Night Craw fish l y! !

Mont h Etoufee s n PoBoys, a Red Be Muffalettas & Rice! & BBQ Shrimp ! jun Best Ca f o e All-You t his sid sy!

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Hot off the griddle

• Good Fences Brewery, started by the owners of The Georgia Winery, has released an IPA as their flagship beer.

• The owners of Petunia’s Silver Jalapeno are getting ready to open Gin Gin’s, a full-service, contemporary Southern restaurant in Walden.

• On Dec. 3, MainX24 has some interesting events: • 8 to 11 a.m. in Niedlov’s parking lot, Link 41 will be lard-frying Niedlov’s doughnuts.

• 2 to 4 p.m. The Terminal Brewhouse will be showcasing molecular gastronomy.

• 7 to 9 p.m. Fiesta at Taqueria Jalisco with a mariachi band, complimentary sangria and food specials.

Mike McJunkin is a foodie, chef, musician and, in his spare time, keeps our computers and networks running smoothly. Got a tip for the column? Email him at mike@chattanoogapulse.com.

118 Cross Street · 423.634.0772 · bigtable.net chattanoogapulse.com • december 1-7, 2011 • The Pulse • 27

Free Will Astrology ARIES (March 21-April 19): This would be an excellent week to head down to Pucón, Chile, and hire a daredevil to fly you in a helicopter into the caldera of the active Villarrica volcano, whereupon you would bungeejump out of the copter down to within 700 feet of the molten lava. If that’s too extreme or expensive for your tastes, I urge you to come up a milder adventure that will still bring you a close encounter with primal heat and light—and maybe even some divine fire.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As a mouse looks for food or shelter, it is flexible enough to fit through a hole as small as a quarter of an inch. You would really benefit from having a talent like that right now, Taurus. Of course, even if you are as slippery and pliable, you will also have to be on alert for the inviting possibilities. For example, let’s say you spy an interesting-looking person with whom you’d love to chat. The window of opportunity may be open for less than 10 seconds. Seize that moment! Refuse to get hung up in shyness. Don’t convince yourself that another chance will come along later.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): One of my Gemini acquaintances, Tara, has been playing a slow-moving game of tag with three friends since they were all in second grade together.

They’re all 27 now, and still live in the same city. Currently, Tara is “It,” but she confided in me that she plans to make a move this week. She says she’ll sneak up on one of the other players during his lunch break at work, tag him, and run away before he can tag her back. I told her she’s likely to meet with success, since this is an excellent time for you Geminis to gain an advantage in any kind of game you’re playing.

CANCER

(June 21-July 22): “Far more crucial than what we know or do not know is what we do not want to know,” wrote philosopher Eric Hoffer. This is a good idea for you to contemplate right now. I realize it may be a challenge for you to figure out what you would rather not know and are afraid to know and might even be allergic to knowing. Still, I hope you’ll make the effort. Maybe you could enlist a smart ally who’d be skillful in helping you uncover the taboo truth. And maybe you could formulate an intention to be as objective as you’ve ever been.

LEO

(July 23-Aug. 22): Biologists say there are 680 species

28 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

rob brezsny

of trees and shrubs in the U.S. and Canada. By comparison, Lambir Hills National Park on the island of Borneo is the home of 1,175 species on its 128 acres.

I suspect you will feel right at home in places like Lambir Hills in the coming week, Leo. Your own creative urges will be running hotter than usual, and are most likely to thrive in contexts that are themselves teeming with lush fertility. Surround yourself with inspirational influences, giving yourself the best possible chance to express yourself with vivid imagination.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home,” wrote philosopher Dagobert D. Runes. Your assignment, Virgo, should you choose to accept it, is to refute that assertion. In other words, I’m inviting you to travel to all of your usual haunts and treat everything that happens there with the attitude of a first-time visitor. Just assume that the familiar people and places in your life have stimulating gifts to give and lessons to impart. Remember, though, they can’t do that to the fullest unless you expect them to.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The

human brain is composed of 30 percent protein and 70 percent fat. So it wouldn’t be incorrect to refer to you as a fathead.

In order to nourish your brain cells, you’ve got to eat foods that provide two essential fatty acids your body doesn’t manufacture: omega-3 ALA and omega-6 LA. Since you’re now in a “brain-building” phase of your astrological cycle, I urge you to get more than your minimum requirements of these basics.

I suggest that you also expose yourself to a lot of extraordinarily phat sources of intellectual stimulation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

The mawashi is the loincloth that Japanese sumo wrestlers wear while competing. It’s rare for the garment to come off, but it did happen once in 2000, when a wrestler named Asanokiri suddenly found himself standing naked during his bout with Chiyohakuho. In conformity with sumo’s rules, Asanokiri was immediately disqualified. I don’t think you’re at risk for being rendered literally unclothed in the heat of a showdown, Scorpio. But I do advise you to take extra precautions to prevent a metaphorical version of that occurrence.

SAGITTARIUS

(Nov. 22Dec. 21): “Dear Mr. Brezsny:

My name is Sonny McGee and I own a website that caters to people who are addicted to playing poker. I’m wondering if you would like to advertise your work to our audience. Gamblers love astrology! Get in touch.— Sagittarian Wheeler Dealer.”

Dear Dealer: Thanks, but I’ll pass. I don’t like to encourage anyone to focus their gambling urges on trivial matters like card games. I prefer they direct that mojo to high-minded stuff like daring themselves to excel and doing brave things to help save the world. By the way, it’s prime time for you Sagittarians to ratchet up your commitment to those kinds of gambles.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19): I hope you’re not so perversely attached to your demons that you’re inclined to keep providing them with a comfortable home. Why? Because the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to permanently banish them from the premises. Yes, I know it may seem lonely at first without their nagging, disruptive voices chattering away in your head. But I really do encourage you to bid them adieu. By the way, as you plan your exorcism, you might want to include a humorous touch or two. They’re allergic to satire and mockery, you know.

AQUARIUS

(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The Beauvais Cathedral in northern France has been called “the most daring achievement of Gothic architecture.” There’s a problem with the place, however—it has never been completed. Work began in the year 1225, and experts are still talking about how to solve certain ongoing difficulties with its construction. I don’t know when this happy ending will occur, Aquarius, but I do expect that in 2012 you will be able to put the finishing touches on your own personal version of the Beauvais Cathedral.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In my prayers, I’ve been negotiating with the Goddess to grant you the power to change the course of rivers, at least in a metaphorical way. I’ve also beseeched her to show you how to overthrow the Puppet Master and convert overwrought hawks into savvy doves. The Goddess seems to be seriously considering these appeals, and has even hinted she might offer you instructions on how to shape a new Adam out of one of Eve’s ribs, mythically speaking.

In return, she does have one request: that you do what you can to make sure the sun rises on schedule for the next 10 days.

Jonesin’ Crossword

matt jones

Cozy enough to fall asleep with.

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“out for the day”—dish up, dig in, drop out.

Across

1. Late November drowsiness 11. ___ Friday’s (restaurant chain) 14. You, you, you, or me 15. Dungeons & Dragons creatures 17. They’re used in repair of fractures 18. Bump into 19. “Gone in 60 Seconds” director Dominic 20. Org. that assigns numerical IDs 21. Fashion model/ volleyball player Gabrielle 22. Tone Loc single released just after “Funky Cold Medina” 25. Controversial engineering 28. Lacto-___ vegetarian 29. “Then what happened?”

30. Think it could possibly be 31. Himalayan country:

abbr.

32. Trippy stuff 33. “This American Life” host Glass 34. Vietnam Memorial designer Maya 35. They’re found in kids’ books 42. Massive Brit. lexicon 43. Shiba ___ (cute dog breed) 44. Duration of amateur boxing matches, often 46. Seasonal help 48. Forbidden topics: var.

49. WWII naval vessel 50. “There ___ substitute for...”

53. Suffix after Manhattan or McCarthy 54. Giving the cold shoulder 57. Part of CD 58. They swing on a steady basis 59. UK mil. award 60. Cause of 1-across, it’s said

DOWN

1. File folder feature 2. Ones, to Juan

3. Baseball Hall of Famer Sandberg 4. Nimoy and Shatner co-star 5. Facebook status word for some 6. “___ Blues” (Beatles song) 7. It goes under your glass 8. Away from the workplace 9. “Axis ___” (1995 album by The Shamen) 10. “Bite my shiny metal ___!” (“Futurama” phrase) 11. “Anger Management” actress 12. Scallion 13. Like Antarctica 16. Note takers’ needs 21. Hopeful, as outlooks go 23. “I’m ___ Boat” 24. 1968 federal law regulating firearms, for

short 25. Extremely angry 26. Stealthily implied 27. 69 and 101, but not 86 35. Rural rds.

36. Their, to a Herr 37. Searcher for oil 38. Mass per unit volume 39. It has a descender when written in lower case 40. Before, to a poet 41. Alfonso of baseball 45. Use a plunger 47. Village Voice gossip columnist Michael 51. “The Secret of ___” (1982 animated movie) 52. Draft classification 54. Invoice fig.

55. “Wayne’s World” rejoinder 56. Channel that revived “The Newlywed Game”

Jonesin’ Crossword created By Matt Jones. © 2011 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+ to call.

Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 0548. chattanoogapulse.com • december 1-7, 2011 • The Pulse • 29

Life in the Noog

chuck crowder

Just Glad To Be Here The mortality of celebrities is one of the most interesting phenomena of stargazing to me. Whether they die too young or live to be 100, it seems like they always go abruptly, and in methods that are usually just as uncommon as their fame.

There are those who died extremely young— like Sid Vicious (21), Buddy Holly (22) and River Phoenix (23), for example. It’s always crushing to think about what they might have accomplished had they lived, and sad to think they’ll be known for so little. Two of those deaths could have likely been avoided if the youthful attitude of “immortality” hadn’t been in play.

Then there’s the “27 Club” of rock stars who died at 27 years of age. Blues legend Robert Johnson, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Brian Jones, Kurt Cobain, D. Boon (Minutemen), Pete Ham (Badfinger), Chris Bell (Big Star) and just this year, Amy Winehouse, are all part of that elite group.

I don’t understand why that age is so pivotal in a rock star’s life, but apparently your 27th birthday is the exact moment when drugs, depression and accidents are most likely to cut your time short—just in your

prime.

Those celebrities who lived to be 100 are fewer, but certainly more fortunate. George Burns, Bob Hope, Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, Rose Kennedy and Strom Thurmond all left their mark for a century or more before taking a perpetual dirt nap.

What always makes me grin is someone taken back in amazement when they learn that a star they thought was long gone is still kicking. Personally, I was amazed to see Betty White get tackled by football players at age 89 in a Snicker’s commercial. But I was also amazed to see her on Golden Girls in the ’80s, for that matter. I thought she’d long passed into oblivion in the ’70s when all she did were game show appearances—post “Mary Tyler Moore”, of course.

So with that in mind, I’ve decided to reveal some of the most astounding “still living” celebrity cases I could dig up (no pun).

Keep in mind I write these columns a week out, so some may

30 • The Pulse • december 1-7, 2011 • chattanoogapulse.com

have met their maker by press time.

Dick Van Dyke—still kicking at 85, no shit. And he looks fantastic. In fact, I just recently saw him on CBS Sunday Morning doing a rap song with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith.

The “real” James Bond—Sean Connery—age 80. You really can’t kill Mr. Bond, now can you? That in mind, we all know William Shatner is still at the top of his game—also at 80, believe it or not. Then there’s what I call the “73 Club” with Morgan Freeman, Jack Nicolson, Jane Fonda, Anthony Hopkins and Dustin Hoffman. Al Pacino (70) is just slightly older than Harrison Ford (68), but three years Dick Van Dyke—still kicking at 85, no shit.

“

I’ve decided to reveal some of the most astounding ‘still living’ celebrity cases I could dig up. older than Robert DeNiro (67).

These are celebrities we still see very regularly on the silver screen. Let’s throw in a few you never hear from any more—and probably thought had moved on to that great gig in the sky.

The one I personally was taken back by the most is Phyllis Diller—still alive at 94. Mickey Rooney, who I think starred in silent films for Pete’s sake, is still around at age 91. And remember Abe Vigoda who played the lovable character Fish on Barney Miller? He’s still alive at 90. Hell, I thought he was 70 back in the ’70s.

Speaking of people we last heard from in the ’70s, legendary director, actor and proud papa to aging actor/director Rob, Carl Reiner, is now 89. In fact, Norman Lear, who created TV’s All in the Family co-

starring Rob Reiner as “Meathead” is also 89. So is Sid Caesar. Their buddy Mel Brooks of Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein fame is 85. So are Andy Griffith, Hugh Hefner and Chuck Berry.

There are some stars you don’t think are as old as they really are. Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes is 93. So is evangelist Billy Graham. Kirk Douglas— Michael Douglas’s father—is 94. And so is Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Then there are those who you thought were older than they really are—just because it seems they’ve been around forever. Like Dick Clark, who’s just 81. Larry Hagman, who starred in I Dream of Jeannie in the ’60s and the ’80’s TV drama Dallas, is just 80 years old. And former President Jimmy Carter isn’t a day over 87.

I have no idea how long I’ll live or how famous I’ll become but like everyone, I hope to live a long, healthy life before my star stops shining.

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.

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