The Hard Rock of Justice by Folio Weekly

2 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 8-14, 2020

THIS WEEK // 1.8.20-1.14.20 // VOL. 32 ISSUE 41

MAIN FEATURE

THE HARD ROCK OF JUSTICE

Attorney John Phillips fights the good fight Story by Georgio Valentino, cover photo by Philip Hess

COLUMNS + CALENDARS MAIL GUEST EDITORIAL OUR PICKS SPORTS PICKS ART

4 5 6 8 12

ARTS + EVENTS CONCERTS PETS CROSSWORD NEWS OF THE WEIRD

13 16 18 19 20

ASTROLOGY WEED CLASSIFIEDS BACKPAGE

20 21 22 23

GET SOCIAL visit us online at

FOLIOWEEKLY.COM PUBLISHER • Sam Taylor sam@folioweekly.com / 904-860-2465 ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER • T. Farrar Martin fmartin@folioweekly.com / ext. 112

EDITORIAL

EDITOR • Georgio Valentino georgio@folioweekly.com / ext. 115 COPY EDITOR • Courtney Stringfellow courtney@folioweekly.com CALENDAR EDITORS • Brianna Bostick, Tristan Komorny CARTOONISTS • Ed Hall, Jen Sorensen CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Susan Clark Armstrong, Nick Blank, Brianna Bostick, Rob Brezsny, Nicole Carroll, Davi, Julie Delegal, Chris Guerrieri, Laura Hampton, Janet Harper, Dan Hudak, Shelton Hull, Jason Irvin, Tristan Komorny, Mary Maguire, Sarah McLaughlin, Jennifer Melville, Lindsey Nolen, Dale Ratermann, Ryan Reno, Stephanie Thompson, Madeleine Peck Wagner, Jessica Leigh Walton

DESIGN

ART DIRECTOR • Mel Young mel@folioweekly.com / ext. 145 PRODUCTION MANAGER • Josh Wessolowski josh@folioweekly.com / ext. 144 PHOTOGRAPHERS • Alex Dougherty, Alex Harris

BUSINESS & ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS MANAGER • Nancy Zarling fpiadmin@folioweekly.com / ext. 119

DISTRIBUTION

Bobby Pendexter cosmicdistributions@gmail.com / ext. 150

ADVERTISING

PUBLISHER • Sam Taylor sam@folioweekly.com / 904-860-2465 MULTIMEDIA ACCOUNT MANAGERS CJ Allen cjallen946@gmail.com / ext. 140 Kathrin Lancelle klancelle@folioweekly.com / ext. 124 Sarah McLaughlin sarah@folioweekly.com / ext. 127 Quanee Smith quanee@folioweekly.com

/thefolioweekly

MEDIA CONSULTANT Tracy Rigdon tracy@folioweekly.com FOLIO WEEKLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHES EVERY WEDNESDAY FOR DISTRIBUTION IN DUVAL, NASSAU, ST. JOHNS AND CLAY COUNTIES. It contains opinions of contributing writers that are not necessarily the opinion of this publication. Folio Weekly welcomes editorial and photographic contributions. Calendar items must be received two weeks in advance of event date. Copyright © Folio Publishing, Inc. 2020. All rights reserved. Advertising rates and information available on request. Advertiser purchases right of publication only. One free issue per person. Additional copies and back issues are $1 each at the office or $4 by U.S. mail, based on availability. First Class mail subscriptions are $48/13 weeks, $96/26 weeks, $189/52 weeks. Folio Weekly is printed on 100 percent recycled paper, using soy-based inks. Please recycle issues of Folio Weekly. Application to mail at periodicals postage prices is pending at Jacksonville, Florida. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Folio Weekly, 45 W. Bay St., Ste. 103, Jacksonville, FL 32202-3632.

@folioweekly

45 West Bay Street Suite 103 Jacksonville, Florida 32202 PHONE 904.260.9770 FAX 904.260.9773

JOIN THESE MASTHEAD MEMBERS AT FOLIOWEEKLY.COM/SUPPORTLOCALJOURNALISM Betsy McCall • Rose McCall • David Jaffee • Dave Graney • MRE of Jax • Mark S. Rowden • Tammy Lugenia Cherry Dr. Wayne Wood • Billie Bussard • Elizabeth Sams • Georgia R Pribanic JANUARY 8-14, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 3

THE MAIL IMPEACHMENT DEBATE RE.: Mail, Jan. 1

IN YOUR JAN. 1 EDITION, CHEVY ETHRIDGE

labeled Folio Weekly a one-sided liberal magazine/newspaper. You than went on to prove him right when answering a letter from Roderick T. Beaman. I find it odd that you would address him as “my dear Rod” and followed it with a one-sided attack on the Republican Senate Leader. Were you not born when President Clinton was impeached? The Democrats who controlled the Senate at that time did the exact same thing that Mitch McConnell plans to do this time. I guess it is okay for one party to do it, but not the other. At any rate does it really matter? As with Clinton, and now with Trump, the outcome is already known. Maybe if Trump had been charged with a crime it might have been different, but than again Clinton was charged with a crime and he walked. Larry Smith via email REAL GOOD RESPONSE TO MY LETTER, GEORGIO.

You are 100 percent correct we are in uncharted waters. There are procedural precedents from the three previous impeachment investigations. Nothing says, though, that each house can’t develop new ones. The Constitution is vague on precisely how to go about it. Thus, it seems that each chamber should have established procedures by now. An argument could be made that those previous hearings set the proper precedent. I don’t think either party should be crying foul about how the respective chamber conducts the affair. Thus, during the impeachment hearings, I think the Democrats could handle it any way they wanted and they did. It may not be fair, but there may be no requirement that it is. The impeachment is analogous to a grand jury. There’s the old saw about indicting a ham sandwich. This all makes Mitch McConnell’s

plan to collaborate with the White House legal. It might not be fair, but it’s likely legal just like the impeachment investigations might not be fair. But I think my original point about Nancy Pelosi’s dereliction stands. If Trump is so heinous, get him out of office. McConnell will have his plans no matter what. In any event, this entire matter has set a very bad precedent. The plans to impeach began even before he was the nominee. The Republicans can do exactly the same thing. Not good. I do think we would agree on a lot in a good jawboning session. Take care, and I’ll try to attend your next #FindYourFolio Happy Hour at The Coffee Grinder. Roderick T. Beaman via email

#MAPPINGJAX

RE.: 2020 Vision by Steve Williams, Jan. 1

BEAUTIFUL INVITATION TO ALL OF JACKSONVILLE

to find common goals and work together to achieve them. That is the essence of true leadership, Steve Williams. Thank you, and Happy New Year. Crystal Sulik via Facebook IT SOUNDED A BIT FUZZY, BUT BETTER THAN

what I have heard in the past. Moving forward without equal justice and accountability is meaningless, superficial and going in circles. Happy New Year. Denise Hunt via Facebook

MIGHTY FINE

RE.: Let Me Start Again, I Cried by Georgio Valentino, Jan. 1 EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, I READ SOMETHING AND

think, “Damn, I wish I’d written that!” Fine work, Georgio Valentino. Mighty fine. Helps to know we were not alone in the grief we felt during the year we just finished. Now, onward. Julie Delegal via Facebook

LEND YOUR VOICE If you’d like to respond to something you’ve read in the pages of Folio Weekly, please send an email (including name, address and phone number, for verification purposes only) to mail@folioweekly.com, go to folioweekly.com or follow us on Twitter or Facebook (@folioweekly) and join the conversation.

BRICKBATS + BOUQUETS BOUQUET TO TEAM PRAETOARIAN Comprising Ben Odom and Mat Steinlin, the Jacksonville-based rowing team is gearing up to row 3,000 miles across the Atlantic, unsupported, to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Central and Northern Florida. The voyage is set to take place in December, but Praetorian is raising funds and awareness early. BRICKBAT TO PUBLIX PARKING LOT MAN On the afternoon of Jan. 1, in a Riverside parking lot (of all places), a belligerent mouth-breather threatened and harassed Alex Podlas, owner of Bakery Ribault in Five Points, with homophobic and xenophobic slurs. Podlas recorded the encounter and uploaded the video to social media, making the anonymous offender instantly Duval famous. BOUQUET TO KAMP KRITTER On Dec. 31, Matt Soergel of The Florida Times-Union filed the last feel-good story of 2019. In it, the Jacksonville no-kill shelter, founded by Sue Towler, rescued an abandoned and traumatized bloodhound named Hoss and matched him with seventh-grader Bo Royce. The two became instant best friends. Hoss is now rehabilitated and happy. DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DESERVES A BOUQUET? OR MAYBE A BRICKBAT? Submit your choice to mail@folioweekly. com; 50-word maximum, concerning a person, place, or topic of local interest.

4 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 8-14, 2020

FOLIO VOICES: GUEST EDITORIAL

NO GOLDEN PARACHUTE

ZAHN MUST BE TERMINATED “WITH CAUSE”

ON TUESDAY, JAN. 7, THE JEA BOARD of Directors was set to decide if JEA’s former CEO Aaron Zahn was going to be terminated with or without cause. Then, the day before, the Office of General Counsel intervened and asked for a postponement “until further notice.” The request was immediately granted. Why does all this matter? If Zahn is terminated without cause, he will be able to walk away with a severance package of more than $800,000. That would be a travesty, and it would have Mayor Lenny Curry’s fingerprints all over it. Let us start with what should be obvious by now: Curry seems to be influencing everything the JEA board does. Its members are, after all, his appointees. Zahn is his buddy, who beat two experienced candidates for the top spot at JEA in November 2018 despite the fact that he himself had no utility experience. In July 2019, the board authorized Zahn to start negotiating a sale. The very same day, Curry praised the “wisdom and experience” of the JEA Board in considering privatization. Meanwhile the JEA board approved a bonus plan that would have allowed JEA employees and some unspecified nonemployees to profit from any potential sale. Then, on November 25, as criticism of the sale grew, Curry appeared before the Jacksonville City Council to state his support for continuing the negotiations. Meanwhile, the Florida Commission on Ethics had begun investigating possible conflict-of-interest violations. Curry’s cabal apparently tried to accelerate the timetable as the pressure mounted, but public outcry became overwhelming. Finally, on December 23, Curry seemed to have decided to get in front of the scandal. He called for an end to the sale process; as if by magic, the board convened the very next day to make it so. Thus, it is clear that the JEA board is essentially in Curry’s pocket. Simply put, it does whatever he tells it to do. In fact, under the City Charter in Article 21(a), “The members [of the board] may be removed by the mayor at any time with or without cause, but a removal must be

approved by a two-thirds vote of the [city] council.” Accordingly, he may have the power to remove board members who vote to fire Zahn without cause. In short, if the JEA board decides to fire Zahn without cause and to walk away with more than $800,000, it will be because Curry wants the board to do that. A strong case can be made that Zahn should be removed with cause. First, during his hiring process, he never disclosed that his prior employer BCR Environmental, Inc., had terminated him in 2017 for, in the words of one investor, John Semanik, wrecking the company. He also did not disclose that the fact that the sewage treatment facility BCR built for the city of Starke never operated without repeated problems and that the supposedly cutting-edge sewage treatment facility is non-operational today. Second, it appears that Zahn has improperly managed JEA. For example, during his recent testimony before a City Council meeting, he stated that he did not know who had prepared the infamous bonus plan that would have allowed him to make millions of dollars at the city’s expense. A CEO who does not know who prepared a bonus plan dealing with millions of dollars is not doing his job. Third, it appears that Zahn violated a 2018 JEA resolution that prohibited JEA executives from pursuing privatization. In light of that fact, how did JEA prepare the contracts for the financial advisers and attorneys it hired to assist in the sales process when the ban prohibiting any JEA executive from taking any step towards privatization had only been lifted the day before the contracts were signed? Either Zahn was ignorant and incompetent or he violated the resolution. In short, the JEA board must fire Zahn with cause. If it does not do so, then Curry must take the blame for Zahn’s sweetheart severance. Terry D. Bork mail@folioweekly.com

________________________________

Bork is a Jacksonville-based attorney with more than 20 years’ experience. JANUARY 8-14, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 5

OUR

PICKS THIS WEEK’S BIGGEST

WED

PUB CRAWL

NIGHTS OF PINTS

The holidays may be over, but St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights are still shining bright until Feb. 3. And until then, the Ancient City’s four craft breweries are participating in this seasonal pub crawl, complete with special-edition beers and merch. Until Feb. 3, St. Augustine, facebook.com/nightsofpints.

& BEST HAPPENINGS

FRI

10 WHEREFORE ART THOU? ROMEO & JULIET

FSCJ Artist Series brings Ukraine’s National Ballet Theatre of Odessa to Northeast Florida to stage a full-scale production of Sergei Prokofiev’s take on the Shakespeare classic. 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, Times-Union Center, Downtown, fscjartistseries.org, $18.08-$90.

FRI

10 THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GERMANY BEETHOVEN’S VIOLIN CONCERTO

New York City-based violin virtuoso Stefan Jackiw (pictured) joins the Jacksonville Symphony to storm through compositions by Schumann, Schreker and Beethoven. 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday, Jan. 10 & 11, Times-Union Center, Downtown, jaxsymphony.org, $19-$69. 6 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 8-14, 2020

WED

FLAMING STAR

ELVIS BIRTHDAY BASH

The King’s men, Mike Albert and Scot Bruce, celebrate Presley’s 85th birthday with a career-spanning tribute performance, from hip-swinging Memphis days to those sweaty, sweaty Vegas nights. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, Florida Theatre, Downtown, floridatheatre.com, $29.50-$39.50.

TUE

14 DUDE LOVE

MICK FOLEY

A Renaissance man of sorts, the pro-wresting legend is also a best-selling author and storyteller. He’s on tour regaling fans with tales of life in the ring. Kayfabe! (See page 12 for more details.) 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, The Comedy Zone, Mandarin, comedyzone.com, $25-$50.

JANUARY 8-14, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 7

PICKS

BY DALE RATERMANN | SPORTS@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM

THU

J.U.S.T. D.O. I.T.

JU MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Jacksonville University men’s basketball team plays host to ASUN rival New Jersey Institute of Technology. The Dolphins lost twice to NJIT last season and are 3-5 all-time against the Highlanders. 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, Swisher Gym, 2800 University Blvd. N., judolphins.com, $10.

SAT

11 I’D RATHER THROW YOU THAN KNOW YOU JIU-JITSU TOURNAMENT

It’s the NEWBREED Annual Jacksonville New Year Open. There are multiple age and weight divisions for males and females. Jiu-jitsu is a martial art and combat sport with emphasis on ground fighting. 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, UNF Field House, 1 S. UNF Dr., newbreedbjj.com, $15.

SAT

11 WE CAME TO PLAY ICEMEN HOCKEY

The Icemen return home after an seven-game road trip. The Brampton (Ont.) Beast come to town for an interdivision matchup. 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, VyStar Veterans Arena, 300 A. Philip Randolph Blvd., jacksonvilleicemen.com, $10 and up. 8 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 8-14, 2020

JANUARY 8-14, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 9

FOLIO: FEATURE

THE HARD ROCK OF JUSTICE Attorney John Phillips fights the good fight

story by GEORGIO VALENTINO photos by PHILIP HESS 10 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 8-14, 2020

IF YOU’VE EVER MET HIM, YOU KNOW JOHN PHILLIPS IS EMINENTLY personable, perhaps too personable. He is, after all, a lawyer. But if you know him by his works, you know he’s a mensch. The man is currently battling Donald Trump in court (on behalf of Omarosa Manigault Newman, Trump’s boon-companion-turned-bitter-enemy—a disturbingly familiar story). More importantly, Phillips has built a national reputation for helping victims, beginning with the high-profile Jordan Davis case in 2012. We meet in the Ortega headquarters of Phillips & Hunt, the six-lawyer firm that Phillips founded in 2011. As expected, his office is filled with framed credentials and family photos, but there’s also a surprising volume of Hollywood memorabilia—including a Captain America shield and a Superman cape once worn by Christopher Reeve. Phillips is becoming something of a collector. His favorite movie relics are a pair of incredibly detailed courtroom props from the set of John Grisham’s 1996 legal thriller, A Time to Kill. The fanboy in Phillips had them recently signed by the author, who he introduced at last year’s Amelia Island Book Festival. (He’s keen to score Matthew McConaughey’s John Hancock, too. So, if you’re reading, Matt...) Clearly, Phillips has a theatrical side, and he just might give it free rein in 2020. As we sit down for the interview, he mentions that he just returned from Downtown Jacksonville, where he’s scouting a new headquarters with enough space to really spread his wings (and show off his memorabilia). “I want it to be like the Hard Rock [Cafe] of law and justice,” he grins.

“You can’t judge cases by the amount of money you can make on them. That’s a huge flaw in the matrix.”

Nothing could be more fitting for the media-savvy attorney, who has leveraged social media and network television appearances into a successful practice. In the old days, they chased ambulances; now they follow (and are followed) on Twitter. But let’s start at the very beginning. (I hear it’s a good place to start.) John Phillips wasn’t always a talking head; he didn’t always score multimillion-dollar judgments for victims and families; he didn’t even start out as a plaintiff ’s attorney. Phillips learned the ropes on the other side, as an insurance defense lawyer. After graduating from University of Alabama School of Law (“A lot of people don’t know it’s one of the top-rated public law schools in the country.”), the Mobile native decided to diversify his portfolio with credentials in both his home state and neighboring Florida. “Mobile is kind of like Jacksonville in that it’s a border town,” he observes. “I had taken the Alabama bar exam and passed, then I passed the Florida bar. I figured I could practice in Pensacola.” Instead, he was flown to Jacksonville to interview with Cole, Stone, Stoudemire, Morgan and Dore. The city made an impression. “I stayed at the Omni and sat at The Landing,” he remembers. “I called my mom and said, ‘I love the river. I love the town. But don’t think I’ll get the job.’ Turns out I did. I moved here on June 23, 2001.” Phillips would eventually partner with Dennis Dore in a new firm. Then in 2010,

with nearly a decade of experience in the insurance defense field, he switched sides and moved to the massive personal injury firm Morgan & Morgan. Still, it wasn’t a perfect fit, and within a year, he would move on. “I had a Jerry Maguire moment,” he says, “where you realize you’re in this machine that people may not like. I wrote a mass email to the firm about what I learned—that was Tuesday—and on Friday I was told I could resign. It was a model that I’ll admit now I didn’t fit into. When you’re working 500 cases as an individual attorney, you’re settling cases not based on their value, but what someone will take. The best thing about Morgan was—and I don’t love the expression—but it was a trial by fire. It threw me into the world of the largest personal injury plaintiff ’s firm in the world for me to sink or swim. Depending on how you viewed it, some would say I sunk; some would say I swam the wrong way; but I learned a lot in that time. I don’t regret it.” 2011 would be a pivotal and emotional year for Phillips. He met his future wife, Angela, early in the year. He lost his job in May, the same month that Angela revealed she was pregnant and that Phillips’ mother disclosed that she was ill—that illness would claim her life six months later. That summer, he also founded his own firm, and he did so on two foundations: solid law and the value of social and earned media. He got his feet wet on local television, mostly discussing the Casey Anthony case. In November, he flew to

New York for his first national network television appearance on the Today Show with Matt Lauer. Phillips’ first major challenge—and “the case that changed my life”—came in 2012, when the family of Jordan Davis approached him. The 17-year-old high school student was shot and killed at a Jacksonville gas station on November 23. The shooting occurred after the aggressor, Michael David Dunn, provoked an argument with Davis and his friends. His beef: the boys were playing loud music in their vehicle. Phillips says nothing can truly prepare one for taking on such a case, but the experiences the previous 12 months had given him expanded his emotional horizons. “I had never known love or loss before 2011 and ‘12,” he said. “You don’t know love until you’ve held your first child, and you don’t know loss until you you’ve said goodbye to your mother. Still, I didn’t know if I was emotionally or spiritually capable of representing Jordan’s family.” Dunn’s trial would eventually become national news, and Phillips’ first task was establishing a perimeter against the press who came to hound the victim’s family. “The first time I met them at their house,” Phillips recalls, “all three networks knocked on the door. I gave them a card and said, ‘No, let them bury their child.’” Phillips and his team would eventually get justice for the family. More than two years after the shooting, after one hung jury and a second trial, Dunn was found guilty of first-degree murder. He is serving a life sentence without parole. With his clients’ blessing, Phillips had taken the case to cable television, appearing regularly on HLN. That’s how he met The Apprentice’s semi-mononymous Omarosa, who was often featured alongside Phillips and sympathized with Davis’ family. The two became Twitter acquaintances and stayed in touch; in 2018, Phillips would begin representing Omarosa in arbitration against Trump in 2018, after the president had a high-profile falling-out with his former apprentice. The case is still ongoing. With his law firm going strong, Phillips branched out into charity. The jewel in his philanthropic crown is Duuuval House, an events venue situated across the

street from TIAA Bank Field. Phillips hosts fundraising tailgate parties in the converted residence throughout the football season. He acquired the property at an auction in 2018, before he had hatched any plans whatsoever. “I didn’t even know the property at first,” Phillips admits. “I had no idea what I would do with it, but location, location, location. I knew I could flip it, if nothing else. The house was extremely dilapidated. We started gutting and renovating it, and as we worked on it, just sitting out on what is now the deck, seeing how many people walked by, how unique it was, it just became something part museum, part speakeasy.” Duuuval House wrapped up its second season in December, marking one of the highlights of Phillips’ 2019. Diplomatically, he cites his family life (he and Angela now have three sons) as the real highlight, but his love for the job—and his drive to succeed— are palpable. In the past 12 months, Phillips passed bar exams in New York and Washington D.C. He also scored the largest wrongful-death judgment in his career—indeed, the largest in Jacksonville history: $495 million for the family of Kalil McCoy. Looking ahead to 2020, Phillips continues to work cases that strike his conscience. “You can’t judge cases by the amount of money you can make from them,” he says. “That’s a huge flaw in the matrix.” Among his most recent are several sexual misconduct cases. In the final week of 2019, he took on a quintessentially 21st-century case, in which an AT&T customer was allegedly sent explicit photos by an employee. It’s unfamiliar territory, so Phillips has been doing a lot of listening, to his colleagues and to his online community. “Sometimes I post on social media to see how prevalent an issue or experience is,” he says. “And we got a lot of feedback on that one. I was dumbfounded.” Is John Phillips woke? According to him, he’s just becoming wiser: “Because of my chromosome makeup—white, male, from Alabama—I’ve never really had to think about these things. Now I’m learning.” Subscribe to Folio Weekly’s Newsletter at folioweekly.com/newsletters JANUARY 8-14, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 11

FOLIO A+E : ART

MAN, MYTH, LEGEND MICK FOLEY’S THIRD ACT MAY BE HIS BEST

he legend of Mick Foley began in the After 15 years and over 30 titles won stands. A lifelong fan of professional around the world, Foley’s final match as a fullwrestling, the teenaged Foley was one time performer was in February 2000, but he of several future stars of the business who drew continued to wrestle on special occasions for inspiration from the infamous feud between another decade. By that point, he had already Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka and Don Muraco. He begun to transition to a less physical role in the was in attendance at Madison Square Garden business, acting as an occasional commentator, when the two settled their score in a steel cage on-air authority figure and overall ambassador on Oct. 17, 1983. The match ended when the for the industry. In recognition of everything perpetually problematic Snuka dove from he’s done for the business, Foley was inducted atop the cage, landing a brutal splash on “The into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013, as well as Magnificent.” Any doubt that Foley may have the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame in 2000. had about his future evaporated, in an instant, His first book, Have a Nice Day (1999), and nothing was ever the same again. is widely regarded as one of the five best Within a few short years, Foley had earned books ever written about the industry, and his degree at SUNY-Cortland and finished its success inspired many of his peers to training under Dominic DiNucci. He made follow suit. He followed it with 10 more his name originally as Cactus Jack, which was tomes, most recently a children’s book, Saint not a reference to former Texas governor John Mick: My Journey from Hardcore Legend to Nance Garner, but to his father. He made his Santa’s Jolly Elf, published in 2017. He’s also first appearance in Northeast Florida on Dec. 7, appeared in seven movies and done guest 1991, while working for World Championship spots on dozens of TV shows, including Wrestling. After WCW, he 30 Rock, Family Feud, returned to what remained Boy Meets World, MICK FOLEY’S “HAVE A NICE DAY” TOUR of the independent circuit, Squidbillies, The Daily 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, The Comedy working for promotions like Show, Celebrity Death Zone, 3130 Hartley Rd., Mandarin, comedyzone.com, $25-$50 ECW, Smokey Mountain Match, Who Wants Wrestling and, most to Be a Millionaire notoriously, FMW, where on Aug. 20, 1995, and Saturday Night Live. He was even on he won the inaugural King of the Deathmatch Celebrity Wife Swap, in a memorable episode tournament—arguably the single most violent that featured the great Lorenzo Lamas. He day in the entire bloody history of pro-wrestling. has also leveraged his fame on behalf on numerous non-profit organizations. Foley debuted in the WWF on April 1, 1996 Nowadays, Foley makes his living attacking The Undertaker, who would go on to primarily on the stand-up comedy circuit, a be his greatest opponent. While he was never career that brings him to the Comedy Zone the company’s top star, he was a major player for the third time on Tuesday, Jan. 14. His act in the promotion during its peak years, known was born as a vehicle for telling stories about to fans as the Attitude Era. He could wrestle, he his life on the road, but it has branched out could talk, and he was equally skilled at both into a broader form of humor. His current hardcore brawling and comedy, which made tour celebrates the 20th anniversary of his first him an indispensable part of pro wrestling’s rise book, and will include readings, stories that to mainstream prominence. He would become didn’t make it into print, an autograph signing a three-time world champion, an eight-time and a question-and-answer session, which is tag-team champion, and the star in two of always a crowd favorite. You don’t even have the highest-rated segments of wrestling in US to be a wrestling fan to enjoy the show, but it television history. In addition, readers of the certainly helps. prestigious Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine Over the last 20 years, Foley has become a awarded him “Match of the Year” honors in two consecutive years (1998 and 1999). kind of case study in how wrestlers can craft “Rarely do we see a performer go through credible careers after their time in the ring is such drastic gimmick changes and remain over, which is a joy for longtime fans who have outrageously popular,” says Nicholas Bateh, the grown fatigued from the wave of tragedies wunderkind behind the inaugural River City affixed to the industry over the last quarterWrestling Con, which returns later this year. “I century. And now, in “retirement,” Beverly never saw a wrestler that went as far as Foley in Foley’s baby boy finds himself busier than ever. ring, and because of that, he always stuck with Shelton Hull me. The fans’ undying respect for Mick Foley is mail@folioweekly.com perhaps the most remarkable part of his career.”

12 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 8-14, 2020

ARTS + EVENTS

Jacksonville bohemian collective GypsyMoon TravelingArtists hosts ENCOMPASSING ART FORMS, a group exhibition starring more than 20 artists in two pop-up spaces. (Pictured: “Fire” by Leilani Leo) 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, Social Grounds Coffee Company, Springfield, gypsymoontravelingartists.com, free.

PERFORMANCE

MAMMA MIA! The romantic musical comedy comes to Jacksonville Thursday-Sunday, Jan. 9-12, Amelia Musical Playhouse, 1955 Island Walkway, Fernandina Beach, ameliamusicalplayhouse.com, $15-$25. THE IMMIGRANT Players by the Sea puts on a free performance of the touching true story of the Russian-Jewish immigrant who creates a new life for himself in Galveston with help from a local couple. 8 p.m. Thursday & Friday, Jan. 9 & 10, and 2 & 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, Players by the Sea, 106 Sixth St. N., Jax Beach, playersbythesea.org, donations accepted. CRISS ANGEL RAW: THE MINDFREAK UNPLUGGED The world famous magician’s best-selling Las Vegas stage show comes to Jacksonville. 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13, Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth St., Downtown, floridatheatre.com, $59-$129; VIP $175. THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS Fellowship for Performing Arts takes on this stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s satirical novel 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, Times-Union Center, Moran Theatre, 300 Water St., Downtown, ticketmaster.com, $53-$94. LOVE LETTERS The nostalgic, Pulitzer Prizenominated love story of life-long friends takes the stage January 9-February 9, Alhambra Theatre & Dining, 12000 Beach Blvd., Southside, alhambrajax. com, $38-$66. RENT 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR FSCJ’s Artist Series brings Jonathan Larson’s hit Broadway show to Jacksonville. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, Times-Union Center, 300 Water St., Downtown, fscjartistseries.org, $50-$112.

CLASSICAL & JAZZ

BEETHOVEN’S VIOLIN CONCERTO Violinist Stefan Jackiw joins the Jacksonville Symphony in celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday with pieces by Schumann, Schreker and Beethoven. 8 p.m. Friday & Saturday, Jan. 10 & 11, Times-Union Center, 300 Water St., Downtown, jaxsymphony.org, $19-$69.

BOOKS & POETRY

STORYTELLING OPEN MIC Share your stories with other locals with the theme “First” to start off the new year. 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, Hyperion Brewing Company, 1740 N. Main St., Springfield, facebook.com/HyperionBrewingCo, free.

BOOK SIGNING WITH MICHAEL WILEY The Jacksonville native mystery writer will be signing copies of his book Trouble in Mind 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, Chamblin’s Uptown, 215 N. Laura St., Downtown, chamblinbookmine.com, free.

COMEDY

HOT POTATO COMEDY HOUR Select touring comedians perform 9:30 p.m.-midnight Mondays, Rain Dogs, 1045 Park St., Five Points, facebook. com/Raindogs, free. HIDE & SEEK COMEDY HOUR Comedians perform and offer a free beginner’s workshop 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, Hyperion Brewing Company, 1740 N. Main St., Springfield, facebook.com/ ComedyUncaged, free. COMEDYZONE LOL Comedy night with Spike Yoder 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, $10. Comedian, public speaker & writer Ali Siddiq performs 7:30 & 10 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Jan. 10-12, $22-$122; WWE Star Mick Foley performs on his “The Nice Day Tour” 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, $25, meet and greet $50, Comedy Zone, 3130 Hartley Rd., Southside, comedyzone.com.

FILM

CORAZON CINEMA & CAFE Parasite & Monos continue to show; TBT showing of Chicago Thursday, Jan. 9; French Film screening of The French Minister Saturday, Jan. 11; St. Augustine Tonight dinner and show Tuesday, Jan. 14, 36 Granada St., St. Augustine, corazoncinemaandcafe. com, 679-5736. MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART JACKSONVILLE Screening of documentary Kusama: Infinity, showing the life and work of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, 333 N. Laura St., Downtown, mocajacksonville.unf.edu., free. SUNRAY CINEMA Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker continues to show, 1028 Park St., Five Points, sunraycinema.com, 359-0049.

ART WALKS, MARKETS

RIVERSIDE ARTS MARKET 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Saturdays, 715 Riverside Ave., riversideavondale.org, free. ATLANTIC BEACH ARTS MARKET Custom Oil Painting Class 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, $60; Create Your Own Acrylic Pour Coasters 4-6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, $55; advanced

registration required for all classes, Atlantic Beach Arts Market, 1805 Mayport Rd., Atlantic Beach, atlanticbeachartsmarket.com. SECOND SATURDAY ARTS & FARMERS MARKET Explore more than 50 vendors at this family- and pet-friendly market. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, First Christian Church, 11924 San Jose Blvd., Southside, facebook.com/SecondSatMarket, 262-1662.

MUSEUMS

BEACHES MUSEUM & HISTORY PARK The historical exhibit Neptune Beach: A Cool Place to Live runs through March 1, 381 Beach Blvd., Jax Beach, beachesmuseum.org. CUMMER MUSEUM of ARTS & GARDENS Eclectic Ecology: Landscape Perspectives from Ponce de León to Florida Man runs through Dec. 31. Carlos Rolón’s Lost in Paradise through Feb. 29. Edmund Greacen & World War I through February 2. 829 Riverside Ave., Riverside, cummermuseum.org. MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART JACKSONVILLE Jenn Peek’s (I)dentify as Phoenix runs through April 12. The Fragility of the Promise through March 1. A Moment in Beijing through February 2, 333 N. Laura St., Downtown, mocajacksonville.unf.edu. MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY Get to know Walter Pierre and his exhibit Dans L’au-delà, on display in the lobby, 6-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, 1025 Museum Cir., Southbank, themosh.org, free, RSVP online. RITZ THEATRE & MUSEUM Through Our Eyes runs through Jan. 20, 829 N. Davis St., LaVilla, ritzjacksonville.com.

GALLERIES

FEMART GALLERY INC. Women Who Face It opening exhibition reception, with more than 20 female artists displaying art of various mediums, food and live music. 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, 10 S. Newnan St., Downtown, femartgalleryinc.org, free. THE ART CENTER COOPERATIVE Lisa Lofton and Valentina Nedelcheva are this month’s featured artists. 9501 Arlington Expy., Ste. 430, Regency Square Mall, tacjacksonville.org. THE ART STUDIO & GALLERY 370A A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach, beachartstudio.org. THE CULTURAL CENTER AT PONTE VEDRA BEACH Ellen Diamond’s Chasing Color: A 50 Year Retrospective runs through Saturday, Jan. 11, 50 JANUARY 8-14, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 13

ARTS + EVENTS Executive Way, Ponte Vedra Beach, ccpvb.org. CUTTER & CUTTER FINE ART GALLERIES New work from Dean Mitchell on display. 25 King St., St. Augustine, cutterandcutter.com. GRAY 1908 GALLERY Jenna Alexander’s The Flower Map of the United States is on display. 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 73 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, jenna-alexander.com. HASKELL GALLERY Women Artists, Visual Experiences, a year-long effort showcasing the work of more than 90 women in and around Northeast Florida, runs through April 6, Jax International Airport, 2400 Yankee Clipper Dr., Northside, jiaarts.org. MAIN LIBRARY POP: Perceptions of Poverty exhibit features seven artists and several modes and mediums, focusing on poverty and tackling stereotypes and generalizations. The exhibit runs through January 19, Main Library, 303 Laura St. N., Downtown, jaxpubliclibrary.org, free. THRASHER-HORNE CENTER Off the Beaten Path, an exhibit showcasing five local artists, runs through February 15, 283 College Dr., Orange Park, thcenter.org.

EVENTS

SUPPRESSED: THE FIGHT TO VOTE This documentary highlights Stacey Abrams during the midterm election and how she fought to become the first black female governor. Indivisible St. Johns hosts. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, Universalist Unitarian Fellowship Hall, 2487 A1A S., St. Augustine, indivisible-st-johns.blogspot.com, free. PRACTICE LUMENATION CLASS Take meditation to another level and train your mind

to focus on your intentions for the new year noon-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, St. Johns County Public Library, 6670 U.S. Hwy. 1 S., St. Augustine, staceymccann.com. NEW ORDER TRIBUTE Eclipse celebrates the ‘80s rock band with half off drinks until 9 p.m. and retro hits throughout the night. 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday, Jan. 10, Eclipse, 4219 St. Johns Ave., Riverside, facebook.com/eclipseriverside. ENCOMPASSING ART FORMS GypsyMoon TravelingArtists comes to town with more than 20 exhibiting artists 5-9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, Compass Realty & Social Grounds Coffee Company, 1710-1712 N. Main St., Springfield, gypsymoontravelingartists.com, free. HOME & GARDEN SHOW Learn about today’s residential design tips and trends and maybe even find a remodeler for your next project various times Friday-Sunday, Jan. 10-12, Jacksonville Fairgrounds, 510 Fairground Pl., Urban Core, homeshowcenter.com, $3. TURNTABLISTS RECORD FAIR Mix and mash vinyl with drinks, food and vendors. DJ Shatter Wax hosts. 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, Hyperion Brewing Company, 1740 N. Main St., Springfield, facebook.com/HyperionBrewingCo, free. TRAPXCANVAS A night of painting, new and favorite Trap classics, 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, Ramada Hotel & Conference Center, 9150 Baymeadows Rd., Southside, eventbrite.com, $35, 21 and older. OM IN THE DOME An evening of hypnotic yoga & live music under the stars 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, MOSH, 1025 Museum Circle, Southbank, eventbrite.com, $20.

It might’ve been a minute (or a decade), but you’ve seen his A&E Network reality television series Criss Angel Mindfreak. Now, with CRISS ANGEL RAW: THE MINDFREAK UNPLUGGED, the black-clad illusionist takes his Las Vegas stage show on the road. 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13, Florida Theatre, Downtown, floridatheatre.com, $59-$129. 14 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 8-14, 2020

JANUARY 8-14, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 15

CONCERTS

Sunrive Survivin

SOUT

WHISK Manda Evans B

SPRIN

PALMS Ward & Last Re 11. The 12 SHANT Stop, D Jan. 8 VETER Wester

UPC

Photo by Brigitte Gleason

Sarbez!, St. Augustine’s grilled cheese kitchen, craft beer bar and local music venue, celebrates its sixth anniversary with four consecutive nights of indie revelry. The birthday festivities culminate with this all-day party, featuring a staggering 14 bands. Among them are REELS (pictured), Half My Home, 86hope and Bedsweater. 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11, Sarbez, St. Augustine, $5.

LIVE MUSIC VENUES

AMELIA ISLAND, FERNANDINA

SJ BREWING CO., 463646 S.R. 200, Ste. 13, Yulee Jory Lyle Jan. 11 SLIDERS, 1998 S. Fletcher Ave. Pili Pili every Wed. Tad Jennings every Thur. Joe & Josh every Mon. Mark O’Quinn every Tue. THE SURF, 3199 S. Fletcher Ave. The Macy’s Jan. 8. Savanna Leigh Bassett Jan. 10. Anton Laplume Jan. 11

THE BEACHES (All venues in Jax Beach unless otherwise noted)

BLUE JAY LISTENING ROOM, 2457B S. Third St. The Howlin’ Brothers Jan. 9. The Pinebox Dwellers Jan. 10. The Joshua Bowlus Quartet & Linda Cole: The Music of Disney Jan. 11. C.W. Stoneking Jan. 13. Blue Jay Jazz Jam Jan. 14 GUSTO, 1266 Beach Blvd. The Pinedas Jan. 10 & 11. Mandalla, Caribe Groove Jan. 11 MEZZA, 110 First St., Neptune Beach Gypsies Ginger Jan. 8. Mike Shackelford Jan. 9 WHISKEY JAX, 950 Marsh Landing Pkwy. Sidewalk 65 Jan. 10. Break Evn Band Jan. 11. Second Opinion Jan. 12

DOWNTOWN

1904 MUSIC HALL, 19 N. Ocean St. Toran Crush, Rokko Cash, Bubby The Great Jan. 11. Phutureprimitive, An-Ten-Nae Jan. 12 MYTH NIGHTCLUB, 333 E. Bay St. DJ Lil Yankee, Chrystalline Gold, Killoala, Valhalla, Warboiz, Gianni Cerri, No Filter Jan. 8. DJ Shotgun, DJ K-Man, Papi Disco Jan. 11 VYSTAR VETERANS ARENA, 300 A. Philip Randolph Blvd. Celine Dion Jan. 8. Winter Jam: Crowder, Passion, Andy Mineo & more Jan. 10 FLORIDA THEATRE, 128 E. Forsyth St., Ste. 300 Elvis Birthday Bash: Mike Albert, Scot Bruce, The Big E Band Jan. 8 THE JUSTICE PUB, 315 E. Bay St., Ste. 101 Throwback Thursdayz: DJ FoxType Jan. 9

FLEMING ISLAND, GREEN COVE

DEE’S MUSIC BAR & GRILL, 2141 Lach Rane Blvd. Live music every Thur.

INTRACOASTAL, ARLINGTON

16 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 8-14, 2020

CLIFF’S, 3033 Monument Rd., Ste. 2 Second Shot Jan. 10. Julia Gulia Jan. 11 JERRY’S SPORTS GRILLE, 13170 Atlantic Blvd.

Party Cartel Jan. 10. Fireball Jan. 11 MUDVILLE MUSIC ROOM, 3105 Beach Blvd. Malcolm Holcombe Jan. 9

MANDARIN

ENZA’S, 10601 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 109 Brian Iannucci every Wed., Sun., Tue. Carl Grant every Thur., Fri., Sat. IGGY’S, 104 Bartram Oaks Walk, Ste. 101 Eric Alabiso Jan. 9. Pink Paisleys Jan. 10. Them Vagabonds Jan. 12

PONTE VEDRA

TAPS, 2220 C.R. 210, Ste. 314 Chuck Nash Jan. 8. Boogie Freaks Jan. 10

RIVERSIDE, WESTSIDE

NIGHTHAWKS, 2952 Roosevelt Blvd. Dikembe, Slingshot Dakota, GILT, Glazed Jan. 10. Astronomar, Charlie Hustle, Rocks n Blunts Jan. 11. The Firewater Tent Revival, Winston Ramble Jan. 12 RAIN DOGS, 1045 Park St. The Eradicator, General Tso’s Fury, Nine Tenths Jan. 9. Aseethe, Umanità Nova, Dead Scrolls Jan. 10

ST. AUGUSTINE

CAFÉ ElEVEN, 501 A1A Beach Blvd. Selwyn Birchwood Jan. 10. Peter Mulvey Jan. 11. Cassidy and the Music Jan. 12 The CELLAR UPSTAIRS, 157 King St. Evan D Jan. 9, Jolie, Chillula Jan. 10. Watson & Taylor, Hit Parade Band Jan. 11. Soulo Lyon Jan. 12 COLONIAL QUARTER, 33 St. George St. Jivewire Jan. 10. HoneyWhat Jan. 11 PROHIBITION KITCHEN, 119 St. George St. Joey Harkum Jan. 11 SARBEZ, 115 Anastasia Blvd. SARBEZ TURNS SIX: Claire VanDiver Duo, The Wobbly Toms, Hearts Gone South, Davis Loose & the Loose Cannons Jan. 8; Shea Birney, Dylan Nirvana, Chemtrails, Jivewire, Observatory Jan. 9; Oh Great Sea, The Rightly So, Remedy Tree Jan. 10; Lawrence Motzel, Telepathic Lines, AC Deathstrike, Burl, Noah Eagle, Televised, Home is Where, 86Hope, Bero Bero, REELS, Bedsweater, Uncle Marty, Half My Home Jan. 11 SHANGHAI NOBBY’S, 10 Anastasia Blvd. Sladicidal, Whiskey Face Jan. 10

SAN MARCO, SOUTHBANK

JACK RABBITS, 1528 Hendricks Ave. Magic City Hippies, Argonaut, Wasp Jan. 9. Luna Cruise,

GRACE THE RI BUCKY RISING Hall JOE MU Mudvill QUEEN Florida ROBER REMEM JOHN T TUSK: Alhamb GAELIC SOUTH GHOUL VERLO Mudvill TODD S

CONCERTS Sunriver Jan. 10. Scream Blue Murder, Gravitywell, Surviving September, A Wolf Amongst Sheep Jan. 12

LUCINDA WILLIAMS & HER BAND BUICK 6 Jan. 26, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall BLACK FLAG, THE LINECUTTERS Jan. 26, 1904 SOUTHSIDE, BAYMEADOWS Music Hall WHISKEY JAX, 10915 Baymeadows Rd., Ste. 135 CITIZEN COPE Jan. 27, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall Mandalla Band Jan. 9. Julia Gulia Jan. 10. Jason THE TAJ MAHAL QUARTET Jan. 29, Ponte Vedra Evans Band Jan. 11. Duffy Bishop Band Jan. 12 Concert Hall RODNEY CROWELL Jan. 30, Ponte Vedra Concert SPRINGFIELD, NORTHSIDE PALMS FISH CAMP, 6359 Heckscher Dr. Michael Hall THE GLORIOUS SONS, DES ROCS Jan. 31, Ponte Ward & Friends Jan. 8. Taylor Shami Jan. 9. The Last Resort Jan. 10. Eric Alabiso, Kelli and Ken Jan. Vedra Concert Hall 11. The Willow Sisters, Lisa & the Mad Hatters Jan. SIDELINE Feb. 8, Mudville Music Room COLD WAR KIDS Feb. 10, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall 12 ABBA MANIA Feb. 12, Florida Theatre SHANTYTOWN PUB, 22 W. Sixth St. Joe’s Truck WILLIE NELSON Feb. 15, The Amp Stop, Dead Man De Los Santos, Jackie Stranger JOHN FOGERTY Feb. 23, The Amp Jan. 8 NEIL DIAMOND: SWEET CAROLINE TRIBUTE Feb. VETERANS UNITED CRAFT BREWERY, 8999 24-25, Alhambra Western Way, Ste. 104 Brenna Erikson Jan. 10 NEARLY NICKS: SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES Feb. 27, Thrasher-Horne Center PCOMING ONCERTS REO SPEEDWAGON Mar. 3, Florida Theatre GRACE POTTER Jan. 15, Florida Theatre RICHARD SMITH Mar. 5 Mudville Music Room THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS: BILL MEDLEY & THE OUTLAWS Mar. 8, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall BUCKY HEARD Jan. 16, Florida Theatre RISING APPALACHIA Jan. 16, Ponte Vedra Concert THE MCCARTNEY YEARS Mar. 9, Alhambra FRED EAGLESMITH, TIF GINN Mar. 12, Mudville Hall Music Room JOE MULLINS & THE RADIO RAMBLERS Jan. 17, STEVE HACKETT Mar. 20, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall Mudville Music Room AGAINST ME! Mar. 25, The Amp QUEENSRŸCHE, JOHN 5, EVE TO ADAM Jan. 19, JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT, OLD CROW Florida Theatre MEDICINE SHOW Mar. 27, The Amp ROBERT CRAY Jan. 19, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall THE EVERLY BROTHERS TRIBUTE Mar. 30-31, REMEMBER WHEN ROCK WAS YOUNG: ELTON Alhambra JOHN TRIBUTE Jan. 19, Thrasher-Horne Center VANILLA ICE & SIR MIX-A-LOT Apr. 7, Clay County TUSK: FLEETWOOD MAC TRIBUTE Jan 20-21, Fair Alhambra LEO KOTTKE Apr. 10, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall GAELIC STORM Jan. 21, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS, THE VALLEY ZOSO: THE ULTIMATE LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE Apr. 30, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall GHOULS Jan. 23, 1904 Music Hall VERLON THOMPSON & JIM LAUDERDALE Jan. 24, REBELUTION, STEEL PULSE June 21, The Amp RINGO STARR June 26, The Amp Mudville Music Room TODD SNIDER Jan. 25, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall

rian very

Jan.

mbe, nomar,

12 General anità

n assidy

D or, Hit

ewire Joey

NS Hearts ns ils, The Motzel, Eagle, o, me

c ise,

Cincinnati-based roots-music trio JOE’S TRUCK STOP makes a stop in Springfield. The three accomplished players perform songs about (what else?) travelling, love, temptation, heartbreak, family, banjo pickin’ tobacco spittin’ women and ... gas station sushi. Also on the bill: Dead Man De Los Santos and Jackie Stranger. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, Shantytown Pub, Springfield, facebook.com/shantytownjax, $5. JANUARY 8-14, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 17

FOLIO PETS

LOCAL PET EVENTS & ADOPTABLES VOLUNTEER FAIR The Jacksonville Humane Society holds its first volunteer fair. Current volunteers can interact with other departments and expand their expertise. Prospective volunteers can experience live demonstrations, meet current volunteers and staff, and sign up on the spot. 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, Jacksonville Humane Society, 8464 Beach Blvd., Southside, jaxhumane.org/volunteer, free.

NEWS HOUND

ADOPTABLES

DAVI RUNS DOWN THE TOP STORIES OF ‘19

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT ANIMAL stories that resonates in a special way. They shock, they delight and they tug on your heartstrings. They’re often your escape from difficult news days filled with crime and disaster. Before we begin our journey into 2020, let’s take a look back at some of the best pet stories that made headlines in 2019. PIGLET THE PINK PUPPY SPREADS IMPORTANT MESSAGE The tiny pastel puppy is a mascot for acceptance, kindness and inclusion. But the journey to get there wasn’t easy. Piglet was born both deaf and blind in a Georgia home crowded with 37 other dogs. Things started looking up for him once he was rescued from the hoarding situation and placed in a loving foster home, which became his forever home. Today, Piglet lives a happy life with his new family and is a positive role model, teaching children how to face challenges, work with what they have, and not worry about what they don’t have. GRUMPY CAT PASSES AWAY Grumpy Cat, whose facial expressions shot her to viral fame in 2012, died in 2019, at the age of seven. She became an internet sensation after a photo of her perpetually annoyed-looking face was posted online. (For the record, her permanent frown was the result of dwarfism and an underbite, not existential ennui.) Instant fame led to numerous interviews, film roles, books and a line of merchandise. At the time of her death, Grumpy Cat (real name: Tardar Sauce) had 1.5 million followers on Twitter, 2.4 million on Instagram and 8.5 million on Facebook.

18 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 8-14, 2020

GOLDEN RETRIEVER BEFRIENDS SEEING-EYE PUP Charlie, an 11-year-old golden retriever who went blind due to glaucoma, found a service animal to guide him around. The energetic four-month-old puppy was named Maverick, and according to their social media account, they were just “two best buds living life to the fullest.” The two didn’t immediately get along, but

PEACHY

after a few months, Charlie began relying on Maverick for help with everything, including walking, playing and eating. Charlie unfortunately died in July 2019. MILITARY WORKING DOG TAKES DOWN ISIS LEADER On October 26, Conan, a Special Ops Military Working Dog, helped U.S. Forces track down ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on a covert mission in Syria. Conan, who was wounded during the raid, performed his duties admirably, earning high praise. Al-Baghdadi was killed. Once fully recovered from his injuries, the heroic Belgian Malinois was invited to the White House to receive a medal for bravery in combat. Conan has since returned to work helping keep America safe. WOMAN QUITS JOB TO FIND LOST DOG A summer vacation to Montana turned into a nightmare for Carole and Verne King after their beloved border collie, Katie, escaped from a hotel room and disappeared into the forest near Glacier National Park. The Kings searched for more than a month before returning home empty handed. Undeterred, Carole quit her job as a mail carrier to continue the search. Two weeks later, she received a tip that Katie had been spotted in the area near the hotel. After combing the surrounding fields, Carole found her frightened, starving pup curled in a ball beneath a tree. She called out to Katie, and the two reunited with a warm embrace. Missing for 57 days, Katie made it home safe and sound. No matter how dark the world gets, heartwarming pet stories always bring a bit of light back. Tales of pet bravery and empathy deserve to be told each and every day of each and every year. Davi the Dachshund mail@folioweekly.com

Subscribe to Folio Weekly Magazine’s Pets Newsletter at folioweekly.com/newsletters

No photos, please. I’m too busy napping! I’m a quiet, loving girl who likes hanging out with people, other cats, and even dogs. I can be a little shy at first, but give me a few cuddles and some treats and I’ll be your bff! Visit jaxhumane.org to learn more.

BARK & BARRE Pure Barre Riverside hosts this pupfriendly tuck session, followed by cocktails. Donations benefit the Jax Humane Society. 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, Kanine Social, 580 College St., Brooklyn, facebook.com/ PureBarreRiverside, donation.

ADOPTABLES

MARINO

Does your team need a new quarterback? Put me in, coach! I’m an affectionate, athletic boy who loves playing with toys and taking long walks. Wanna draft me? I promise I won’t let you down. Stop by JHS at 8464 Beach Blvd.!

HELP AYLA’S ACRES On Dec. 19, the St. Augustine-based rescue organization’s Madison County facility—home to some 150 ill or otherwise unadoptable animals—was destroyed by fire. Two resident caretakers were able to evacuate many of the animals, but 11 were lost. Ayla’s Acres is asking for community donations through its website, aylasacres.org, and social media, facebook.com/AylasAcres.

DALE RATERMANN’s Folio Weekly Crossword presented by

Serving Excellence Since 1928 Member American Gem Society

San Marco 2044 San Marco Blvd. 398-9741

Avondale 3617 St. Johns Ave. 388-5406

Ponte Vedra

THE SHOPPES OF PONTE VEDRA

330 A1A North 280-1202

Voted Best Jeweler in FW’s Best of Jax readers’ poll!

FOLIO WEEKLY CROSSWORD 1

21 24

26 31

35 39 44

17 19 20 21 23 24 26 29 31 33 34 35 37 39 43 46 47 51 52

Basilica area Stardom Lasso expert USN rank Kimono ties Bubba Raceway Park site Jax Zoo feline research money Self-pity cry Gawk Ocean floor "Ctrl" neighbor Rouse Eliminates Horse's chow holder Mayo VIPs A mazing animal Ancient strings Ex-Jag Miller Comic strip that ran from 1976-2010 Lengthy CSX transport Printed fabric Disney dwarf Thrill-less Chilly response JSO rank

71 72 73 74 75 76

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

1 5 9 14 15 16

61 64

JIA landing Navy commando "I knew it!" Annoy Indiana Jones hat Purple hue Grant's bill Jax neighborhood... and an anagram of 17- and 39-Across Snail trail Climate control sys. ___ fide Gastric woe Talk back Prune

Knee injury inits. Swirly pattern Gymnast's helper Sicilian peak Tip off Farah org. Belarus city Revere Florida Theatre near-prime seating

55 57 59 61 62 64 66 68

42 47

ACROSS

10 11 12 13 18 22 23 25 27 28 30 32 36 38 40 41 42

Earth tone Mother lode Stately tree Carly ___ Jepsen Seize & Miami Dolphins' original org. Wide-eyed "Lah-di-___!" Pigs' digs Akel's, e.g. Lee HS subj. Since 1/1 Opposed Approves Jax map line Types of paint

43 Small ammo 44 "___ you nuts?" 45 I-95 flow 48 Fly guy 49 Radio pioneer 50 Deer friend 53 Old Pontiac 54 Holy scrolls 56 Tim Deegan forecast, maybe 58 "I'll do that!" 60 Insect stage 63 Hair colorer 65 Pride letters 66 Seminoles' sch. 67 Not well 69 ___ Palmas 70 '60s war zone

SOLUTION TO 1.1.20 PUZZLE O A T H E S P Y S E T A S

A F S M I S I A E N N E S A N D G U B O S S T A T E T A R R I N E N P E E T A L O E N O R R E C T S A R O T F I R E T E E R

A N S S N T S E E R N S C E T O R L A P U D I A N O N Y P E I A D L A L T A X S A R I A I T S Y

S I R E N P A L M O I L

E N A M E L

X T R A

T R E K

S O R E

A L I A B B I S T T A Y I K N E

S I D E B

S T A L E

L E E S

E R A S

JANUARY 8-14, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 19

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): When comedian John Cleese was 61, his mother died. She was 101. Cleese testifies, “Just towards the end, as she began to run out of energy, she did actually stop trying to tell me what to do most of the time.” I bet you’ll experience a similar phenomenon in 2020—only bigger and better. Fewer people will try to tell you what to do than at any previous time of your life. As a result, you’ll be freer to be yourself exactly as you want to be. You’ll have unprecedented power to express your uniqueness.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Renowned philosopher Bertrand Russell was sent to jail in 1918 because of his pacifism and anti-war activism. He liked being there. “I found prison in many ways quite agreeable,” he said. “I had no engagements, no difficult decisions to make, no fear of callers, no interruptions to my work. I read enormously; I wrote a book.” That book, Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, is today regarded as a classic. In 2020, I would love to see you enjoy an equally luxurious sabbatical without having to go through the inconvenience of being incarcerated. I’m confident you can do this. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It’s common to feel attracted to people because of the way they look. But if you pursue an actual connection with someone on that basis, there’s no guarantee it will turn out to be interesting and meaningful. That’s because the most important factor in becoming close to someone is not their cute face or body or style, but rather their ability to converse with you in ways you find interesting. And that’s a relatively rare phenomenon. In 2020 you could have some of the best conversations you’ve ever had—and as a result experience the richest intimacy.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Mystic poet Rumi told us the kind of person he was attracted to. “I want a trouble-maker for a lover,” he wrote. “Blood spiller, blood drinker, a heart of flame, who quarrels with the sky and fights with fate, who burns like fire on the rushing sea.” I can’t imagine any bond that would be more unpleasant. 2020 will be an excellent time to be precise in articulating the kinds of alliances that are healthy for you. They shouldn’t resemble Rumi’s description. (Rumi translation by Zara Houshmand.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The 18th-century comic novel Tristram Shandy is still being translated, adapted and published today. Likewise, Moll Flanders has had modern incarnations in TV, film and radio. Then there’s the 19th-century satirical novel Vanity Fair. It’s considered a classic even now. The authors of these three books had one thing in common: They had to pay to have their books published. No authority in the book business had any faith in them. You may have similar challenges in 2020—and rise to the occasion with equally good results. Believe in yourself!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Two possible scenarios could unfold for you in 2020, depending on how willing you are to transform yourself. Scenario No. 1: Love is awake, and you’re asleep. Love is ready for you, but you’re not ready for love. Love is hard to recognize because you think it still looks like it did in the past. Scenario No. 2. Love is awake and you’re waking up. Love is ready for you, and you’re making yourself ready for love. Love is older and wiser now, and you recognize its new guise. (Thanks to Sarah and Phil Kaye for the inspiration for this horoscope.) 20 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 8-14, 2020

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Greek sculptor Praxiteles created some famous and beloved statues in the fourth century B.C. One of his pieces, showing the gods Hermes and Dionysus, was displayed inside the Temple of Hera in Olympia. But a few centuries later an earthquake demolished the Temple and buried the statue. There it remained until 1877, when archaeologists dug it out of the rubble. I foresee a metaphorically equivalent recovery in your life— especially if you’re willing to excavate an old mess or investigate a debris field or explore a faded ruin.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Over a period of 74 years, philosopher and author Voltaire (1694–1778) wrote so many letters to so many people that they were eventually published in a series of 98 books, plus nine additional volumes of appendixes and indexes. I would love to see you communicate that abundantly and meticulously in 2020. The cosmic rhythms will bring you good fortune if you do. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. At the end of his life, experts estimate his worth was as much as $250 million, equivalent to $1.3 billion today. But in his earlier adulthood, he lived and worked in a small, seedy, unheated room with no running water and a toilet he shared with twenty people. If there will be ever in your life be a semblance of Picasso’s financial transformation I’m guessing it would begin this year.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let’s get 2020 started with a proper send-off. The coming months will bring you opportunities to achieve a host of liberations. Among the things from which you could be at least partially emancipated: stale old suffering; shrunken expectations; people who don’t appreciate you for who you really are; and beliefs and theories that don’t serve you anymore. (There may be others!) Here’s an inspirational maxim, courtesy of poet Mary Oliver: “Said the river: imagine everything you can imagine, then keep on going.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In a poem titled “The Mess-iah,” spiritual teacher Jeff Foster counsels us, “Fall in love with the mess of your life ... the wild, uncontrollable, unplanned, unexpected moments of existence. Dignify the mess with your loving attention, your gratitude. Because if you love the mess enough, you will become a Mess-iah.” I bring this to your attention because I suspect you’ll have a better chance to ascend to the role of Mess-iah in the coming weeks and months than you have had in many years. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Comedian John Cleese believes that “sometimes we hang onto people or relationships long after they’ve ceased to be of any use to either of you.” That’s why he has chosen to live in such a way that his web of alliances is constantly evolving. 2020 will be a propitious year for you to experiment with this approach. You’ll have the chance to meet a greater number of interesting new people in the coming months than you have in a long time. (And don’t be afraid to phase out connections that have become a drain.)

Rob Brezsny freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

TRUE LOVE Kelly McGraw, 37, of Portsmouth, England, and her husband, James, 40, have enjoyed playing pranks on each other throughout their 24-year marriage. But before Christmas, as James was plotting a way to get back at Kelly for a “dodgy” haircut she’d given him, he came up with a gloriously permanent idea: He had his thigh tattooed with a less-than-flattering photo of Kelly, asleep on a plane with her mouth gaping open, as James mocked her behind her head. “I’m one up at the moment,” James told the Sun, “but I’m also scared because I don’t know what she’s now planning.” Kelly was unforgiving: “I was horrified. I couldn’t believe it. ... We do mess about anyway, but this is on another level. ... He needs to watch his back.” BRIGHT IDEAS Justin and Nissa-Lynn Parson of McKinney, Texas, were all in when their son Cayden, 12, asked for a magnifying glass for Christmas. “We thought, ‘Oh, he wants to magnify something’” to read, NissaLynn told KDFW. Instead, Cayden and his brother, Ashton, used the glass to light a newspaper on fire on the family’s front porch, which soon spread to the yard, eventually destroying the lawn and some of the family’s Christmas lights. “We ran inside and started screaming,” Cayden said. The family doused the fire with “pitchers of water, blankets smothering it, sprinklers turned on, hose turned on,” NissaLynn recounted, adding that now Cayden “will definitely have yard work to do once spring comes.” LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL In Jefferson County, Colorado, would-be car thief Todd Sheldon, 36, has finally admitted it’s just not the vocation for him, according to police. Fox News reported Sheldon had tried over recent weeks to steal multiple vehicles, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff ’s Office, but each time he was caught in the act—first by a homeowner, then by sheriff ’s deputies minutes later “just down the street,” shocking the deputies by telling them, “I’m trying to steal this truck.” He was taken into custody and bonded out, but a week later, deputies responding to a report of someone trying to break into a car again found Sheldon. “I really suck at this,” Sheldon allegedly told an officer. Sheldon remained in jail as of Dec. 27. BAH, HUMBUG! Poppy Leigh, 13, of Manchester, England, hoped wrapping her waist-length hair around an empty plastic water bottle and decorating it with lights

like a Christmas tree atop her head would bring good cheer to her mates and teachers at Manchester Health Academy on Dec. 20. Instead, school authorities told her she had to either take the decorations off or go home. Her mom, Christie, wasn’t happy about it: “It’s just a bit of fun and Christmas cheer,” she told Metro News. But Principal Kevin Green huffed: “The Academy has the highest of expectations around uniform and teaching and learning, and ... whilst it was a remarkably creative hairstyle, it was, unfortunately, inappropriate for school.” OOPS! As she enjoyed an Aldi mince pie in early December, caterer Angela McGill, 52, of Glasgow, Scotland, thought one bite seemed particularly “rough and really hard—I thought it was a tough piece of pastry!” she told Metro News. Instead, McGill soon realized she had swallowed her partial dentures with two false teeth. Hospital X-rays confirmed the dentures were caught halfway down her throat, but the staff advised her pulling them out would only cause more harm. It took 72 hours for the plate to pass. “It was ever so funny!” she said. “And I was really enjoying the mince pie, too.” GRAVE DANGER Sandra Smith, 59, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was cited for careless driving on Dec. 29, after crashing her 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass into a mausoleum at the Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, damaging the facades of three above-ground graves, WFLA reported. Florida Highway Patrol troopers said Smith was driving in a grass lot at the cemetery when she “failed to avoid a mausoleum on the property.” Her passenger, 63-year-old Betty Strickland, went to the hospital with critical injuries. ANIMAL SHENANIGANS Police in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, were called Dec. 27 to the parking lot of a CVS pharmacy over a “public menace,” according to WKYT. The culprit was a “hostile chicken” that “pecked viciously” at the officers and “made some adept use of vehicles for cover” before they were able to corral it in a plastic milk crate, according to the police department’s Facebook page. Officers transferred the foul fowl to “someone who can give him more suitable accommodations,” then attended to their wounds with “some doughnut therapy.” weirdnewstips@amuniversal.com

FOLIO WEED

DROPPING THE BALL

PETITION SPONSORS SUE STATE AS DEADLINE LOOMS

AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING, WE HAVE less than a month before the deadline to file enough petitions to put the legalization of marijuana to voters on the 2020 ballot. What are the odds? Well, that kinda depends on how much you’ve been smoking today. I’ve taken a pessimistic view of the endeavor from day one, which is unfortunate, but honesty is the best policy. And honestly, it’s just a mess right now. Samantha Gross of the Miami Herald ended 2019 with a look toward the immediate future of legalization efforts in the state. The news isn’t good. The organizers of Make It Legal Florida have filed suit against the state; their 57-page complaint alleges a litany of shenanigans meant to sabotage the ballot initiative. At issue is a controversial law passed last year that significantly complicates the petition process. It was designed specifically in response to Amendment 2, which brought medical marijuana to Florida, and particularly 2018’s Amendment 4, which restored voting rights to felons. Slipping under the radar, at the end of an exhausting legislative session, the bill was openly touted for its obstructive, antidemocratic properties, and the MILF suit alleges that it basically works exactly as intended. “Part of the controversial new law,” writes Gross, “requires that county supervisors of elections must verify signatures within 30 days of receiving them. According to Make it Legal Florida, that rule effectively establishes ‘a stealth deadline’ of Jan. 2, which is 30 days before the Feb. 1 deadline. Therefore, signatures

submitted on Jan. 31 have no chance of being counted.” This law sucks, sure, but it went into effect in July, so everyone involved knew this would be a problem. MILF, which represents the interests of dispensaries and other major investors in the state’s (literally) ever-growing cannabis industry, had recently touted an influx of cash that was purported to help put them over the top. How have they spent it? I don’t know. Personally, I’ve had two petitions mailed to me in recent weeks, which is weird because I already signed one months ago. It’s unclear how many signatures they’ve gotten so far, but the number is, by all accounts, well-short of the 765,000 they needed to have filed by Feb. 1. With two groups pushing petitions at the same time, this dualistic approach to an issue on which two-thirds of voters agree has worked to no one’s benefit—no one, that is, except the minority that stands opposed to the initiative, who haven’t had to lift a finger to stem the tide. The tide, it seems, has stemmed itself, and now the future of legalization in this state now rests in the hands of the Leon County Circuit Court, and that is most unfortunate. If this fails, Florida will become the first state to botch this process in the current phase, which is shocking, but not really surprising at all. We warned you! Shelton Hull mail@folioweekly.com Subscribe to the Folio Weed Newsletter at folioweekly.com/newsletters

JANUARY 8-14, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 21

CLASSIFIEDS

YOUR PORTAL TO REACHING 95,000+ READERS WEEKLY

HELP WANTED SAP FUNCTIONAL ANALYSTS Jacksonville, FL: Collect business requirements & analyze for design & system change for ER (enhancement requests) or Projects. Responsible for all kind of FUT(Functional Test) in ALM & get approval from IT & SQE (Software Quality Esurance).Help business users for all kind of UAT (User Acceptance Test) for enhancement requests or Projects. Travel/relocate to various unanticipated locations. Send res to SGS

22 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 8-14, 2020

Technologie, 6817 Southpoint Parkway, Ste #2104, Jacksonville, FL 32216

CAREER TRAINING AIRLINE CAREERS BEGIN HERE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Get started by training as FAA certified Aviation Technician. Financial aid for qualified students. Job placement assistance. Call Aviation Institute of Maintenance, 800-725-1563. (AAN CAN)(12/12/18)

FOLIO VOICES: BACKPAGE

UNLEARN

LIFE COACHING LEADS US BACK TO UNIVERSAL ROOTS

“WHAT IS A LIFE COACH? AND WHY

would anybody need one?” When Georgio Valentino, editor of Folio Weekly, asked me this at a recent #FindYourFolio Happy Hour, my heart sank. I had come up with what I felt was a perfect pitch to launch a weekly advice column in the paper. I would answer readers questions, doling out my priceless expertise on relationships, career and life purpose, and be a free resource championing the evolution of my community. Then a self-described cynic in attendance crowed, “You know anybody who pays for life coaching, really needs life coaching.” [Editor’s note: I do believe that was Jim Minion. -GV] “They do!” I responded happily. But as I walked away, I knew it wasn’t true. Nobody needs life coaching. What we do need is unconditional love and acceptance, for ourselves and for others. We need to learn the principles of personal responsibility and selfintegrity. We need to learn how to find the guide inside and follow our hearts to create the lives of our dreams. Life coaching provides a space for all of that learning, but it’s true that nobody needs “life coaching.” It’s also possible to learn these lessons in other arenas, be it wise and supportive family members, faith leaders or that one rare, incredibly amazing friend. The difference is life coaching is like jet fuel. You have a set time and place to learn these lessons and love on yourself, and you’ve put skin in the game by opening up your wallet. You want to get your money’s worth, so you might as well actually do what the life coach says! Valentino suggested that I write

a Backpage Editorial explaining to Jacksonville what life coaching is and how we all can benefit from it. So here I am, folks! Please buckle your seatbelts—it’s about to get a bit radical. I believe life coaching is a vehicle for greater consciousness and empowerment. Many of us have daily anxiety or depression. Deep inside, we feel powerless and unworthy. We allow self-doubt and fear to imprison us as much as our standardized nine-to-five institutions of work and education. We walk around keeping the conversation light, fearing to go deeper because we collectively avoid grief, fear, anger and shame. I do agree the term “life coach” is ridiculous. I’m not really a life coach. I’m an alternative healer and guide. I’m a mystic, a medicine woman, perhaps a shaman in a past life. Or call me a spiritual life coach. Truthfully we lack words for this role in our culture. We lost respect for the wisdom of the elderly. We lost the art of shamanism or wise tribal elders who gave advice when members of the tribe were having emotional difficulty. It was lost, or perhaps more accurately taken from us. When the religious leaders took power around 2,000 years ago, they went on a rampage to stamp out all that is in harmony with nature. Girls and women became property, and boys were groomed to become workers or soldiers, sacrificing their lives at the whims of those in power. They took our freedom, our ability to breathe clean air, have clean water, the freedom to nurture a child and not have to go to a fake job in a fake world where we are just meaningless cogs in the machine. In place of that freedom, the matrix was

born: a gilded cage in which we think we’re free, but we’re not. The costs of this are apparent, especially to youth, to people of color and to women. To rewind a bit, let me introduce myself. Growing up in small town, Snellville, Georgia, wasn’t that bad at all on the surface. I didn’t know a thing about it yet, but I had the privilege afforded to people with light skin tone and a background of higher education in my family. Going to college wasn’t a dream; it was just the next step before getting married and having babies. It was only when I went to college, just down the road at the University of Georgia, that I began to experience flashbacks, nightmares, severe anxiety and depression. I had PTSD. The symptoms continued untreated for years because I was too afraid to ask for help. Deep down I sensed they were from years of abuse by my stepfather, but I thought PTSD was only for soldiers returning from war. When I finally did ask for help at the psychologist’s office at school, I was told the abuse I experienced was too severe to be treated within the six free sessions offered to students. I was handed a list of referrals in the community and sent out the door. It took me two years to build up the courage to visit that office, and it took another two years before I gained the strength to try to get help again. In the next decade, I would try again and again, dabbling with prescriptions and more than a dozen licensed therapists of various backgrounds. I earned a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I became a therapist to try and figure out how to help myself and others. And I came up

pretty short. Diagnosis, pills, listening. Repeat. Where were the answers? The first human from whom I feel I received true healing and support was a Reiki and sound-healing life coach. She held a space of unconditional love for me and I could feel it. I felt deeply safe and accepted unconditionally by a professional for the first time. I completed a yoga teacher training and again received much deeper support and healing from that experience than my years in therapy. I began to study voraciously, learning all about trauma and attachment and somatic healing—subjects not covered in my fancy Master’s program. I learned how to heal myself. And now I teach others how to do the same. Our healing will not come from within the ridiculous system that created our problems. The answers we seek are the ancient universal truths found within all indigenous cultures. Everything you truly need is inside of yourself and available in this very moment. All of that Hallmark crap about love and gratitude is actually true. You hold the keys to unlock the self-imposed cage in which you trap yourself. So does anybody need life coaching? Nope. But humanity collectively needs to wake up and remember who we are before it’s too late for our survival. I believe the coaching world is an integral component of that remembering. Any questions?

Patricia Larkin mail@folioweekly.com _________________________________

Larkin is a yoga instructor and life coach in Jacksonville.

FOLIO WEEKLY welcomes Backpage submissions. They should be 1,200 words or fewer and on a topic of local interest and/or concern. Send your submissions to mail@folioweekly.com. Opinions expressed on the Backpage are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Folio Weekly. JANUARY 8-14, 2020 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 23