August 13, 2013

Page 2, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 3

www.theloaferonline.com

Volume 27 Issue #36

!"#$%&'()*+*,%$$*-%$$%./&*0*12%34)*+*5')%&36*7(.8'*0*9:8(*;.<.=()*+*7"8%*>.3( 54?()*@(&%=<*+*,%$$*;.6*0*A).B'%8*C)3&*@%)(834)*+*@4<*DB)%<E$(*0*!'434=).B'6*+*;.)E*;.)F"(33( C2?()3%&%<=*+*@.?(*5.)3()G*CE(6*H%<8.%2G*7%&.*764<&G*>.#%3'.*7./#()3G*>())6*!.33()&4< 54<3)%#"3%<=*D3.I*+*J%/*H($$6G*C<26*K4&&G*H(<*D%$?()&G*;.)E*;.)F"(33(G*!.3*,"&&.)2 !"#$%&'(2*#6*5)(.3%?(*!"#$%&'%<=G*L<8MG*!M9M*,4N*OPQRG*J4'<&4<*5%36G*>S*OTRUV Phone: 423/283-4324 FAX - 423/283-4369 www.theloaferonline.com • info@theloaferonline.com e-mail: editorial@theloaferonline.com (editorial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

Page 4, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

Appalachian Fair

August 19th - 24th

Sew It! Grow It! Show It!

The excitement is building in Gray for the upcoming Appalachian Fair! 2013 dates are from August 19‐24th. In it’s 87th year, it is one of the longest‐running fairs in the country and has established itself as the second largest fair in Tennessee. Drew has played the fair for over 50 years.

Also back again this year by popular demand is the Seattle Wheel with the James H. Drew Exposition. They will also have the new family roller coaster ride One of the more popular attractions at the fair is the Chick‐Fil‐A Barnyard Nursery, where fair‐goers get to see ‘live’ animals, everything from donkeys to ducks.

The fair will be awarding both ribbons and monies all week long to exhibitors of sheep, beef, and dairy cattle in the Meade Tractor/John Deere Livestock Barns.

The Farm & Home Building located in the middle of the fairgrounds, is home to creative cooking, special stage events as well as competitive exhibits .&91,9.&+$ )(&&':$ +11:-2$ /.',:$ )61!-2$ &'':,';16<$ and photography just to name a few.

In fact, Appalachian Fair President Rick Storey sums it up this way “With everything offered here at the fair, for an eight‐dollar admission ticket, it really is a fantastic bargain to come to the fair! We offer exhibits, livestock, the James H. Drew Exposition, the hottest country music acts, Monster Truck All Stars, Antique Tractor Pull and demolition derby, the Fairest of the Fair and Little Miss contests just to

name a few...you have eighty acres of something that appeals to everyone!”

WXBQ‐ 96.9 FM again has helped put together a great line‐up of the hottest country acts for this years 87th anniversary: ‐Monday August 19th— Easton Corbin ‐Tuesday August 20th‐‐ Dustin Lynch ‐Wednesday August 21st – Jeremy Camp ‐Thursday August 22nd – Florida Georgia Line ‐Friday August 23rd – Gretchen Wilson and opening act Brinley Addington ‐Saturday August 24th – Dailey & Vincent Program Director Bill Hagy is very proud of the line up, “WXBQ is very proud to be associated with an event like the Appalachian Fair that is celebrating 87 years. Down through the years, the who’s who of country music has performed at the fair. This years fair shows a lot of musical diversity with Country, Contemporary Christian, and Bluegrass. We are very excited about this year’s talent roster. We feel the fans are in for a great week of country music!”

Advancereservedshowseats, seasontickets,half‐ pricerideticketsandparking passes go on sale on =>,7$ ?@0*$ "3.)<'0$ A8/.)'$*1>6-$(6'$ B1&:(7$ 0*61>+*$ Friday from 11am – 6pm and Saturday from 9am – 6m. Sunday, August 18th only, tickets will be on sale between1pm ‐ 7pm.

For a complete schedule of events, please go to www.appalachianfair.com For information :Appalachian Fair (423)477‐ 3211

3*'$ 4!!(,()*.(&$ 5(.6$ *.-016.)(,,7$ (006()0-$ -1#'$ 18$ 0*'$ /.&'-0$ livestock in the Southeast.

The show schedule will begin with beef cattle shows on the opening day of the fair. The junior beef show begins Monday, Aug. 19 at 9:30am with the Washington County Beef Show. Little Cowbuddies will begin at noon. The Junior Beef Show will begin at 12:30 p.m. The Open Show classes will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20 with the Other Breeds show. Hereford will begin at 9:30 a.m., Simmental at 12 noon, Salers at 2p.m., Shorthorn at 3:30 p.m., Limousin at 4:30 p.m., and Angus at 6 p.m.

Dairy cattle and sheep move in on Thursday, August 22. Open Dairy Cattle Show will be Friday August 23 beginning at 10 a.m. with the cows. The Open Sheep Show will begin at 8 a.m. and the Adult Jackpot Showmanship will be held following the sheep show.

Saturday Aug. 24, Washington County will hold the County Dairy Show at 8:30 am. The Junior Dairy Show will begin at 10 a.m.. with the Little Britches Contest at 12 noon and the Junior Dairy Cows will begin at 1 p.m. The Junior Sheep show will begin at 8 a.m.

Mike Cunningham is livestock superintendent for the fair.

Proud parents have been taking their young children to the Appalachian Fair for years to compete in the baby show. The possibility of winning a class at the annual Baby Show is the draw for these proud parents and grandparents.

The Baby Show will be on Saturday Aug. 24. Winners not only get ribbons, but a total of $608 in premiums is offered.

No pre‐registration for the Baby Show is required, but a $10 entry fee is required at the time of registration.

For babies 6 through 10 months, judging will be on the Museum Stage, beginning at 9 a.m. for girls and 10:30 a.m. for boys.

At 1:00 p.m. judging will begin for girls 11 through 16 months class. Boys will be at 2:30 p.m.

The class for 17 through 24 months will begin for girls at 4:00 p.m., followed by the boys at 5:00 !"#"$ $ %&$ '()*$ (+'$ ),(--./.)(0.1&2$ awards will be made for best developed girl, best developed

boy, prettiest girl, most handsome boy, Little Miss Personality and Little Mr. Personality. Twins will be judged at 6 p.m.

The Youth Talent Show, which involves young people between 13 and 21 years of age. The show will be held on Aug. 22 at 7 p.m.

Last year’s Youth Talent winner was Hannah Harkleroad.

The winner of the talent show wins $500 and the right to compete at the regional contest at the Tennessee Valley Fair in Knoxville in September. The runner up locally will get $300 and third place receives $200.

The local winner competes in Knoxville, the cash prize there is $1000. In the past, the Appalachian Fair Youth Talent winners have competed well in Knoxville.

The Youth Talent Show generates a variety of talent.

Competitors may be dance groups, bands, singers or pianists.

For information and entry form go to www.appalachianfair.com

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August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 5

Appalachian Fair Main Stage Entertainment The Main Stage at the Appalachian Fair is packed with entertainment.

Monday night, Aug. 19, Easton Corbin opens the Fair’s Main Stage entertainment. His hits include “A Little More Country than That” , “Roll With It”, “Lovin You Is Fun” and his current single “All Over the Road.”

Tuesday, Aug. 20, Dustin Lynch. His hits include “Cowboys and Angels”, “She Cranks My Tractor”, and his current single “Wild in your Smile”.

Wednesday, Aug. 21, Contemporary Christian Artist ‐ Jeremy Camp. His hits include “My God” , “All We Need”, “Mighty to Save” and many more.

Thursday, Aug. 22 Florida Georgia Line hits the stage with their hits including “Cruise” , “Get Your Shine On” and their current single “Round Here”.

Friday, Aug. 23 Gretchen Wilson. Her hits include “Redneck Woman” , “Work Hard, Play Harder” and her current single “Still Rollin”. Brinley Addington, will take the stage at 7:00pm.

Saturday, Aug. 24,Blue Grass Artists Dailey and Vincent will take the stage at 8:00pm.

Friday, August 9 will be the last day to purchase advance show tickets by phone.

Also on sale are season passes. A 3‐day season pass is $18 and a 6‐day season pass is $36.

Ride tickets are again half price if purchased before opening day of the fair. A sheet of 22 tickets for $11.

A $3 transaction fee will apply to all advanced sales.

Free grandstand seating is available with gate admission of $8 for adults and $3 children 6‐11 when accompanied by an adult.

5(.6$ 0.)<'0$ 18/.)'$ .-$ 1!'&$ =>,7$ ?@$ C$ 4>+>-0$ DE2$ Monday – Friday 11 am – 6 pm and Saturdays 9am ‐ 6pm and Sunday, August 18 only 1 pm ‐ 7pm or by calling 423‐477‐1420.

Visit our website at www.appalachianfair.com

Page 6, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

Sacred Harmony & The Penny Loafers

Milligan College - August 17th, 2pm & 6:30pm Join Penny Loafers and Sacred Harmony for a great night of Christian Entertainment and Worship! Bring your family and friends! August 17th (Sat), Milligan College @ the Gregory Center. Two Performances‐ 2:00 p.m. matinee $10 ticket and 6:30 p.m. $12 ticket or $10 for group of 15 or more. Tickets can be

$12 Tickets-Advance or Door Saturday, August 17th 2:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

S10 Tickets-Matinee or Group Gregory Center Rate (15p) Milligan College, TN Order online at Saturday, August 17th sacredharmony1.com 2:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Gregory Center Milligan College, TN

$12 Tickets-Advance or Door S10 Tickets-Matinee or Group Rate (15p)

purchased for limited seating at Order online at door or at sacredharmony1.com sacredharmony1.com Sacred Harmony has been traveling the roads sharing $12 Tickets-Advance or Door the gospel in song since 2000 preparing hearts or Group for praise S10 Tickets-Matinee Rate (15p)They provide and worship. traditional elements of a four Order online at part sacredharmony1.com harmony with a modern music interpretation to create a sound that will appeal to fans of

all ages. With a strong focus on the message in music believing that God’s word can be in song and relevant to today and to what people need, and to minister in a very relevant way to very relevant hurts and needs that people may have spiritually.

Although they admit that there is an element of entertainment in a musical concert, ministry is the primary thrust of their music.

They most recently have been

blessed with the opportunity to be coached and mentored by well know singer/songwriter Phil Cross and with Gods blessings has taken them to a different level of ministry.

Southern gospel with a )1&0'#!16(67$ /,(.6$ (&:$ 8(&-$ describe it as a “crossover blend” between Contemporary, Southern gospel and “old favorites” with a touch of bluegrass here and there. David Verble, member of Sacred Harmony has written the feature songs on their last two

projects . “A Little Faith” and their most recent release “I Can’t Wait” has ranked on the charts of Southern Gospel Times and Southern Gospel Today several months in a row. They also have a phenomenal new music video release on “You Tube” in September produced by Phil Cross/ Cross Music and the well known videographer / Patrick Tohill featuring a song recorded and arranged by the renowned, Phil Cross ‐ Are You Washed”.

www.theloaferonline.com

August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 7

Rolling Thunder Raises Flag and Awareness August 13th, 10:30am

The Johnson City Power Board (JCPB) will host Rolling Thunder, Inc.’s Tennessee F*(!0'6$ G$ 816$ ($ /,(+$ 6(.-.&+$ ceremony at its Boones Creek headquarters on Tuesday August 13, 2013 at 10:30 AM. The ceremony will take place H'-.:'$ 18$ 0*'$ /,(+!1,'-$ .&$ 861&0$ 18$=FIJK-$(:#.&.-06(0.9'$18/.)'-$ at 2600 Boones Creek Rd and will feature Tennessee’s First District Congressman and Rolling Thunder member, Dr. Phil Roe, as Master of Ceremonies.

The ceremony will begin with comments from Congressman Roe followed by Rolling Thunder’s raising of the POW‐ B%4$ /,(+$ (&:$ ($ !,(7.&+$ 18$ 3(!-"$

3*'$)'6'#1&7$6'/,')0-$ Rolling Thunder’s and JCPB’s commitment to raising awareness of veteran’s issues in our community; especially related to prisoners of war and those missing in action. JCPB and Rolling Thunder cordially invite our community to join them for this solemn occasion.

The JCPB serves over 76,000 customers within Washington, Sullivan, Carter and Greene counties in Northeast 3L"$ 3*'$ =FIJ$ .-$ ($ &10C816C!61/.02$ public power provider and is

CASA’s 8th Annual Golf Tournament August 19th Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Northeast Tennessee will hold its 8th Annual Golf Tournament on Monday, August 19th at the Johnson City Country Club. Registration will start at 11:00am, then a shotgun start at noon. This will be a four person scramble. Lunch will be provided on the cart during the play. CASA is encouraging participants to raise enough money to sponsor a child for a year ($400) with a minimum $100 players fee. Sponsorships opportunities include a cart sponsor for $100, hole sponsor for $250 and a tournament sponsor for $1,000 which includes a four person team and recognition in all marketing materials. There will be prizes for winners of a hole in one, longest drive and closest to the pin. Plus, all participants will be in a drawing to win door prizes.

4,,$ !61)'':-$ H'&'/.0$ F4M4$ 18$

Northeast Tennessee.

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates for abused and neglected children.

CASA of Northeast Tennessee works with the Juvenile Courts in Washington, Greene, and Unicoi Counties and Johnson City

the tenth largest of the TVA’s 155 electricity distributors. The JCPB also offers a wide variety of energy services and programs to its residential and commercial customers.

Juvenile Court. The mission of CASA is to recruit, train, monitor and support community based volunteers. These volunteer advocates “speak up” for the best interest of abused and neglected children in the Juvenile Courts, striving to preserve the right of each child to have a safe, permanent home.

To register or for sponsorship information call 423‐461‐3500 or email dalton@casanetn.org.

Also visit the website at http:// www.casanetn.org or become a fan on Facebook.

Page 8, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

“The Women of Henry Wolf: A Retrospective”

Reece Museum Opens August 13th

“The Women of Henry Wolf: A Retrospective,” a collection of prints by wood engraver Henry Wolf, will open Tuesday, Aug. 13, at the Reece Museum at East Tennessee State University and continue through Dec. 24.

This exhibit of 21 prints from the Reece Museum’s collection of over 200 Wolf prints is curated by Theresa Hammons, museum director, and ETSU student Michael Hale, who is pursuing a bachelor 18$/.&'$(60-$:'+6''" “Wolf’s prints exhibit unparalleled artistry,” Hammons said. “All of *.-$!6.&0-$(6'$-1$H'(>0.8>,$0*(0$.0$;(-$:.8/.)>,0$01$)*11-'$;*.)*$.#(+'-$ to exhibit.” She and Hale decided to focus on the female subjects in Wolf’s work, because they are “some of the most striking and haunting images in the Wolf collection.”

Henry Wolf was born in France in 1852. He studied with J. Levy in Strasbourg and came in 1871 to New York, where he became the premier wood engraver working in America until his death in 1916.

Wolf is known primarily for copying the “greats” for publication in such literary publications as “Century Magazine,” “Harper’s Monthly” and “Scribner’s Magazine.” The artist Jean Leon Gerome once remarked that Wolf’s engravings of his paintings were beautiful, and went on to say, “Mr. Wolf knew better than my brushes what I wanted to do.”

Wolf began publishing original works in 1896 for “Evening Star Magazine.” He won the only Grand Prize in printmaking at the 1915 I(&(#($ I()./.)$ NO!1-.0.1&$ .&$ M(&$ 56(&).-)12$ where he exhibited 144 wood engravings.

In 1975, the Reece Museum received the donation of Wolf prints from Dr. Christopher and Janet Gafe and Dr. Frederick P. and Rebecca Nause, who collectively acquired the works from The Lakeside Studio in Lakeside, Mich.

The Reece Museum is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10 a.m.‐4 p.m.; Thursdays from 10 a.m.‐7 p.m.; and Saturdays from 10 a.m.‐3 p.m. Admission is free, and parking passes are available for weekday visitors. Group tours are also available.

For more information, to arrange a group tour, or for special assistance for those with disabilities, contact the Reece Museum at (423) 439‐4392.

www.theloaferonline.com

August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 9

Kokumanga!

JC Holiday Inn Convention Center August 17th

If you enjoy Cosplay, Manga, Anime, Steampunk, comics from DC or Marvel, Sci‐Fi movies like Star Wars, Star Trek, and series like The Walking Dead or BSG, KOKUMANGA dealers got you covered from t‐shirts and Collectibles, to books and DVD’s and everything in between!

You will enjoy the Cosplay hosted by The Costume Yakuza the improved Pokemon

and Magic the Gathering tournaments, Cosplay Ball and their large dealer’s room featuring vintage and new Anime and Sci‐Fi toys, comic books and collectible items!

Listening intently to what you had to say about KOKUMANGA! conventions. They have put together a bigger and better event they have improved the panels, venue, dealers and so

many more things and services to make your experience at KOKUMANGA! a great one!!!

For more information you can visit www.kokumanga.com August 17th 2013 From 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM *Cosplay Ball 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM At the Holiday Inn Convention Center 101 W Springbrook Dr, Johnson City, TN 37604 *CosPlay Ball: 7 PM to 11 PM 0*.-$ '9'&0$ ;.,,$ H'$ /.,,':$ ;.0*$ Cosplayers, live entertainment, prizes, photos, food, and great memories with DJ at the console (,,$ (0$ 0*'$ -(#'$ 0'66./.)$ 9'&>'$ the Johnson city Holiday Inn Convention Center!

KOKUMANGA! welcomes any type of cosplay including: Anime, Manga, Sci‐Fi, Steampunk, Cartoons, Movie and Original Characters, if you prefer not to dress up, then they will appreciate if you dress up formally to keep with the theme of our event.

Page 10, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

Chuck Prophet

We Be Jammin In Abingdon August 15th On August 15, 2013, Chuck Prophet will take the stage in Abingdon, VA for the Thursday

Jams concert series. He shapes his restless career with .&.#.0(H,'$ ->H0,'$ /,(.6P$ ($ 9.9.:$

parade of razor‐edged one‐liners )(#1>/,(+':$ .&$ ($ -,()<CQ(;':$ drawl, songs about heartbreak

and everyman heroism, drenched in twisted lines of rude Telecaster.

Prophet uses only the most essential language: little else but whip‐smart one‐liners, a guitar in each channel and a backbeat.

There are glimpses in the rear‐ view mirror of American rock ‘n’ roll – names like Eddie Cochran and an instinct for lean guitar tunes – but the meat’s fresh. There’s everything from the capitalist hustle and the immigrant struggle to the impulse to forget it all with a lusty Saturday night.

National television appearances include Austin City Limits in support of No Other Love, as well as Letterman and F(6-1&$ R(,72$ ->!!160.&+$ ?SS@T-$ Soap & Water. His music has increasingly been featured in /.,#$(&:$0','9.-.1&2$#1-0$6')'&0,7$ as the closing track to episode two of True Blood.

The Town of Abingdon has created a Thursday Jams

concert series for the summer as part of the Abingdon Music Experience. Starting May 16th until September 19th, there will be nationally recognized bands showcased at the Abingdon Market Pavilion each Thursday.

Each concert will start at 6:30pm and will be FREE to the public. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. There will be food and beverage vendors serving BBQ, Hamburgers and Pizza. No coolers are allowed. The events will be held rain or shine.

For more information on the concerts, you can call 276‐676‐2282 or visitwww. abingdonmusicexperience.com.

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Walling Distributing Company, BVU Authority, Capo’s Music Store, Charter Media, Comfort Inn of Abingdon, Eastman Credit Union, Johnston Memorial Hospital, Steel Fab, Thompson and Litton and Virginia Tourism Corporation

August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 11

www.theloaferonline.com

Band of Heathens

Altamont Theatre in Asheville August 17th

Have you heard that the intrinsically fabulous BAND OF HEATHENS, the touchstone of Americana Rock, are gearing up for a late Summer/early Fall Tour along with the September 17th release of a new CD “Sunday Morning Record?” Ah, you have! Well, did you know the two founding members, Ed Jurdi (singer/guitarist) and Gordy Quist (singer/guitarist) will be performing in select cities as a duo? Yes, that’s right…a duo!

Check it out! Ed & Gordy at Cactus Cafe in Austin just last June 2, 2013: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=JYWmsSmG‐Nc As a duo, Ed and Gordy showcase the unique chemistry they have developed together that is the driving force behind the rock and roll of the Band of Heathens. “Anytime we get to be creative and record or perform, it helps bring us closer together”, says Jurdi. “It promotes the growth of ideas, which is our highest currency. Ideas are like gold, they are the seeds for the songs.” Adds Quist “It’s a much more vulnerable performance, and it’s been nice to let people inside some of these songs in a way that isn’t possible at the full band shows.”

Stripping away the power of the band and the electric guitars reveals another subtle force rooted in depth of song and in

the haunting sound of two voices that sing as one. Swinging the pendulum from foot stomping porch holler to the humor of stories from the road, the acoustic show gives Ed and Gordy a platform to try out new songs,

pull out choice cover songs, or to reveal an alternate stripped down version of a Heathens classic.

Page 12, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

John Fehskens

Acoustic Coffeehouse August 17th, 8pm John Fehskens’ music is both recognizable and fresh – a Lead Belly‐esque guitar lick peppered with a sly brush of wit; a rock jam tempered with relaxed self‐ restraint.

In his own words: “I don’t think there’s anything new out there... the trick is to distill all of those things you hear – how to play, how to sing, how to write – and synthesize it into something that nobody but you can play. Then it’s familiar, but individual…and that’s exciting to me.”

Indeed, in the context of one of John’s live performances, Johnny Cash prison songs, alt rock, and mock‐heroic originals somehow compliment each other. With guitar and banjo in hand and a harmonica strapped around his neck, he’s entertained crowds at venues across the country, stretching from North Carolina to Ohio, from Indiana to New York.

Based in Elizabethton, Tennessee, John has produced three albums of his own material, %&>&:(0':2$M.#!,./.':$U16,:2$(&:$

Present for the Hearing.

John is available for solo performances ranging from one to three hours in length. CDs and mp3s of sample material are available upon request.

John Fehskens learned guitar on the sly. As his father and brothers took formal lessons, John would sneak into the room while they were all practicing and sit on a chair in the corner, -0>:.1>-,7$;(0)*.&+$0*'.6$/.&+'6-$ as they strummed rhythms and changed chords. As the sounds of the Beatles and Johnny Cash rang through the room, John would wait until everyone had wandered off and then pick up one of their guitars and begin laboriously reproducing everything he had seen.

Fast forward a year or two, and John was playing on his own.

Night after night, he sat in the basement of the family house in %&:.(&(2$ /.+>6.&+$ 1>0$ 61)<(H.,,7$ licks, blues walk downs, and whatever else caught his ear. The year was 2000, and open mikes and local jam sessions came into

his life at this point, sharpening his ear for style and musicality.

And now 2013 looms large, and John has honed his craft to a /.&'$!1.&0"$V'$*(-$6','(-':$0*6''$ (,H>#-$ .&$ 0*'$ !(-0$ /.9'$ 7'(6-2$ with original songs ranging from folk to rock to blues to techno to everything in between. As he said once in a magazine interview for a gig in Buffalo, New York: “I don’t think there’s anything new out there... the trick is to distill all of those things you hear – how to play, how to sing, how to write – and synthesize it into something that nobody but you can play. Then it’s familiar, but individual…and that’s exciting to me.”

Indeed, in the context of one of John’s live performances, Johnny Cash prison songs, alt rock, and mock‐heroic originals somehow compliment each other. With guitar and banjo in hand and a harmonica strapped around his neck, he’s entertained crowds at venues across the country, stretching from North Carolina to Ohio, from Indiana to New York, from Tennessee to Ensenada, Mexico.

His live performances include many original songs, mostly introspective or comic, from his three released albums, %&>&:(0':2$M.#!,./.':$U16,:2$(&:$ Present for the Hearing.

www.theloaferonline.com

August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 13

Tri Cities Greek Festival August 17th

Does your mouth water at the sight of delicious gyros?

Do your taste buds beg you to satisfy them with yummy Greek breads and pastries? Are you a vegetarian hoping to try some Greek cuisine? Then the Tri‐ Cities Greek Fest! is the place for you! Come one and all ‐ we have something delectable just for you!

This year, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is boasting a new name and an improved festival.

Due to a merger with Holy Resurrection Antiochian Church, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church has been renamed Christ the Savior Greek Orthodox Church but is still the area’s Greek church hosting its annual cultural festival.

Christ the Savior Greek Orthodox Church will feature all your favorites from last year’s festival: delicious Greek food and mouth‐watering pastries to tempt the palette, live Greek music and dancing, church tours, retail, rummage sale, children’s activities, chair massages, and a taverna (bring your .:'&0./.)(0.1&$ H')(>-'$ 71>$ ;.,,$ be carded).

Festival patrons last year offered their suggestions and festival chairs listened. This year’s festival will feature a brand new menu with several delicious vegetarian options to choose from as well as baklava cheesecake.

Also new this year, door prizes will be awarded every hour and Christ the Savior’s very own dance troupe will perform in traditional Greek costumes to the live music of George Karras.

The children’s activities section has been expanded to include storytelling and children’s Olympics.

Face painters will return to showcase their talents on the faces of excited patrons.

Come one and all. Even infants are welcome as there will once again be a Baby Rest Stop tent, which several guests took advantage of last year.

Come solo or bring your family and friends. This is a one‐ day only event that those who do

not attend will be left wondering what they missed.

Tri‐Cities Greek Fest! is rain or shine 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 just two miles south of the Bristol Motor Speedway at the corner of Highway 11E and Egypt Road.

From Highway 11E toward Piney Flats, look for the big

white tent on your left – Christ the Savior’s entire parking lot will be covered so rain will not dampen festivities underneath the big top.

Mark your calendars to put a little Greek in your week and don’t forget it’s your best bet. www.facebook.com/ TriCitiesGreekFest

Page 14, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

Contra & Family Dance

Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center August 17th The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will present a community contra dance on Saturday August 17, 2013 at the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center at 117 Boone Street. Class for beginning contra dancers will happen at 7:00 pm. The dance will run from 7:30‐10:30 pm with a waltz and Klondike Bar break at 9:00pm. Coming to Jonesborough to perform for the dance will be the Dancing Bears from Asheville. Calling for the dance will be the ever popular Barbara Groh from Asheville.

The evening will begin with a family dance from 5:30‐6:45pm.

The family dance is truly a family event where parents or grandparents and children ages four and up learn traditional dances. The dance will consist of easy steps for participants of all ages. The goal is to teach the

fundamentals of dancing with a focus on having fun and placing less of an emphasis on dance techniques. Types of dances include circles, long‐ways sets, squares, and odd number sets.

All dances will be taught and called with high‐energy live music from students in the ETSU Bluegrass, Old Time & Country Music program.

Now that contra dance has become so popular all over this country, there are many step‐ by‐step guides on how to do contra dance on the internet.

“Even though we teach a brief workshop prior to the dance, there are other resources including contra dance videos, essays and other instruction available all over the web” states event organizer David Wiley.

“We also encourage newcomers to partner with experienced

:(&)'6-$ 816$ 0*'$ /.6-0$ 8';$ :(&)'-$ 01$ H>.,:$ 0*'.6$ )1&/.:'&)'$ (&:$ show them how easy and fun contra dancing is”. You can bring the whole family to dance.

The Dancing Bears consists 18$ W';$ X',81&:$ 1&$ /.::,'2$ B(6<$ Langner on guitar, John Culp mandolin and banjo. Lew Gelfond *(-$H''&$!,(7.&+$0*'$/.::,'$-.&)'$ long before the cows came home.

He is a solo performer of old 0.#'$/.::,'$(&:$H(&Q1$#>-.)$(&:$ also plays swing, ragtime, Celtic, gypsy, country, Klezmer, tangos, and other traditional music. Lew performs at schools, concerts, workshops and festivals and has H''&$ ($ 9.1,.&2$ 9.1,($ (&:$ /.::,'$ teacher for over 20 years.

Barbara Groh, a resident of Asheville, NC, has been calling contra dances all over the Southeast since 1989. She has called such festivals as the

Charleston Bug Stomp, Gotta Dance, the Summer Soiree, the Black Mountain Music Festival, Moon Dance, and the Gypsy Meltdown. Her smooth style, clear teaching and collection of interesting dances will help you achieve Contra Nirvana.

Come as you are; wear soft /,'O.H,'$-*1'-$816$:(&).&+"$$F1#'$ to dance, join the potluck dinner or just to listen. No partner is necessary. All dances are taught.

As always, our dances are smoke

and alcohol free. Admission to the dance is $7, $5 for HJDS members and $5 for full time students. Families with their own children are all admitted for only $15.

For further information call event organizer, David Wiley, at 423‐534‐8879 or visit www.historic

jonesboroughdancesociety. org or Historic Jonesborough Dance Society on FACEBOOK.

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August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 15

Seed Beading Workshop

Southwest Virginia Museum August 19th, 6pm The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park continues its new Artisan Series of programs with the August theme of seed beading, hosted

by Cindy Tipton and Madleen Demaras. The workshop will be held on Monday, August 19 from 6pm to 8pm in the Museum’s Victorian Parlor.

In the “Zig Zag” necklace class, participants will learn the skills 18$ H'(:;'(9.&+$ (&:$ /.&.-*.&+2$ using seed beads and Swarovski crystals to create a beautiful necklace. Participants will also ,'(6&$ *1;$ 01$ /.&.-*$ 0*'.6$ !.')'-$ using clamshells for a more professional appearance.

Cindy Tipton and Madleen Demaras from Cindy’s Crafts in Johnson City, TN will teach this

Artisan Series workshop. Cindy opened her bead shop in 1989 and also sells products online.

She has a full line craft shop that specializes in beads, offering classes at the shop and private classes taught my Ms. Demaras.

The fee for “Seed Beading” is $30.00 per person. All supplies and materials are included in the workshop fee.

The registration and payment deadline for “Seed Beading” is Friday, August 16 by 4pm.

Spaces are limited, so register early by calling (276) 523‐1322.

The Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park’s Artisan Series will offer a craft project on the third Monday of every month from March through December, providing

visitors with opportunities to create handmade crafts with regional artisans.

For more information about upcoming workshops, please contact the park at (276) 523‐ 1322.

The award‐winning Virginia State Parks are managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.

For more information about Virginia State Parks’ activities and amenities or to make reservations in one of the more than 1,800 campsites or 300 climate‐controlled cabins, call the Virginia State Parks Reservation Center at 800‐933‐PARK or visit www. virginiastateparks.gov.

Page 16, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

Wolf Hills Quilters Group Exhibit Arts Depot, Abingdon August 15th 7pm

Opening on Thursday, August 15th, the Arts Depot will feature a group exhibit of handmade quilts created by 14 members of the Wolf Hills Quilters Guild of Abingdon, VA. A meet‐the‐quilters reception will be held on Thursday evening, August 15th, from 7 ‐ 9 pm. The reception and all exhibits are free and open to the public. Most of the quilts are available to purchase. The exhibit continues through September 28th 2013.

“Wolf Hills Quilters” was founded on September 23, 1995 with the mission to exchange ideas and share knowledge; to encourage and to educate; to stimulate creativity; and to challenge individual’s abilities in quilt making of all kinds.

As the group has grown and expanded, many new techniques have been shared among members of the group as well as with various individuals within the surrounding area through workshops instructed

by members as well as local and nationally recognized quilters. In addition to their personal work, they are involved in community outreach, providing quilted .0'#-$ 01$ ($ &>#H'6$ 18$ &1&!61/.0$ groups including the Children’s Advocacy Center, Faith in Action, and the Veterans Administration.

Kinetic Energy, Purple Pheonix, Chicken Scratch, Peacock for Challenge and Taking Flight are just some of the whimsical names of the quilts that will be exhibited. As unique as each quilt is, so are the members participating in the show which include Kim Ashley, Joy Boatwright, Connie Brown, Jean Condon, Marty Gail, Minnie Sue Jarrell, Kristina K. Morris and Connie Waters all of Abingdon, VA, Anetta Jones of Bristol, TN, Laura Quesenberry of Bristol, VA, Mona Doss and Nancy Murr of Damascus, VA, Dana Harr of Lander, Wyoming and Norag Walden of Lebanon, VA. The Depot Artists Association .-$ ($ &1&C!61/.0$ 91,>&0''6$

organization that operates the Arts Depot and is dedicated to promoting the arts in the community and features the region’s artists. The Arts Depot is located in the historic Depot Square area of downtown Abingdon, VA. The gallery and artists studios are open Thursday thru Saturday, April through December 10‐4 pm, January through March 11‐3, until 8 pm during Gallery Hops on the /.6-0$ 3*>6-:(7$ 18$ '()*$ #1&0*$ or by appointment. There is no admission charge. For further information, please contact the Arts Depot at (276) 628‐9091, or e‐mail at abingdonartsdepot@ eva.org, or visit their facebook place page or the web site at www.abingdonartsdepot.org.

The Association is supported in part by grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts and the Virginia Tourism Corp.

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August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 17

16th Annual Civil War Reenactment of Battles of Saltville Well Fields, Saltville, VA August 17 - 18

The Battles of Saltville will be reenacted in the Well Fields, Lake Drive in Saltville, Virginia on August 17th and 18th. The 16th Annual Civil War Reenactment camp will open at 10:00 am each day and battles will be staged each day at 2:00 p.m.

Activities are planned all day each day. Walk through the camp and see how the soldiers and their families lived during these turbulent times. Visit the sutlers (merchants selling authentic clothes, books and household needs) camp. Their items are for sale to reenactors and the public.

Admission is $5.00 per day.

Children under 6 admitted free. Bring your camera and a chair and relive the two battles that were fought in Saltville in October and December of 1864 over salt. For further info, call 276‐496‐5988 or see Facebook Page ‐ Battles of Saltville.

While you are in town, visit the Museum of the Middle Appalachians, the Hardy Roberts Wave Pool, the Salt Walking Trail, the Salt Park, the Battleground Overlook, the Saltville Overlook, the Saltville Golf Course and other historical sites. There are many things to see in this beautiful mountain town.

Page 18, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

Borderline Winged Deer Park August 15th, 7pm

Next Thursday’s lakeside concert features Borderline Head to Winged Deer Park’s Goulding Amphitheatre on Thursday, Aug. 15, for southern country rock band Borderline.

3*.-$/.9'C#'#H'6$H(&:$8'(0>6'-$-1#'$18$1>6$ area’s most talented musicians. Showtime is 7‐9 p.m.

The free Lakeside Concert Series takes place at Winged Deer Park, 4137 Bristol Highway, in Johnson City. Sponsors include Bristol Broadcasting, Camp Ruff‐n‐More, Johnson City Parks and Recreation and News and Neighbor. For more information, call (423)283‐5815 or email jcparksinfo@ johnsoncitytn.org.

JCCHC Community Health Block Party August 15th, 3-6pm

East Tennessee State University’s Johnson City Community Health Center (JCCHC) is planning a special event with free health screenings and a variety of activities in celebration of National Health Center Week.

The JCCHC Community Health Block Party will be held Thursday, Aug. 15, from 3‐6 p.m. The clinic, located at 2151 Century Lane, is managed by the ETSU College of Nursing and offers a wide spectrum of health services through a partnership with the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences.

Free health screenings will include blood pressure and blood sugar checks, body mass index (BMI) measurements, and screenings for vision, hearing and speech. Various information booths will offer visitors facts and tips for healthy living, (&:$ Y'/,')0.1&-$ 18$ V'(,0*$ M)*11,$ 18$ Massage will provide free massages.

Games and face‐painting will be

available for children. Refreshments and lights snacks will be available.

National Health Center Week is recognized nationwide Aug. 11‐ D@$ 01$ )','H6(0'$ 0*'$ .&/,>'&)'$ 0*(0$ Community Health Centers have in increasing access to affordable, high‐quality primary health care and preventive health care.

JCCHC is one of the few nurse‐ managed Community Health Centers in the nation to receive the prestigious designation of being a Federally Z>(,./.':$ V'(,0*$ F'&0'6"$ %0$ .-$ ,1)(0':$ behind Woodridge Hospital on North State of Franklin Road.

Sponsors for the Block Party include F*.<C/.,C42$N(60*$5(6'2$4#'6.)(&$F(&)'6$ Society, Max Medical Specialties, UnitedHealthcare, Walgreens, Johnson City Police Department, Caris Healthcare, Food City, Johnson City Public Library, and ETSU Public Safety.

For more information, call (423) 926‐2500.

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August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 19

New Planetarium Show Goes In Depth on Comets Having already been visited by Comet PanSTARRS in March, and expecting a visit from another this winter, we’re all a buzz about comets. And true to fashion, Bays Mountain Park has created a unique show about comets titled Comets & Discovery.

Comets & Discovery is much more than a straight narrative about comets. The show takes the viewer on a journey of discovery as it follows two .&06'!.:$ )1#'0$ *>&0'6-$ .&$ /.6-0C person. One, a modern explorer.

The other, Caroline Herschel, the famous 18th century huntress that ruled the skies for many generations. With both, viewers learn how they each searched the skies, made their discoveries, and reported them for other astronomers to bear out. Viewers also learn about ‐ depending

on the century of the observer ‐ what people thought comets were and their importance to them. Comets & Discovery uses a blend of green‐screen technology, 3‐D environments, and good ol’ fashioned still art.

The program incorporates two live sequences to enhance the ,'(6&.&+$(&:$8>&"$3*'$/.6-0$;.,,$H'$ an activity to involve and engage the audience to learn more about the parts of a comet, the path a comet takes, and the dust and ion tails that splay out in their correct directions as the comet orbits the sun. The second sequence will use the planetarium’s Carl Zeiss ZKP‐4 star projector to show the current night sky and also focus on comet ISON (C/2012 S1) that will hopefully be a nice comet in the early winter morning sky.

Show length is about 40

minutes and is great for the ;*1,'$ 8(#.,7[$ -!')./.)(,,7$ (+'-$ 3rd grade to adult.

Comets & Discovery will run up through the end of the year to serve as an educational source for Comet ISON (C/2012 S1).

Comet ISON will be at perihelion on Thanksgiving Day, but will be visible in the morning sky for, hopefully, weeks before and after.

Perihelion is when a celestial object makes its closest approach to the sun. ISON will get as close as 700,000 miles from the sun.

The sun’s diameter is 865,000 miles wide.

Due to the bright glare of the sun, the comet will not be visible for a few days on either side of perihelion. It is hoped that the comet will provide quite a show for earthbound spectators, but )1#'0-$)(&$H'$\>.0'$/.)<,'"$$3*'7$ could be great, or they could /.]],'"$$3*'$H'-0$;(7$01$9.';$0*.-$ comet will be with binoculars or the unaided eye.

Comets & Discovery can be seen Monday thru Friday at 1:00 and 4:00 p.m., and on the weekends at 1:00, 4:00 and 5:00 p.m.

Tickets are $4.00 per person and can be purchased at the gift shop

located in the Nature Center.

Annually, more than 150,000 visitors pass through Bays Mountain Park making it one of the State of Tennessee’s Top 50 Most Visited Attractions, according to the State of Tennessee Department of Tourist Development.

One of the nation’s

largest city‐owned parks with 3,550 acres, Bays Mountain Park features nearly 40 miles of hiking trails, a state‐of‐the‐art planetarium, wildlife habitats, fun exhibits, a 44‐acre lake, ropes course with zip line, trails for mountain biking and much, much more.

Page 20, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

“Painted Glimpses of Olde Knoxville” East Tennessee History Center

The Art Market Gallery will present a special memorial exhibition from Aug. 16 to Sept.

2 at the gallery, 422 S. Gay St., in celebration of East Tennessee’s history and in conjunction with the East Tennessee History Center’s History Fair on Aug. 17.

Titled “Painted Glimpses of Olde Knoxville,” this show will display several works by Patricia Sprouls, who passed away in 2011 (0$ 0*'$ (+'$18$^S"$A&'$ 18$0*'$ /.6-0$ members of the Art Market, she was well known in the Knoxville area for creating complex but delicate watercolor and pen‐and‐ ink paintings illustrating local historic buildings replete with people of that time period.

Patricia Sprouls was born in The Bronx, NY, moving for health

WEDNESDAYS

WEDNESDAYS

reasons to the Isle of Capri with her mother and sister as a young child. She spoke four languages: English, Spanish at home and German and Italian while in Italy.

M*'$ 6'#(.&':$ /,>'&0$ .&$ %0(,.(&$ into her later years.

4$,.8',1&+$/.&'C(60$)(6''6$H'+(&$ under her mother’s tutelage. She was awarded “Best Foreign Art Student” in all of Italy, winning a full four‐year scholarship to the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Naples. Trapped there during World War II, and surviving their apartment’s bombing in an air raid shelter, Patricia and her family never gave up hope and were able to return to the United States in 1947. She married in 1948, raised a family in New Jersey, and continued her art career.

She exhibited in New York City, and in New Jersey, where she was president of the state chapter of the American Artists Professional League, a board member of that national organization, and a past

instructor at the Ridgewood Art Institute of New Jersey, considered one of the nation’s best community art associations.

Also serving on the board of the Catherine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club in New York City, Patricia M!61>,-$ ;(-$ 1&'$ 18$ 0*'$ /.6-0$ women to become a member

of the exclusive and prestigious Salmagundi Club in New York City, the nation’s oldest art club.

She exhibited in many national shows and had several solo shows in the metropolitan area.

Moving with her husband Joe to Tennessee and settling in Norris in 1987, she continued

painting with local art groups (&:2$ /.9'$ 7'(6-$ (80'6$ .0-$ establishment for the 1982 World’s Fair, was juried into The Art Market Gallery, where her work was shown for more than 20 years.

Member owned and operated by more than 60 professional regional artists, the Art Market Gallery is located at 422 South Gay St., next to the Downtown Grill & Brewery, and a few doors away from Mast General Store. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, until 9 p.m. Friday, and 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday. The gallery is handicapped accessible. For more information, call 865‐525‐ 5265, or visit artmarketgallery. net, or facebook.com/Art. Market.Gallery.

Pictured: Pen‐and‐ink and watercolor painting by Patricia Sprouls (from the Art Market Gallery archive).

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August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 21

Taste of the Town Tours

Downtown Bristol August 14th

Tastes of the Town Tours is set to host the 1st food tour of downtown Bristol this Wednesday, August 14th.

Participants will visit 5 stops for small tastes highlighting each '-0(H,.-*#'&0K-$>&.\>'$/,(916" Tickets are now available for purchase online for the food tour. “We have received such great feedback from the folks who’ve gone on tours in Abingdon, as well as from the chefs, that we knew it was time to ramp up our offerings,” says tour organizer, Sara Cardinale.

Tastes of the Town Tours now has a website offering a calendar of events, tickets for upcoming tours, and the opportunity to learn more about the tastes of Appalachia. Tours in Abingdon are now scheduled for the 3rd Tuesday of every month through October, and Cardinale hopes the Bristol tour will be repeated monthly as well.

Stops for the Bristol tour include: Burger Bar, Inari Wines, Eatz, KP Duty and Machiavelli’s.

The stops include a food and drink pairing. “This is a great opportunity for residents and visitors alike to sample the very best these venues have to offer,” says Cardinale. This tour is limited to 25 participants, and

is expected to sell out.

Tastes of the Town Tours features restaurants that are part of the Rooted in Appalachia campaign, a local food branding initiative collaboratively launched last year by the Abingdon Convention and Visitors Bureau and Appalachian Sustainable Development.

N-0(H,.-*#'&0-$ .:'&0./.':$ (-$ Rooted in Appalachia partners are dedicated to featuring locally purchased food in their menus, serving local wine or beer and making a good faith effort to purchase local food year round.

Cardinale explains that “at each stop diners will get the chance to hear directly from the chef or owners about what efforts they are making to utilize local products, as well as get a taste of their specialties made with these items.”

The tickets for the tour are $30/ea, and can be purchased online or by phone. Participants should meet at the State Street Farmers Market to start the walking tour at 5:30. For more information about this event, please visit us on the web at www.tastesofthetowntours.com or reach us by phone at 276‐27‐ 5483.

Page 22, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

Look Inside the Mind of Our Stargazer

I don’t understand people who are constantly looking down at their feet instead of up at the sky.

Sure, I’ve bumped into a thing or two looking up (and down!), but the beauty of Earth is just not below the horizon, but how we see the Universe from the third planet from our favorite star.

It’s hard to believe that just 400 years ago, if I wrote that the Earth moves around the Sun, a revolutionary idea in 1613, I might end up under house arrest. Galileo Galilei did, spending the last ten years of his live under “house arrest” in Tuscany, Italy after being forced 01$ 6')(&0$ *.-$ -).'&0./.)$ '9.:'&)'$ discovered with a primitive telescope that proved the Earth was not the center of everything we see moving in the sky.

For more than one thousand years, the Egyptian astronomer Claudius Ptolemy (90 AD‐168 AD) and his “geocentric system” outlined in his astronomical treatise known as the “Almagest” was the unchallenged concept for the Universe. This “Ptolemaic System” had the Earth at the center of all we see in the sky.

For more than 15 centuries it was believed that the Sun went around the Earth, the Moon around the Sun and all the 5 wandering stars (planets), and all the other stars moved around the Earth.

Then a Polish monk with a taste for astronomy, Nicholas Copernicus, wrote the book “De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium,” translated “On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres.” He waited until he was on his deathbed in 1543 to publish the manifest—such was the controversial subject matter. The “Copernican M7-0'#_$ *(:$ 0*'$ M>&$ /.6#,7$ .&$ 0*'$ )'&0'6$ 18$ 0*'$ /.9'$ 16H.0.&+$ planets, and the Sun was just a star in no special place in the Universe.

U*'&$ 0*'$ -).'&0./.)$ +'&.>-$ Galileo started tinkering ;.0*$ 0*'$ /.6-0$ )6>:'$ 0','-)1!'$ invented by Hans Lippershey of Holland, he built his own. In the Spring nights of 1609 in his backyard at Pisa, Italy, Galileo became a giant of history when he sketched craters on the Moon, a disk with stripes on Continued on page 23

www.theloaferonline.com Continued from page 22

Jupiter, the four orbiting moons of Jupiter and “handles” on the sides of Saturn.

I am always thinking about outer space and the Moon, Sun and stars. It has been a challenge since the early 1970s to write and talk astronomy with terms that are understood by who I’ve called “Joe and Jane America.”

B7$1&,7$/.6#$6>,'$.-P$0*'6'$(6'$&1$ silly or dumb questions a person can ask—to be inquisitive is

August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 23 a common human thread of evolution.

I’ll take the risk of letting you inside my mind and how I’ve kept it active writing about astronomy for decades. `1>$ #.+*0$ /.&:$ .0$ 18$ .&0'6'-0$ that to write the weekly “Skies This Week” column, I rely on three sources of astronomical data.

First, is the desktop calendar “Year in Space,” compiled by Steve Cariddi and his Starry Messenger Press. The current week in space is also available by weekly e‐mail at www.

YearInSpace.com. I get many of the anniversaries for the space age milestones here on the week‐at‐a‐glance page of this excellent calendar with a beautiful, full‐page space photo.

My main resource for what’s up in the dark of night is the Astronomical Calendar 2013 by Guy Ottewell, retired physics professor at Furman University in nearby Greenville, SC. I have about 20 years worth of this valuable, month‐by‐month sky chart and calendar of all

events happening regarding the Sun, Moon, planets and the most prominent stars and deep sky objects.

The Astronomical Calendar has been extra large in size, like the old Life Magazine, but it will be cut down to magazine size in 2014 (and I’m not happy about this!) This is just one of a dozen astronomy calendars that are published each year, and they all have day‐by‐day sky highlights, skies charts, and are full of details and astronomy features that range from the general information to some technical and detailed data for the experienced stargazers.

I’ll share some of that every day astronomer jargons in 0*'$ ;''<,7$ >!:(0'-"$ B7$ /.&(,$ reference for “Skies This Week” is the canopy of stars themselves, recreated on my computer screen like a planetarium show.

Though I’ve bought several programs showing the night sky in great detail, I—like many amateur astronomers—enjoy using the quick, easy and free (!) program called Stellarium, downloadable by going to www. stellarium.org. You can simply

see the stars come out, and see the night sky for any time or date in history. You can even see with a click of a keyboard the daytime position of the Sun among stars!

This Stellarium planetarium program is ideal to see what constellations are visible, where the Moon is, what time Saturn is setting in the west (around 10:30 pm), and Jupiter is rising in the east (around 4 am).

Do you want to know where the Moon and planets were the /.6-0$ &.+*0$ (80'6$ 71>$ ;'6'$ H16&a$$ Just plug in the date and roam the starry skies of your birthday night!

One thing I’ve been a stickler for during my 17‐plus years as The Loafer’s “Stargazer” and “Skies This Week” columnist is ())>6()7"$$A*2$%K9'$/,>HH':$($8';$ dates and details I failed to check under deadline pressure, but very few. I used to have within arm’s reach at my writing desk all the space exploration and astronomy reference books I proudly owned for the correct date, time or vital data. Today, I’ll “google” a source—and it’s usually Wikipedia, which I’ve never found in error on major

dates and vital facts. It is so much \>.)<'6$ 0*(&$ /,.!!.&+$ 0*61>+*$ ($ L4M4$ -!()'/,.+*0$ H11<$ 01$ -''$ the date when, say Apollo 11 was launched to the Moon (July 16, 1969). Dates are often in the paragraph of the many websites that come up in an Internet search engine. In 10 seconds, compared to sometimes 10 #.&>0'-$ ,'(/.&+$ 0*61>+*$ H11<-2$ I have the accurate information!

Nothing on Earth do I enjoy more than sharing my passion for astronomy. Because I believe that looking up and wondering what that star is, or why the Moon is there, connects us with all humans who have walked the face of this planet.

These are the same stars that have been gazed upon by the famous, the infamous and the other 20 billion humans or so who have lived on Earth during the last 100,000 years or so.

No one owns the original of our starry nights, unlike the famous, abstract Van Gogh paintings of the night sky. The stars are yours every clear night for the taking, and I encourage you to pull out a lawn chair, lay back and enjoy your share.

Page 24, The Loafer â&#x20AC;˘ August 13, 2013

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August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 25

Celestial events in the skies for the week of Aug. 13‐19, 2013, as compiled for The Loafer

by Mark D. Marquette.

The waxing Moon is quite a sight this week as it moves from Virgo beside Saturn, to Libra, Scorpius, Ophiuchus, and Sagittarius. The line between dark and light on the Moon is called the terminator. On Earth this is what twilight looks like in the morning or evening as we spin 1,100 mph eastward. The Moon is moving eastward faster than our rotation, at 2,120 mph. So the Moon moves about 10.5 degrees eastward a day.

3*(0$(H1>0$0*'$:.-0(&)'$($/.-0$(0$(6#K-$,'&+0*$)19'6-$.&$0*'$-<7"$ Tues Aug. 13 The famous seven stars making up the Big Dipper are seen to the west, or left, of the North Pole. This asterism is the hindquarters of the much larger constellation, Ursa Major, the Big Bear. Follow the curve of the three stars in the handle to the third brightest star in the Northern Hemisphere, Arcturus.

Wed. Aug. 14 First Quarter Moon is precisely at 6:56 am EDT when the Moon makes a right angle with the Earth and Sun. At sunset, the Moon is directly south, one‐half the Earth‐ facing side being illuminated, or one‐quarter of the entire globe. Remember, the back side of the Moon is half‐illuminated, also First Quarter.

Thurs. Aug. 15 Looking south, the constellation Scorpius is marked by the bright reddish star Antares—literally “not Ares.” That is the Greek god of war and name for the Roman god Mars. Antares and Mars look similar in their reddish hue. The Moon is way above Antares tonight.

Fri. Aug. 16 Venus is in the evening sky, unmistakable as a bright beacon after sunset. The brightest planet will be hugging the western horizon all fall and winter.

Sat. Aug. 17 The Moon is in the feet of the 13th constellation .&$0*'$b1:.()2$H>0$&10$18/.).(,,7$6')1+&.]':$(-$ such—Ophiuchus the Serpent Handler. No astrologer would give you a horoscope for being born in late November as a “Ophiuchan,” but that’s exactly where the Sun will be from Nov. 30 to Dec. 18th—believe it or not! Happy 17th Jessie!

Sun. Aug. 18 The Moon is above the top of the “Teapot” constellation, Sagittarius. Look in this direction tonight is to look into the very center of our Milky Way Galaxy.

Mon. Aug. 19 Saturn is in the southwest as darkness descends around 8:30 pm. But look quick as the ringed world will be gone by 10:30 pm.

Page 26, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

Lincoln 2: Legislate with a Vengeance!

At the bookstore this afternoon, my attention was directed towards a book in the discounted history section. The book was simply titled “Lincoln in 3­D”, and

was a photo book of period 3­D photography. Naturally, the title alone made my brain conceptualize of a motion picture based upon the book. I suppose on the one hand

I shouldn’t be surprised, there’s been a number of nouveau takes on our sixteenth president.

Outside of the recent Spielberg picture, there was “Abraham Continued on page 27

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Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”. So in keeping with modern times, how else can we use the great !"#$%&'#()*+,)*+,-$+#$.+'*)/(0+ Let us begin with the actual trailer for the smash movie: “Lincoln in 3­D”. Never before has the motion picture screen known such excitement! Millions spent! Three years in the making!

You won’t believe your eyes when you see “Lincoln in 3­D”!!!

Redundancy pictures is proud to present a once in a lifetime IMAX experience! You’ll swear that you can actually reach out and touch the stovepipe hat! You’ll thrill as you can feel the man’s beard inch closer and closer to your face! Warning: No one will be seated during the signing of the emancipation proclamation!

“Lincoln in 3­D”! A technological triumph, a movie that will stay with you forever! Please don’t reveal the secret ending to your friends!

“Lincoln in 3­D”! Coming soon!

Now that we have Lincoln as a vampire hunter, and Lincoln as a 3­D superstar, the obvious next role for Honest Abe is that ),+#%(&)$+1!*)2+3!*1#'4+#+/5"+(1#(+ is somewhat reminiscent of “Die 6#*.70+81!+(*#&5!*+9)-5.+4(#*(+),,+ with some bombastic narration. In a land, torn apart by a civil war, one man will try to rescue his

August 13, 2013 • The Loafer, Page 27 wife. While keeping the country from falling apart. Lincoln makes a good will trip down to the south, at the invitation of an open minded plantation owner. While the party for the president is being thrown, confederate terrorists kidnap Mary Todd Lincoln, and cause general mayhem.

Shots of all kinds of excitement would follow this. Barns blowing up, people running in a panic, '!)'5!+1)5.&$:+*&;!4+#(+!#%1+)(1!*2+ Then on top of the roof we’d see Abe Lincoln crawling around on the roof of the mansion in an undershirt, trying to drop cloth sacks full of gun powder down the chimneys. As he scoots along he will be overheard saying “Yeah, come down to the south! We’ll get together, have a few laughs...” The trailer then cuts to a shot of all the windows getting blown out of the mansion. The narrator would then say: This Summer, Abe Lincoln in: “Not Without My Mary”.

Where could one possibly go ,*)"+1!*!0+<!=>!+1#.+?&$%)5$+(1!+ vampire hunter, Lincoln the 3­D IMAX experience, and Lincoln the action star. The next logical progression would be to have Abe Lincoln as a sort of superhero.

The success of all these Lincoln (1!"!.+ /5"4+ 9)-5.+ "#@!+ $!!.A+ television executives rush in a blur of activity to create their own

Lincoln franchise. Modern TV lore tells that you must have a show that will appeal to everyone, and if you can do it as cheaply as possible all the better. Hence, the show would be a Lincoln­ized remake of an older TV favorite.

The show’s opening sequence would begin with Lincoln being shot at Ford’s Theater. A voice over would begin. “Abraham Lincoln. President. A Man barely alive.” We would see the president being rushed into a shockingly modern looking medical facility.

A man would speak. “Gentlemen, we can rebuild him, we have the

technology.” A radically shocking form of tech based on studies from Thomas Jefferson’s secret notebooks. “We can make him faster, stronger, better than he was before.”

We would then see our sixteenth '*!4&.!$(B+ C!&$:+ )-(/((&$:+ 9&(1+ all kinds of steampunk looking objects, this would then dissolve to a shot of Lincoln running through #+ /!5.+ &$+ 45)9+ ")(&)$B+ 4()>!'&'!+ hat and all. Lincoln would then jump over rows of cattle, all to a “shananana” sound effect. We’d see Lincoln smash his way though walls to free slaves, and lift full

grown horses over his head. “This fall, Abraham Lincoln is The Six Million Dollar President.” It would be a smash hit, and the spin off would be “The Bionic Mary Todd”.

This is just a few ways to modernize ole Abe for a modern audience. It’s amazing that with today’s technology and creativity, it’s just a short hop from “Lincoln in 3­D” to “The Six Million Dollar President.” If odds are that I’ve somehow just created the genre of Steampunk Presidential Fiction, all I ask is for some credit. See you next week, follow me on Twitter @ ThatAndyRoss

Page 28, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

2 Guns

To be honest, I was less than '&0*>-.(-0.)$ (H1>0$ -''.&+$ 0*'$ &';$ /.,#$ “2 Guns”. I suppose my lack of excitement is directly related to the trailer for the /.,#2$ ;*.)*$ ,'80$ #'$ 8'',.&+$ H,(*$ (H1>0$ 0*'$ '&:'(916"$ %0$ (!!'(6-$ /.,#$ 8(&-$ 8',0$ :.88'6'&0,7$(-$0*'$#19.'$/.&.-*':$&>#H'6$ D$(0$0*'$H1O$18/.)'"$c?$X>&-_2$H(-':$1&$($ series of graphic novels, is an action/ comedy starring Danzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, and the two stars leave no scenery un‐chewed, as it appears they are constantly trying to one up each other. Danzel stars as Robert Trench, a DEA agent who is posing as a criminal (,1&+$ ;.0*$ L(9(,$ %&0',,.+'&)'$ A8/.)'6$ Michael Stigman. Robert and Michael don’t know they are both on the right side of the law as they rob a bank, and kidnap and rob drug lord Papi Greco (Edward James Olmos). These actions are only the tip of the iceberg, as the duo become entangled with both criminals (&:$ ,(;$ '&816)'#'&0$ 18/.).(,-2$ ;*.)*$ includes garnering the wrath of CIA agent Earl (Bill Paxton, nearly stealing 0*'$ /.,#$ 861#$ 0*'$ #(.&$ -0(6-d2$ -1$ 01>+*$

*'$1&,7$&'':-$($/.6-0$&(#'"$N9'&0>(,,7$(,,$ involved are searching desperately for $43 million in cash that was originally stolen by Michael and Robert. After many quips between the main stars, and the expected gun play, all culminates with a showdown at the ranch of Papi. The /.,#$:.:$#(&(+'$01$<''!$#'$'&0'60(.&':$ throughout, even though there is very ,.00,'$;'$*(9'&K0$-''&$.&$0*.-$+'&6'$18$/.,#$ H'816'"$ 3*(&<8>,,72$ 0*'$ /.,#$ 6>&-$ ;',,$ under 2 hours, and does leave the door open for a sequel. Concerning the actors, Wahlberg has the winking, chewing of gum, and posturing down pat. His role is all too familiar, and is interchangeable with many of his characters from other /.,#-"$3*(0K-$&10$01$-(7$*'$.-$H(:$.&$0*'$61,'2$ he just nothing new to offer. Meanwhile, Washington has plenty of opportunities 01$/,(-*$*.-$!'(6,7$;*.0'-2$(&:$0(>&0$0*'$ bad guys. Again, nothing new character wise from Washington that we haven’t seen before. On the positive side, the two actors have great chemistry, and prove to be a onscreen duo to be reckoned with. I just wish “2 Guns” was a better vehicle for the talented actors. (Rated R) B‐

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Page 30, The Loafer • August 13, 2013

The Cassette Tape of Our Lives Had I not perused last week’s TIME magazine I wouldn’t have known that this month marks 0*'$ /.80.'0*$ (&&.9'6-(67$ 18$ 0*'$ cassette tape (aka the compact cassette, not to be confused with the compact disc). Although National Audio Company, *'(:\>(60'6':$ .&$ M!6.&+/.',:2$ Missouri, still manufactures these products (to the tune of 100,000 each day), cassette tapes are just a memory for most people and a largely unknown quantity for anyone born during the 1990s or later. The cassette tape has taken its place alongside pop culture artifacts like the rotary phone, the phone booth, vinyl records (yes, I know these shiny round objects are making

a comeback), leisure suits, and cabinet televisions.

The focus of the aforementioned TIME article is 87‐year‐old Lou Ottens, the Phillips product development engineer who introduced us to 0*'$ )(--'00'$ .&$ D^ef"$ 3*'$ /.6-0$ commercially‐available cassette, however, wasn’t available until 1966, the year that saw the release of Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’”, Sgt. Barry Sadler’s “The Ballad Of The Green Berets,” The New Vaudeville Band’s “Winchester Cathedral,” and The Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out.” Interestingly enough, the cassette format was being developed at the same time as the 8‐track. Of course, no one

at the time could have predicted that the acoustically‐superior 8‐track would lose out to the much cuter and more compact cassette packaging.

Cassettes, like 8‐tracks, were the byproducts of the reel‐to‐ reel‐tape format that became a must‐have item for any music fan during the 1950s. Unlike cassettes, however, 8‐tracks couldn’t be forwarded or 6';1>&:$ 01$ ($ -!')./.)$ !1.&0$ on the tape, and they weren’t recordable. But this format was capable of producing a very high level of audio (some say much better than its smaller cousin, the cassette), and the recording information, including album art, was pasted directly onto the plastic shell.

Interestingly enough, Ottens is not a big fan of his own innovation, preferring another Phillips creation, the CD, a format he also had a hand in developing back in the late 1970s. Not one to wax nostalgically, Ottens admits “The cassette is history; I like when something new comes.” Of course, nostalgia is big business, as witnessed by a company I came across while researching cassette history. If you’re looking for some very interesting, yet very pricey, cassette nostalgia items, take a

,11<$(0$b(]],'"$V'6'$71>$;.,,$/.&:2$ among other things, cassette tape business cards, personalized $48.00 iPhone covers that look like cassettes, cassette T‐shirts, cassette posters, 80s retro party invitations, and other items with special appeal to cassette (/.).1&(:1-" Cassette tapes gave birth to two things that ended up revolutionizing modern music— the portable music player and mix tapes. The Sony Walkman, 1&'$ 18$ 0*'$ /.6-0$ #1H.,'$ !,(7'6-2$ has achieved icon status, and is now recognized as the predecessor of the iPod and other MP3 players that hold thousands rather than just ten or twelve songs. The whole concept of personalized portable music is taken for granted today, but not so many years ago it wasn’t a part of anyone’s mindset. Before that time, listeners were at the mercy of pre‐programmed “playlists” (they weren’t called that, of course) chosen by the record producers and artists. Granted, selections could be skipped by moving a needle across a vinyl record or changing channels on your car’s AM radio, but that did little to increase listening options. Personalized recordings made on reel‐to‐reel tape were

not that easy to do, and they certainly weren’t very portable.

I would have to include playlists on my list of things that have most changed the world we live in. Technology doesn’t just add things to our lives—it most often alters our behavior and the ways we think. As mentioned above, music selection used to be a matter of skipping grooves on a record or changing radio channels. Listening to different genres of music necessitated stacking vinyl records on a record changer or physically selecting different albums from a shelf. The popularity of “greatest hits” compilations marketed by 6')16:$)1#!(&.'-$0'-0./.':$01$0*'$ need for variety. Regardless of this appeal, however, a greatest hits album was selected by someone else, and the selections were almost always based on the commercial success of each carefully chosen track rather than the quirky tastes of the listener.

Today, if we want to know something about a person we can consult his or her playlists, and playlists aren’t limited to just music. We can create movie, podcast, audiobook, newsfeed, and photo playlists that can then be shared with thousands of people. And the emphasis is on “create,” because we are no longer at the mercy of those who would dictate what order we place our musical selections (we are at the mercy, however, of the selections available for inclusion in our playlists, but the sheer number of these staggers the imagination). Lou Ottens’ cute little cassette tape created a new world and displaced what went before, giving us the ability to freely select what we want to listen to and include in our customized list. Depending on your perspective, you are of course free to either praise or damn this little plastic rectangle /.,,':$;.0*$#(+&'0.)$0(!'" %$ *1!'$ 71>$ )(&$ /.&:$ some appropriate, or even inappropriate way to celebrate 0*'$ /.80.'0*$ (&&.9'6-(67$ 18$ W1>$ Ottens’ cassette tape. Why not create a playlist or wear a cassette T‐shirt (available at Zazzle for about thirty bucks)?

See you next week with more 6'/,')0.1&-$1&$0*'$H.+$;.:'$;16,:$ of pop culture and personalized playlists.

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