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March 20, 2012 Volume 26, Issue 15
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,"%$1*K>c Bristol Area Home Builders and Associates Home Show, 2012 The Bristol Area Home Builders and Associates will hold its 46th annual Home Show on Saturday and Sunday, March 24th and 25th at the Holiday Inn Convention Center and Suites in Bristol, Virginia. This year’s show is titled the 2012 Bristol Home and Remodeling show and is hosted byBristol Tennessee Essential Services, BTES. If you want a professional jog, hire a professional to DO THE JOB. Any home owner planning to build or remodel, wants nothing less than a professional job. Who wouldn’t want the best quality workmanship and materials when improving their most prized, and quite often most valuable asset? When it comes to selecting a builder, too many consumers conveniently forget the time-proven adage that “you get what you pay for.” Some important elements to look for to ensure you get professional work and materials are as follows: !"#$%&$'($)*)+',)-./)0-1)2-'3)/0$)4.&2,$%)-%)5.##2&$%)065)4$$')&')4.5&'$557))8-'3$9&/:)5.33$5/5)+'6'(&62)5/64&2&/:)6',);-%$)<-45)(-;#2$/$,)56/&5=6(/-%&2:7 Reputation - look to the builder’s or supplier’s former and current customers to gauge the company’s reputation. Obtain the names and phone numbers for references. >.5&'$55)?%$,$'/&625)*)(0$(@)=-%)2-(62)4.5&'$55)2&($'5$5)65)1$22)65)2&($'5$5)5#$(&+() to the line of work. Check with the licensing agency about complaints that may have 4$$')+2$,7))A5@)64-./)&'5.%6'($)(-9$%63$)6',)/0$)'6;$)-=)/0$)&'5.%6'($)63$'/B)/0$') (622)/-)(-'+%;)/06/)&'5.%6'($)&5)&')=-%($7 If your goal is a professionally done project it is best to seek professional builders and suppliers. The additional cost will be evident in quality of work and materials and a completed project that serves one well into the future. Show hours are Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. /Entry fee will be $2.00 per adult. Individuals 18 or age and under are free with a paying adult. Each year the Home Show Committee works diligently to put together a premiere event that will provide consumers with new technology and ideas to better prepare them for building and remodeling. This years show has many booths covering the total spectrum of the building and remodeling industry, from building lots, construc/&-');6/$%&625B)+'6'(&'3B)#%-<$(/)6',)0-;$),$5&3'7))?-'5.;$%5)1&22)4$'$+/)=%-;)/0$) knowledge being offered by the various vendors. The Bristol Area Home Builders and Associates and our sponsor Bristol Tennessee Essential Services (BTES) invite you to the Premier Home Show of 2012.
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D;%/(*?3%:(*.:23)*d%:*4%<;3<;.* ?%&%2&*R3)2'(.&2*E2.2( Anime ranks as one of the most visionary and visually stunning +2;)3$'%$5)6%-.',)1&/0);&22&-'5) of rabid fans worldwide. But who gives these animated characters their life and voice? One voice behind the visual is renowned anime voice actor Vic Mignogna who visits Northeast State Community College next week to discuss this wildly popu26%)+2;)6',)6%/)=-%;7 Mignogna delivers two presentations on March 22 at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Regional Center for the Performing Arts at the main campus, 2425 Highway 75, adjacent to Tri-Cities Regional Airport. Mignogna is veteran actor most well known as the voice of Edward Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist. His other well-known roles are as Broly in Dragon Ball Z and Ikkaku Madarame in the classic Japanese television series, Bleach. His voice work appears in more than 80 anime titles including !"#$$"%&'"$#()*+,+)-./01$()!'23.4) Skills, and many others. Originating in Japan decades ago, the word “anime” comes from the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of “animation.” Why is anime so popular? Mignonga explains how the genre’s 5/-%&$5)6',)(06%6(/$%5)%$C$(/)/0$) human condition as any great story should do. Mignonga’s performance skills extend to the stage and screen. His stage experience includes Camelot, The Crucible, The Waiting Room, and A Man for All Seasons. He is a professional music composer/producer with more than 20 years singing, producing, and composing commercial songs and scores. His presentation is a multimedia event for anime enthusiasts and those who have no idea about anime. Both presentations are free and open to the public. The event is presented by the Northeast State Cultural Activities Committee. For information, contact 423.279.7669 or jpkelly@northeaststate.edu.
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>'%)&2A*7).;<(*,)(\*0M2).?.<.;a.*,(;(92&* !%;2&*83)*!)3&2.2(& On April 14th, Johnson City 1&22)4$(-;$)/0$)+%5/)(&/:)&')$65/) Tennessee to host a fundraiser for /0$)'-'D#%-+/B)E&'/5)=-%)E%-5tates, at the Thirsty Orange Brew Extravaganza. The organization raises money
and awareness for prostate cancer through beer events like the Thirsty Orange Brew Extravaganza. Pints for Prostates’ =-.',$%B)F&(@)8:@$)5/6%/$,) the charity in 2008 after successfully battling prostate cancer. The organization has been featured -')?GG)6',)8&@$)065) been asked to speak at conferences such as the 8HI!JKFLGM)M2-462) Cancer Summit and the International Economic Forum of the Americas on how the group uses non-traditional methods to communicate with men about prostate cancer. “Our goal is to reach men through the universal language of beer with a message about the importance of early detection,” 56&,)8:@$7 Organizers of the Thirsty
Orange Brew Extravaganza say selecting the charity as the event’s 4$'$+(&6%:)165)6)'-D4%6&'$%7 “We know about the impor-
tance of regular health screenings for men in order to prevent prostate cancer. Raising this awareness at an event like ours is a great to reach many of the people this disease has the potential to effect,” said organizer Stephanie Carson. To help diagnose the disease
early, men are encouraged to get regular prostate health screenings, &'(2.,&'3)6)EJA)N#%-5/6/$)5#$(&+() antigen). While many men have low levels of PSA, high or gradually elevating levels could indicate prostate (6'($%7)M$//&'3)6''.62) screenings, gives doctors a baseline to track a man’s risk. In 2011, more than 230,000 men were diagnosed with the disease. “Men are 33 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer than women are to have breast cancer, yet few men know about the critical importance of early detec/&-'BO)8:@$)56&,7 Pints for Prostates will also be at the Thirsty Orange Brew Extravaganza with informational materials. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the event go to /0$)'-'D#%-+/7 “If even just one man gets a
health screening because of attending our event, we consider that a success. Of course our hope is that people at the Thirsty Orange leave with more education about prostate cancer, and craft beer,” said Carson. The Thirsty Orange Brew Extravaganza is April 14th at the Mellow Mushroom parking lot in Johnson City. Tickets are $30 for general admission and include live entertainment, unlimited beer sampling and a free picture inside the Beer Booth (photo booth). There are a limited number of VIP tickets remaining for $38. That will get you into the event an hour early to sample some specialty beers and VIP ticket holders will also get to experience a special beer and cheese pairing. You can purchase tickets at www.thirstyorange.com or at the Johnson City and Bristol Mellow Mushroom locations.
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Heirs: Kevin Harvick, who drives the ride previously driven by Dale Earnhardt, watches Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the high banks of Bristol last weekend. -'.".)56)72#8) Marquette
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A trio of Nashville’s most-respected songwriting legends and one of the nation’s biggest names in Americana music will headline the Main Street Stage at the 2012 Blue Plum Art & Music Festival, a three-day event which runs June 1-3, 2012 in downtown Johnson City, Tennessee. Having previously featured the likes of performers such as Doc Watson, Nickel Creek, Sam Bush and the $9$%:4-,:+$2,5B)/0$)PQ/0)$,&/&-')-=)/0$)=$5/&962)1&22)4$)0&302&30/$,)4:)6')$#&()J6/.%,6:)'&30/)50-1(65&'3)R6%%$2) J(-//)S)K0$)>%-/0$%5)6',)6((26&;$,)2$3$',5)M.:)?26%@)6',)I$%2-')K0-;#5-')1&/0)T%&,6:)'&30/U5)$'/$%/6&';$'/) (6##$,)4:)/0$)0$6,2&'&'3)%$/.%')-=)(%&/&(622:D6((26&;$,)M--5$)?%$$@)J:;#0-':7 VK0&5):$6%U5)2&'$.#)&5),$+'&/$2:)#%--+'3)/0$)WX.5&(U)#6%/)-=)/0$)>2.$)E2.;)A%/)S)X.5&()T$5/&962BO)56&,)R69&,) Pennington, festival director. “What an incredible gathering of talent. I cannot wait to hear all of this fabulous music one after another... and we still have the Jazz Stage to reveal and two more stages of local talent to release!” Scott returns to the Blue Plum Festival fresh off his newest release Long Ride Home following a year touring with rock legend Robert Plant as a member of the Band of Joy. The Kentucky-native is known for penning hit country songs including Great Day To Be Alive (Travis Tritt) and Long Time Gone (Dixie Chicks), but, according to Vintage Guitar, “ranks as the most outstanding and underrated songwriter and performer in the United States today.” Entertainment Weekly has noted his “powerful writing, passionate vocals and masterful picking,” while Rolling Stone says Scott matches “Clark and Bruce Springsteen at their best.” K0$)M%6;;:D'-;&'6/$,)?26%@)6',)K0-;#5-')<-&')=-%($5)=-%)6)5#$(&62)#$%=-%;6'($)0&302&30/&'3)/0$&%)2-'3) friendship in the country music and Americana songwriting circles. Clark, who has penned country hits including Ricky Skaggs’ number one Heartbroke, was honored earlier this year as the subject of a tribute album, This One’s For You: A Tribute To Guy Clark that featured the likes of Willie Nelson, Vince M&22B)!;;:2-.)Y6%%&5B)Z-0')E%&'$B) Steve Earle, Kris Kristofferson and Thompson recording his well-known songs including L.A. Freeway, Desperados Waiting For A Train and Texas, 1947. Thompson has had songs covered by artists ranging from Alan Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, Keith Whitley, Randy Travis and Kenny Rodgers to Jimmy Buffett, Dierks Bentley, Jamey Johnson 6',)X&%6',6)86;4$%/7)Y&5)3.&/6%) work can be heard on recordings by Restless Heart, Pam Tillis and many more, while he co-produced ?26%@U5)M%6;;:)'-;&'6/$,)624.;) Cold Dog Soup. T%&,6:U5)0$6,2&'$%B)M--5$)?%$$@) Symphony, is one of the pioneers of “Cosmic American Music” blending a mixture of rock and roll, folk, jazz and country music since the late-sixties, early-seven-
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ties with albums for both Capitol Records and Columbia Records. V>-4)R:26'B)K0$)>6',B)K0$)M%6/$=.2)R$6,)6',)-/0$%5)4$36')/-)#26:)%-(@)6',)%-22)1&/0)6)(-.'/%:)0$6%/7)M--5$) Creek Symphony was one of the original bands htat were part of this mix,” said Steve Horowitz with PopMatters. “Their music combined a rural sensibility with rocking rhythms that tended to meander like a babbling 4%--@)C-1&'3)/0%-.30)506,:)1--,57)[$)(622)/0&5)<6;)46',);.5&()/-,6:B)4./)46(@)/0$')&/)165)<.5/)3$//&'3):-.%) groove on.” Z-&'&'3)M--5$)?%$$@)J:;#0-':)-')T%&,6:)6%$)2-(62)5/6',-./5)T-2@)J-.2)F$9&962B)10-)-#$')/0$),6:)6/)Q)#7;7) Austin, Texas alt-folk-progressive acoustic string band Milk Drive is slated for a 5 o’clock start, followed by rising Charleston, South Carolina group Sol Driven Train, which highlights the Friday undercard with a “Port-Town Sound” featuring a blend of southern roots music, New Orleans brass and Afro-Caribbean rhythm. 8$6,&'3)/0$)$6%2:D$9$'&'3)#-%/&-')-=)J6/.%,6:U5)2&'$.#)&5)%$3&-'62)=69-%&/$)X62(-;)Y-2(-;4$B)10-)06&25)=%-;) the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Holcombe is recognized by the Americana music scene as a performer of national stature and an uncommonly unique guitarist/vocalist about whom Rolling Stone says “haunted country, acoustic blues and rugged folk all meet.” Prior to Holcombe, Boston, Massachusetts folk artist Eric Sommer opens the day with the 1 o’clock slot fol2-1$,)6/)Q)4:)T-22:)>$6(0B)J7?7)/%&-)R6'3$%;.=+' Each of the acts will perform a 90-minute set with a half-hour change over in between.
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Friday, June 1, 2012 3 p.m. – Folk Soul Revial (myspace.com/folksoulrevival) 5 p.m. – Milk Drive (milkdrive.com) 7 p.m. – Sol Driven Train (souldriventrain.com) 9 p.m. – Goose Creek Symphony (goosecreeksymphony.com)
Saturday, June 2, 2012 1 p.m. – Eric Sommer (ericsommer.com) E)F+G+)H),2I&$#GJK%I)L32I&$#GJK%IGJM01+1.GN 5 p.m. – Malcolm Holcombe (malcolmholcombe.com) 7 p.m. – Guy Clark and Verlon Thompson (guyclark.com, verlonthompson.com) 9 p.m. – Darrell Scott & The Brothers (darrellscott.com) Also, on an important note, this year’s festival marks th
+'al year for music director Ellen Buchanan, who has booked the Main Street Stage since its inception. “Ellen is one of the founders of the Blue Plum Festival and has been booking the music from the beginning,” said Pennington. “Even after moving to Montana, over 13 years of creating and setting the tone for the Blue Plum, she is stepping aside to allow the next generation of the Plum to come bloom. “We will miss her immensely, and know she will never be Plum gone.” The artist line-up for the additional music stages at the festival will be released in the coming weeks. For more information on the Blue Plum Festival, visit www.blueplum. org.
Photo, previous page: Guy Clark, Verlon Thompson
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Magamoli’s work on display in Johnson City The artwork of classical artist Amber Magamoll will be showcased at Venus&Fur in downtown Johnson City on March 23rd from 6-8pm. For one night only, all artwork by Amber Magamoll will be 40% off. K0$)1-%@5)&'(2.,$)#-%/%6&/5B)+3.%$),%61&'35B)#26'/)5/.,&$5)6',)(-;#-sitional sketches from old master frescoes. Amber’s devotion to detail is seen not only in the artwork, but also in the presentation. She tones her own paper with inks that she makes from boiling down black walnuts and dry pigments used to make oil paint. !6(0)#&$($)-=)#6#$%)065)4$$');6,$)5#$(&+(622:)=-%)/0$),%61&'3)A;4$%) is intending it for. She hand cuts quill pens. She also designs and hand paints French mats for all her works. French Mats became popular in the Italian Renaissance when artists would mount their drawings onto larger sheet of paper for the purpose of binding them into books. Once the drawings were in place, they would decorate the mounted paper with panel and lines to enhance the presentation. This tradition was only practiced until the mid 19th century. >-%')&')L(626B)T8B)A;4$%)G&(-2$)X636;-22)&5)'-1)6)'6/&9$)-=)!65/) Tennessee. Amber began studying art locally at age thirteen and continued her art studies through high school. After graduation, Ms. Magamoll moved to Southern Pines, NC, to study Classical Art at the Academy of Classical Design. For three years, Amber apprenticed under worldrenowned Classical Artist and instructor Jeffrey Mims. During her time at the academy, Ms. Magamoll was also hand-picked to teach the techniques and theories of classical art as well as critique the world of academy students. “Classical Art captures and enhances the beauty of realism. Classical Art is as much about enhanced essence of life as it is a way of envisioning and approaching life. Every line, every curve and shape and their placement on the canvas has purpose and is crafted with intention.”
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-)%2()*1(#"2&*;(\*C$.A*.2*4%$$%<.; >:),6:B)R$4-%60)R$M$-%3$) Harbin works in Milligan Col2$3$U5)-=+($)-=)6(6,$;&()6=fairs, keeping her administrative tasks on cue and running smoothly. During evenings and weekends, she cues her creativity and pursues her passion — playwriting. Harbin, a resident of Elizabethton, is an award-winning playwright who has written 10 plays and shorts that have been produced in theaters across the country. Working full time and writing part time is often a balancing act for Harbin, but watching her scripts go from the page to the stage makes it all worthwhile for the local playwright. “When I watch one of my plays being performed, at its best, it feels like a miracle is happening,” Harbin said. “I have an idea and then there it is on stage in front of me.” Harbin will have an opportunity to watch her new play, The Quickening, come to life when it premieres at
Milligan March 23-25 in the X(M2-/02&'DJ/%$$/)K0$6/%$)-=) /0$)M%$3-%:)?$'/$%)=-%)/0$) 8&4$%62)A%/57)E$%=-%;6'($5)-') March 23 and 24 begin at 7:30 p.m. The March 25 matinee performance begins at 2:30 p.m. All seats are $5. Advance tickets go on sale in the Milligan Bookstore on Friday, March 9. “My work tends to have elements of the supernatural and science, and audiences will see this in The Quickening,” she said. “My plays are very much about the way I view wonder in the world.” In The Quickening, the main character, Hannah Marks, dreams of a different kind of 1-%2,B)=.22)-=)-#$')+$2,5)6',) endangered species living in peace. But as the head of the Voluntary Human Reduction Movement, an environmental group with an unpopular ;$5563$B)50$)&5)5&(@)-=)+30/&'3) an uphill battle and stumbles on a chance to shut down a =$%/&2&/:)4.5&'$55)%.')4:)8&22&6')
Marioni, a selfstyled miracle worker whose abilities confound medical science. “The play is really about how people try to +',)06##&'$55) and satisfaction in an uncertain world,” Harbin said. “People look in different places — in jobs, in causes — for happiness. But in its primordial form, it’s found in love, family and relationships.” Harbin, 31, also incorporated
some autobiographical elements in “The Quickening.” “I am at the age when I am considering whether I’ll have children,” she said. “I’ve watched more women putting off childbearing, and then have seen the way women come to rely more and more on intervention.” Y6%4&')-=/$')+',5)&'5#&%6tion for her plays from her own experiences. “Every writer has his or her own process,” Harbin said. “But the two things I’ve had the most success with are writing about things that spring from my own experiences and doing adaptations of other works.” After The Quickening
See PLAY, page 13
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Carter Fold welcomes Cullen’s Bridge Saturday, March 24th, 2012, at 7:30 p.m., the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, will present a concert of bluegrass music by Cullen’s Bridge featuring Mickey M62:$6')6',)Z-%,6')>2$9&'57)) Admission to the concert is $7 for adults, $1 for children 6 to 11, under age 6 free. Cullen’s Bridge sprang from the group Rich in Tradition. From the M626"B)I&%3&'&6)6%$6B)/0$)3%-.#U5) musical experience combines a century of rich bluegrass and gospel music experience. From pure gospel to traditional and contemporary bluegrass, the group is known for precision picking, great harmonies, and their professional presentation. X&(@$:)M62:$6')165)4-%') &')8-136#B)G-%/0)?6%-2&'6)-') the Virginia and North Carolina border. His father, well know 42.$3%655);.5&(&6')?.22$')M62:$6'B)369$)X&(@$:)6')-2,)T\)M&45-') mandolin. After learning to play, Mickey and Cullen put together a band (622$,)?.22$')M62:$6')6',)K0$) Bluegrassers. This band stayed together two years and released two self produced recordings, but the band was put on hold because of Cullen’s ongoing health problems. Mickey then formed the band Rich in Tradition in 2006. They /--@)+%5/)#%&]$)6/)=-.%)-./)-=)+9$) +,,2$%U5)(-'9$'/&-'5)/0$:)$'/$%$,) /0$&%)+%5/):$6%)/-3$/0$%7))L'$)-=) the prizes was 1st place bluegrass
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Mickey 46',)6/)M626"7)) However, after four successful years with the group, Mickey felt he should be doing more of his father’s music. Cullen passed away July 13, 2010. Mickey, wanting more than ever to carry on his father’s tradition, decided to leave Rich in Tradition and form Cullen’s Bridge. F&(@)6',)M&'3$%)A22%$,)(6;$) up with the name of the band with the idea of bridging his music and his father’s together. Mickey plays guitar and sings lead, tenor, and high baritone. He enlisted the help of Brad Hiatt on bass, Rick Pardue on banjo, and Jordan Blevins on +,,2$)/-)<-&')/-3$/0$%)6',)4%&'3) audiences everywhere the best traditional bluegrass the way Cullen taught him!
a i s Galyean p Jordan Blevins is well-known to W Carter Fold audiences as the for- t ;$%)+,,2$%)=-%)/0$)42.$3%655)46',) P m Fescue. Jordan is from Marion, Virginia. He comes from a musi- a cal family with a rich heritage in d bluegrass music - his Dad played guitar and his two uncles played M i mandolin. Starting with the upright bass at the Monday night l W jams at Carson Cooper’s music d store on Main Street in Marion, Blevins learned as much as he p could from some pretty good pick- w ers who were anxious to teach him F what they knew. When he was 18, t Jordan passed up the opportunity to play Virginia Tech baseball to play with the popular bluegrass band Fescue. When Fescue stopped performing, Jordan joined Rich in Tradition. Now playing with Cullen’s Bridge, Jordan has become one of /0$)+'$5/)+,,2$%5)-')/0$)42.$3%655) and old time circuit. J-;$)-=)/0$)+'$5/)42.$3%655) ;.5&(&6'5)=%-;)/0$)M626"B)I&%3&'&6) - Mount Airy, North Carolina area will be playing for Fold patrons when Cullen’s Bridge takes the stage March 24th. This region is one of the most fertile grounds of traditional bluegrass, old time, and gospel music in the world. Carter Family Memorial Music Center, Incorporated, is a non#%-+/B)%.%62)6%/5)-%36'&]6/&-') established to preserve traditional, acoustic, mountain music. For more information on Saturday’s concert, contact the Mountain Music Museum at 276645-0035.
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her next project, which was commissioned by the Scopes Festival in Dayton, Tenn., is an adaptation of the famous Scopes Trial, based on the trial transcript. Held each July to celebrate the town’s role in the trial, this year’s Scopes Festival will feature Harbin’s exploration of the factors that brought the trial, and the attention of the world, to Dayton. Harbin has developed many contacts in the theater world 5&'($)50$)1%-/$)0$%)+%5/)#26:) 6/)X$55&60)?-22$3$)NM%6'/06;B) Penn.). “I was an English major with an emphasis in creative writing,” said Harbin, a 2003 Messiah graduate. “For my senior project, I wrote a play called W?-'5/$226/&-'5BU)6',)&/)1-') the 2003 Marc A. Klein Student Playwriting Award. That gave me a much clearer direction and proved to me that I could do this.” In 2007, Harbin earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in playwriting from Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. While a student there, she wrote several plays including The Trouble with Flowers, Where the River Forks and Laws of Construction. Deborah and her husband,
from page 11 Jeff, moved to East Tennessee in 2008, when Jeff accepted a position as user services 2&4%6%&6')6/)X&22&36'7)86/$%B) Deborah began a position as the administrative assistant for Milligan’s vice president for academic affairs. However, she continued to write and send out her work across the country. Her most notable production to date is Radius: Universal Robot, a reimagining of the Karel Capek classic. It was presented by The Run of the Mill Theatre at Baltimore’s 8-6,)-=)T.')M622$%:)6',)K0$6tre in 2011. Working on Milligan’s campus has provided additional opportunities for Harbin to further her playwriting career. She taught a semester of “Writing for Stage and Screen” and has worked closely with Milligan’s theater professors to produce several full-length and one-act plays at Milligan. She often borrows the energy and talent of Milligan students /-)+'$)/.'$)6',)/$5/)0$%)1-%@7 “There are so many enthusiastic young actors all around Milligan’s campus,” Harbin said. “They’re always willing to read a script for me. A group of students and I took one of my short plays, Hy-
pochondria, to the Asheville Fringe Festival, and then later performed it here at Milligan.” In April 2011, Hypochondria was produced again in Seattle, Wash., as part of Stone Soup Theatre’s Double (XX) Fest for female playwrights. Harbin is hoping for the same success for The Quickening, which is directed by Dr. Dennis Elkins, professor of the practice of theater and humanities at Milligan, and stage managed by Candice J(026$3$2B)6)5$'&-%)=%-;)8$1&5) ?$'/$%B)L0&-7)8&30/&'3)6',)5$/) design is by Pamela Adolphi, resident designer at Milligan. The company features more than 20 members from Milligan and the community, including senior Corri Richardson of Kingsport, Tenn., in the role of Hannah Marks, and Michael Martin of Johnson ?&/:B)K$''7B)65)8&22&6')X6%&-'&7 Beginning March 9, tickets are available at the Milligan College Bookstore, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or by calling 423.461.8733. All major credit cards are accepted. Tickets will also be available at the box -=+($)\^);&'./$5)#%&-%)/-)$6(0) performance. For more information about arts events at Milligan, visit www.milligan.edu/arts.
!"#$%2;'%()$%*+",$-%.%/"-0)%&1'%&12& The King College Photography Department is pleased to present the work of two seniors, Nicole E-:-)6',)8:',5$:)a$$36'B)/-)/0$) public on Friday, March 30, 2012 from 6pm to 9pm. It will be held at 618 State Street at the former Ruth King Building. The photography exhibition will be in conjunction with Bristol’s A%/)RUI&'$)M622$%:)[62@)$9$'/7) Art D’Vine is a gallery hop and wine tasting event hosted by seven major galleries on State Street -a&2U')K&;$B)>$'<6;&')[6225)M622$%:B) L'$)-=)6)a&',)M622$%:B)b`b)J/6/$B) >%&,3$=-%/0)R$5&3'B)6',)>2-1+50) Emporium. Participants are invited to stroll through the galleries and sample an array of wine March 30 from 6pm to 9pm. Both photographers will be showing a culmination of their work that concludes their Bachelor of Arts degree in photography from King College. The work
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of Nicole Poyo delves into the theme “Made in U.S.A.” through 7 an intimate set of portraits that A surveys the relationship between l /0$)6%/&56')6',)/0$&%)(%6=/7)8:',5$:)i Keegan uses the photographic o technique of double exposures C to explores the liberating state of o solitude found outside of of the near dependency to our hectic t everyday lives. a The public is invited to experi- B ence the exhibition as well as meet e and greet the artists, Nicole Poyo a 6',)8:',5$:)a$$36'B)6/)/0$)F./0) a King Building Friday, March 30, f 2012 between the times of 6pm and p 9pm. For more information about t the exhibit, contact Nicole Poyo at &'=-c'&(-2$#-:-7(-;))-%)8:',5$:) p Keegan at contact@lyndseykeegan. a com F
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4%$$%<.;*23*'3&2* fD*6($2%:*6($(#).2%3;g To kick off the spring concert season, the Milligan College Arts Council is pleased to present “A Celtic Celebration” in Milligan’s Seeger Memorial Chapel on Saturday, March 31. The event is free and open to the public. This unique Celtic showcase 1&22)=$6/.%$)6)+,,2&'3)1-%@50-#B) a concert and an old-fashioned public jam session. Performers &'(2.,$)J(-//&50)+,,2&'3)(06;pion Jane MacMorran, the East Tennessee State University Celtic >6',)6',)Z6'$)R$8-6(0)X-%&5-'B) who will accompany MacMorran on the piano. “This region has many Celtic &'C.$'($5)6',)6.,&$'($5)/06/) appreciate the heritage of Celtic music,” said Dr. Kellie Brown, chair of Milligan’s music department. “We created this celebration to offer something for everyone — from musicians who want to learn more about their craft to audiences who just enjoy listening to the music.” The event will begin with a free ?$2/&()+,,2&'3)1-%@50-#)6/)\_Q`) p.m. The workshop will be held in Milligan’s Walker Auditorium, located in the lower level of Seeger Chapel. Community members of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced, are invited to participate in the workshop. To register, email Brown at kbrown@ milligan.edu. The evening concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Mary B. Martin Auditorium of Seeger Chapel. Following the concert, the public is invited to bring their instruments on stage for an old-fashioned Celtic jam session, open to people of all skill levels. “We have an amazing group of talent assembled for this afternoon and evening of Celtic music,” Brown said. “It will be a high-energy event, and we hope that the audience will be inspired by these artists and will enjoy learning from them before the concert and playing their instruments with them after the concert.” MacMorran is an accomplished player of many musical styles, a former United States Scottish Fiddling Champion and founder
of the Celtic music group, Celtic Air. She directs the Celtic Band (2655)6',)3&9$5)&'5/%.(/&-')-')+,dle at the Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Program at ETSU. MacMorran is the director of the Appalachian, Scottish, Irish Studies Program at ETSU. Morison is an award-winning pianist who also serves as the artistic director of the Mountain Empire Children’s Choral Academy.
She is on the faculty of King College and on the summer faculties of the Piano Camp at ETSU, the Virginia Suzuki Institute at Emory and Henry College, and the King College Choral Arts Camp. For more information, call Milli36'U5);.5&()-=+($)6/)\dQ7\bP7efdQ7) For more information about arts events at Milligan, visit www.milligan.edu/arts.
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G-1B)&')&/5)f/0)5$65-'B)86;#8&30/)/0$6/%$)1&22)#%$;&$%$)6)'$1)!65/$%);.5&(62) production of the passion week of Christ. K0$)/0$6/%$)4$36')1&/0)&/5)+%5/)#%-,.(/&-')=-%)/0$)!65/$%)5$65-')&')d``^7))J&'($)/0$'B) the theatre has seen over 20,000 in yearly attendance and has more than established itself as a quality Christian Family Theatre. What better way to celebrate the community support than with the debut of No Ordinary Man, an Easter musical of the passion. The new theatrical performance has taken a great deal of work and dedication. With a small professional staff, the production relies mostly on a sizeable group of volunteers. Over 100 actors will don the stage, and 50 other volunteers with act as tech crew, parking attendants, and theatre courtesy staff. The musical has been in rehearsal since /0$)+%5/)1$$@)-=)Z6'.6%:7)) Original songs, studio work, costuming, and set design combine into an incredible ,&5#26:)-=)/0$)265/),6:5)-=)Z$5.5)?0%&5/)65)/0&5)#%-,.(/&-')(-;$5)/-)/0$)86;#8&30/) stage. No Ordinary Man is told through the eyes of saints who have gathered with St. E0&2&#)=-%)6);&55&-'6%:)<-.%'$:)6/)M6.2)d`):$6%5)6=/$%)?0%&5/U5)%$5.%%$(/&-'7))A5)/0$:) %$C$(/)-')/0$)#65/B)/0$&%)2&9$5)%$9$62)/0$)&'/&;6(:)6',)%$62'$55)-=)Z$5.5)6',)/0$)%$26/&-'50&#)/06/)Y$)(-'/&'.$5)/-)5$$@)1&/0);6'@&',7))T%-;)/0$)%$5.%%$(/&-')-=)86]6%.5)/-) the deliverance from demons of Mary Magdalene, we see the power of Christ unfold. Joseph of Arimathea along with the saints will take the audience on a journey through the last week of Christ’s life on earth giving a message of hope every step of the way. Come and experience the power of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection in “No Ordinary Man”. Performances will begin March 23 and will run through April 15. Shows will run nightly Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7 p.m. with additional matinees on Saturdays and Sundays. Saturday matinees will be at 2 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 3 p.m. No performances on Mondays and Tuesdays. Doors will open one hour prior to the performances. Admission is a suggested donation of $8 Adults, $5 Students, Free for children under 6.
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ETSU Spring Dance The Division of Theatre and Dance at East Tennessee State University will present its Spring Dance Concert March 23-24 and March 29-31 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 25 at 2 p.m. at the VA Memorial Theatre. The concert this year explores the concept of water, and features dances about libation, teardrops, rain, the sea, and more through a variety of dance styles, including jazz, ballroom dance, aerial trapeze and silk, tap and modern ETSU students participating in the concert are Brock Cooley, Teague Quillen, Savannah Arwood, Casey Crawford, Hannah Hasch, Josh Holley, Katrina Kaldenbach, Meredith McCook, Charlie Schill, Hunter Smith, !9$%$//)K6%2/-'B)J6%60)Z-0'5-'B)?6&/2&')M61'$B)a6/%&'6)a62,$'46(0B)Z$''6) Middlebrooks, Macie Neal, Ruth Stevenson, Taylor Borum, Heather By%3$B)a622&$)M6:B)8$&306)a&'3B)R$6''6)[62,%-.#B)X633&$)Y&'$5B)R6'&$22$) X.;#-1$%B)M6%%:')Y-16%,B)X$2&',6)G.55;6'B)?0%&5/6)>65@$//B)a6:26) Y6%2$55B)?0$25$6)a&'5$%B)Z$55&(6)I$5/B)86.%$')R$6'B)6',)X6%:)M655B)62-'3) with performances by ETSU ballet adjunct instructor Fernando Moraga, modern dance adjunct instructor Jen Kintner, ETSU faculty member Cara Harker, and ballroom dancer Darian Chancellor. Tickets are $7 for students and $15 for general admission. For more information, to reserve tickets, or request accommodations for persons with disabilities, contact the ETSU Division of Theatre and Dance at (423) 439-6511.
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!"#$%2?'%()$%*+",$-%.%/"-0)%&1'%&12& With the Sun’s family of planets spanning across the ecliptic from west to east in the Spring 2012 night sky, it’s easy to see them as just stars instead of unique worlds that weren’t understood just 100 years ago. But the Space Age has brought us to the surface of fours alien worlds, and given us a close-up view of all eight planets, and a handful of asteroids and comets. Now a new era of planetary exploration is underway, but this effort is to discover alien worlds orbiting nearby stars. So far nearly 800 planets have been discovered orbiting 700 stars in our celestial backyard. And those multipleplanet systems are different from our Solar System. That’s because none of these star systems resemble the Sun’s family with the small, rocky planets close to their star and the large, gaseous planets far away. Instead, the space-bound, planetseeking Kepler Telescope and groundbased observatories have found Jupiter-size worlds in orbits closer to their parent star than the Earth is to our Sun. This is a major surprise, as just how a gaseous world can keep its thick at-
MARQUETTE
MARK
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Other planet systems unlike sun’s family mosphere so close to the stellar inferno is unknown. And as the purpose-built Kepler Telescope continues to discover about a hundred new “exoplanets” a year, it is 3$//&'3)$9$%)(2-5$%)/-)+',&'3)$6%/0D2&@$) worlds with atmospheres and signs of water. We are in the midst of an era when astronomers are actively seeking proof that life can exist somewhere else in -.%)M626":B)65)1$22)65)&')-.%)-1')#26'etary neighborhood.
The complex techniques of detecting planets orbiting nearby stars are being (-'5/6'/2:)%$+'$,)/-),$/$(/)$6%/0D2&@$) bodies within the boundaries of the VM-2,&2-(@5)g-'$7O))K06/)&5)/0$),&5/6'($) from a star that is not too hot, not too cold, but just right. !6%/0)&5),$+'&/$2:)&'5&,$)/0$)VM-2,&2-(@5)g-'$BO)6/)hQ);&22&-');&2$5)=%-;) the Sun. Venus is on the inside of the zone at 67 million miles, and Mars on the outside fringe at 140 million miles from the Sun.
Planetary astronomers are pretty sure they know where life can’t exist &')-.%)J-26%)J:5/$;7)8&@$)/0$)5.#$%)0-/) surfaces of Mercury and Venus. At just 36 million miles from the Sun, 3,000-mile-wide Mercury has a 0.3$)&%-')(-%$)/06/);&30/)+22)Qi\/05)-=) the interior. The intense radiation of the Sun heats the surface to 800 degrees F., but the night side and Polar Regions are much cooler. As our Sun’s tremendous gravity sucks in all the loose debris orbiting in
the Solar System, including comets and errant asteroids, Mercury has been the unlucky target. This cosmic bombard;$'/)165);-5/)&'/$'5$),.%&'3)/0$)+%5/) billion years of our 4.5 billion year history. That’s why Mercury is the most cratered body in our Solar System. Venus is hellish world like no other. The surface is the hottest in our planetary family. That’s because a 30-mile thick global cloud cover has created a runaway greenhouse effect that has made the surface a scorching 900 degrees F.! That’s hot enough to make rocks on Earth be soft and pliable. Despite the intense surface heat, Russian spacecraft have landed four times on the surface, managing to stay alive for up to one hour before succumbing to the heat and crushing atmospheric pressure caused by the thick cloud deck. Those views of the surface of Venus show a landscape littered with rocks %-.',$,)C6/)6',)6')$$%&$)-%6'3&50) glow in the air. In fact, there might not be a total dark night on Venus, as /0$)5.'2&30/)%$C$(/5)-==)/0$)(2-.,5)6',) baths the entire globe in soft light. The Sun’s fourth planet, Mars, has always been considered the most earthlike. Half the size of Earth (at 4,200 miles) and once having vast seas some 3 billion years ago, today the surface is
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E5%(&*>'%&*-((5 Celestial events in the skies for the week of March 20-26, 2012, as compiled for the Loafer by Mark D. Marquette. K0$)+%5/)1$$@)-=)J#%&'3)d`Pd)1&22)069$)6)=6'/65/&()5&30/)-=)/0$)$9$'&'3)(%$5($'/)X--')#26:&'3)/63)1&/0)/0$)#26'$/5)Z.#&/$%)6',) I$'.57)A,,)/0$)F$,)E26'$/)X6%5)0&30)'$6%)-9$%0$6,)&')8$-)/0$)8&-'B)6',)J6/.%')%&5&'3)&')/0$)$65/)'$6%)/0$)4%&30/)5/6%)J#&(6j6',) :-.U9$)3-/)/0$)!(2&#/&()5#6''&'3)/0$)'&30/)5@:)1&/0)&/5)(-'5/$226/&-'5)-=)/0$)g-,&6(7 Tues. March 20 Spring Equinox is today, and the exact moment when Earth crossed the celestial equator was at 1:14 am. Equal day and equal night, well sort of. That 12 hours daylight and 12 hours of night was actually on Friday, March 16. Today, the fake science of astrology says the Sun is in Aries. But that’s wrong. The Sun is still in Pisces. Wed. March 21 Orion the Hunter and the surrounding retinue of brilliant constellations are in prime position at dark around 8 pm, but they are k.&(@2:),&##&'3)4$2-1)/0$)1$5/$%')0-%&]-'7)K6.%.5B)M$;&'&)6',)/0$)>&3)6',)8&//2$)R-35)6%$)4$3&''&'3)/0$&%)516')5-'37) Thurs. March 22 New Moon is today at 10:37 am. If you could switch of the Sun in the daytime, the Moon would be below it—but still unseen because no light is striking the side facing us. Fri. March 23 8--@&'3)'-%/0B)/0$)>&3)R&##$%)&5)5/6',&'3)-')&/5)06',2$B)4$3&''&'3)/-);6@$)&/5)=6;&2&6%)J#%&'3/&;$)6##$6%6'($7 Sat. March 24 The crescent Moon begins to showing its face in the evening twilight, and moving toward bright planets Jupiter and Venus. This will be the last opportunity to see the conjunction of the Moon and these planets, as Jupiter will be in solar glare when the Moon cycles around next month. Sun. March 25 Jupiter is beside the Moon tonight. And right next to them is much brighter Venus. Any telescope will show the disks of Venus and Jupiter, and the cratered terrain of our Moon. Mon. March 26 Tonight the crescent Moon wears the planet Venus like a diamond. This fabulous sight will not repeat itself until next month when the Moon reappears in the evening sky.
/"-0)%&1'%&12&%.%()$%*+",$-'%!"#$%2@ more arid and cold than Antarctica. 86',$%5)-')X6%5)069$),&5(-9$%$,) just how sterile the surface is as the thin Martian atmosphere is no defense for life-threatening radiation from the Sun. Not even a hint of any archeological fossil life has been found as two NASA rovers have covered together 30 miles of travel across the surface. But under the surface of Mars could be the sheltered haven for life. With a half-dozen huge, presumed dormant volcanoes that eclipse anything on Earth, there are likely to be elaborate systems of caves beneath the Martian surface. Here, shielded from the cosmic radiation and cold, microbes or even small insect-like creatures might exist. Oddly, it is among the moons of the giant gas worlds beyond the asteroid belt where planetary scientists think life could be existing right now. M65$-.5)1-%2,5)2&@$)Z.#&/$%B)J6/.%'B) Uranus and Neptune possibly have surface except for a metallic hydrogen (-%$7))H/)&5)'-/)5(&$'($)+(/&-')/-)/0&'@) /06/)5-;$)=-%;5)-=)=%$$DC-6/&'3)2&=$) might adapt to living in the warm zones of the cloud layers. But it is the icy moons of these distant gas giants that might harbor life. Jupiter moons Europa and Callisto - both the size of planet Mercury - have liquid water beneath their icy surfaces.
As does Neptune’s moon Triton with its geysers of liquid water. Within the underground geology of these moons ;&30/)4$)6)VM-2,&2-(@5)g-'$O)-=)&,$62) conditions just right for life. The search for life is the ultimate quest to determine if we are alone in /0$)l'&9$%5$7))8--@&'3)6%-.',)-.%) X&2@:)[6:)M626":B)/0$)'.;4$%5)&') favor of life are actually overwhelming. With the Kepler Telescope and other -45$%96/-%&$5)+',&'3)5-;$)e``)#26'$/5) in just 10 years of serious searching, the data suggests that most stars have planets. And, there are presumed #26'$/5)-%4&/&'3)4$/1$$')5/6%5jC.'3) from their parents by gravitational catastrophes! Our Milky Way has about 100 billion stars, and if half of them have one planet, that’s 50 billion planets—certainly many of them with exotic moons. 8--@&'3).#)6/)/0$)5/6%5)-=)/0$)'&30/) sky can mean more than just a bunch of pretty lights. Each is a world of its own, with endless possibilities for exotic forms of life. Someday in the near future, we may now for sure if we are alone. But the more we know, the less are the chances that human beings are the only intelligent creatures contemplating their place in the Universe.
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Turchin Center holds Spring Exhibition Celebration Appalachian State University’s Turchin Center for the Visual Arts is welcoming the spring season with the celebration of three new exhibitions on Friday, April 6, 2012 as part of Downtown Boone’s First Friday Art Crawl. From 7-9 p.m., the Turchin Center will be open for all visitors /-)/6@$)/0$&%)+%5/)2--@)6/)/0$)(.%rent exhibitions on display, meet some of the artists, listen to live ;.5&()4:)K0$)8.(@:)J/%&@$5)6',) enjoy a refreshing beverage from the cash bar. A special “Donors Only” preview will be held prior to the reception from 6-7 p.m. The new exhibitions being celebrated on April 6 are North Carolina Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award Exhibition, STUFF: Where does it come from and where does it go? by Bryant Holsenbeck and !"#"$%&'()*'(*+')%,*!&$,-*.%/0"(%)* & Faculty Creatively Respond to an International Travel Experience. North Carolina Arts Council A%/&5/)T$22-150&#)&5)&')M622$%&$5) A & B, West Wing and Bryant Holsenbeck’s STUFF exhibition 1&22)4$)&')/0$)X6:$%)M622$%:B)[$5/) Wing. Both exhibitions will be on display through July 28, 2012. !"#"$%&'()*'(*+')%,*!&$, will be
&')/0$)?-;;.'&/:)M622$%:B)!65/) Wing through June 2, 2012. Continuing exhibitions include: 9th Appalachian Mountain Photography Competition & Exhibition NX$]]6'&'$)M622$%:)/0%-.30)Z.'$) dB)d`Pdm)6',)F-4$%/)M--,'-.30_) Abstract Expressionism & Beyond NX6&')M622$%:)/0%-.30)Z.'$)dB) 2012). The works featured in this exhibition are from private collections and is made possible by the David Ilya Brandt and Daria Brandt Collection. The collector, Arthur Brandt will be a special guest during the event.
About the New Exhibitions The North Carolina Arts Council Artist Fellowship Award Exhibition showcases 16 of the 18 artists in North Carolina who were awarded the 2010-11 North Carolina Artist Fellowship Award last year. The awards were in the cat$3-%&$5)-=)(0-%$-3%6#0:B)(%6=/B)+2;) and video and visual arts. Each of the artistsreceived a $10,000 fellowship and according to Mary B. Regan, executive director of the N.C. Arts Council, “these grants give artists a chance to deepen their work and explore new ground.” For a list of the 2010-11 recipients, please visit http://tcva. org/exhibitions/520. This project was supported by the NC Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Environmental artist, Bryant Holsenbeck is bringing her “trash” to Appalachian State to use in an installation project that will en(-.%63$)%$C$(/&-')6',)%6&5$)616%$ness of environmental issues. In the exhibition, STUFF: Where does it come from and where does it go?, Holsenbeck will create a major installation in the Turchin Center X6:$%)M622$%:)&')#6%/'$%50&#)1&/0) /0$)?6/0$%&'$)Z7)J;&/0)M622$%:) during her residency at Appalachian using recycled materials collected by various community and campus partners and will be constructed with the help of volunteers. Holsenbeck’s residency will include workshops, classroom visits and many volunteer
44456)$7+",$-+8798$50+: opportunities. For more information on this exhibition and how to get involved, please visit http:// tcva.org/exhibitions/524 or email turchincenter@appstate.edu. (This project is funded in part by Appalachian’s Sustainability ?-.'(&2)?-;#$/&/&9$)A%/5)M%6'/7m !"#"$%&'()*'(*+')%*!&$,*features artwork created by the students and faculty who participated in a study abroad opportunity between Appalachian State University and various institutions in Costa Rica. The exhibition will also host a guest artist from Costa Rica, Priscilla Romero Cubero. In June 2011, the students and faculty who attended the trip were able to participate in hands-on workshops in photography, printmaking/mixed media throughout Costa Rica, traveling extensively through the country visiting different cities and national parks. For more information on this exhibition, please visit http://tcva.org/ exhibitions/526. Related Events X6%(0)dP_)8.'(0)6',)8$6%') with AMPC Jurors March 28-April 6: Artist Residency: Bryant Holsenbeck March 28: North Carolina Arts Council Round Table Presentation A#%&2)Pe_)8.'(0)6',)8$6%') about Costa Rica Exhibition April 25: North Carolina Arts Council Round Table Presentation The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts presents exhibition, education and collection programs that support Appalachian State University’s role as a key regional educational, cultural and economic resource. The Turchin Center is located at 423 West King St., in Boone. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tues.-Thurs. and Saturday, and Noon-8 p.m., Friday. The Center is closed Sunday and Monday, and observes all university holidays. There is no admission charge, although donations are gratefully accepted. For additional details about the Turchin Center, becoming a donor, the upcoming exhibitions, to beadded to the mailing list or to schedule a tour, please call (828) 262-3017 or visit www.tcva.org. You can also follow the Turchin Center on Facebook and Twitter @ TurchinCenter.
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*6.$(;1.)*38*0?(;2&I*4.):'I*UTiU We are pleased to be able to offer an exciting variety of workshops that range from traditional skills, to hand crafted items, and %I$)2#"M+)O$)0IP0"$)6.J)".) come to Sycamore Shoals to learn a new skill or craft from our talented instructors! Class sizes are limited, so please register early! Traditional Arts Workshops are by registration only and must be pre-paid. Call (423) 543-5808 for more information. Storytelling-“Adventures in Storytelling – A One Day Youth Storytelling Camp” Instructors: Mary Jane Kennedy, Sherri Hyder, Chad Bogart Sat., Mar 24, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Cost: $20 per child. Min: 8. Max: 20 Age limit:8–12 years This camp will Sew the Seeds of Storytelling, Nurture the Imagination, and Share the Harvest of the Art of Storytelling. From 2 to 3pm there will be a program geared to the parents and siblings of the participants. Bring a sack lunch and a sense of adventure. No other materials needed. Watercolor Painting, Florals. Instructor: Barbara Jernigan Saturday, March 31. 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Cost: $12 (plus supplies) or $20 (includes supplies). Min: 5. Max: open 8$6%')6',)#%6(/&($)16/$%(-2-%) techniques and style. Dress to take a short walk outdoors for photos and observations, weather permitting. Making Burnout Bowls. Instructor: Ken Dykes Saturday, March 31
Details to be Announced Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area is located at 1651 W. Elk Avenue, Elizabethton, TN. for more information call (423) 543-5808 or e-mail www.sycamoreshoalstn. org, or www.tnstateparks.com/ SycamoreShoals/
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This Week In The In order to meet the high demand for free medical, dental and eye care services in the Tri-Cities region, Remote Area Medical® (RAM) and local organizers have extended next month’s RAM clinic to a three-day event instead of two, -=+)(&625)6''-.'($,)/0&5)1$$@7 The event will now be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday, A#%&2)PQ)*)P^)-')/0$)&'+)$2,)-=)/0$) Bristol Motor Speedway. “We initially intended to hold the clinic on just Saturday and Sunday, but as we moved through the planning process, it became apparent that the need in this region really demands a three-day event,” said Helen Scott, chair of the Tri-Cities RAM board of directors. “We are grateful to Bristol Motor Speedway and to all of the volunteers who are willing to donate that extra day in order to make sure people don’t have to go without the care they need.”
Remote Area Medical events are volunteer driven. Medical, dental and vision professionals from across the region and other parts of the country will gather at BMS to provide free care to the uninsured and underinsured. There are no eligibility requirements, and no personal ID is required for treatment. Services offered include ,$'/62)+)22&'35B)(2$6'&'35)6',) extractions; eye exams and corrective eyewear; mammograms; hearing screenings and hearing aids; bone density screenings; pap smears and general physical exams. Patients will be treated -')6)+)%5/D(-;$B)+)%5/D5$%9$,)46D sis. The parking lot at BMS will open to patients on Thursday evening, April 12, and numbers for Friday’s clinic will be distributed beginning at 3:30 a.m. Friday. Subsequent clinic days will follow the same pattern. Patients are encouraged to prepare
Mountain Empire
for long wait times. Donations are still needed in order to cover the cost of equipment and supplies used to treat the 2,000 patients expected at this year’s event. Crossroads Medical Mission in Bristol, Va. is 5$%9&'3)65)/0$)+)'6'(&62)5/$16%,) for Tri-Cities RAM. Donations may be made online at www. crossroadsmedicalmission.org. Checks may be made payable to Crossroads Medical Mission with “Tri-Cities RAM” in the memo line and mailed to P.O. Box 16852, Bristol, Va., 242096852. Additional volunteers are needed. Tri-Cities RAM is actively seeking ophthalmologists and dentists, as well as general volunteers to help with setup on Thursday, April 12. For more information or to register to volunteer, visit www.ramusa.org or call 423-573-0695.
World Heritage Student Exchange Program, a highly %$5#$(/$,B)'-'D#%-+)/B)#.42&(D 4$'$+)/)-%36'&]6/&-'B)&5)5$$@D ing local host families for high school boys and girls from Scan,&'69&6B)T%6'($B)M$%;6':B)H/62:B) Thailand, China, South Korea, and the former Soviet Republics. Students are already awaiting word on their host families for the 2012-2013 academic school year. Host families provide room, board, and guidance for a teenager living thousands of miles from home. Couples, single parents, and families with or without children in the home are all encouraged to apply. The exchange students arrive from their home country shortly before the 2012/13 school year begins and each World Heritage student is fully insured, brings his/her own personal spending money and expects to bear his/ her share of household responsi-
bilities, as well as being included in normal family activities and lifestyles. If you are interested in opening your home and sharing your family life with a young person from abroad, please call local Area Representative Carol8:'')>6@$%)6/)N\dQm)fbfDPb\^)-%) 1-800-888-9040 (toll free). Please also visit our website at www. whhosts.com
Thursday, March 22 The Johnson City Regional Planning Commission will hold a workshop at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 22 to discuss proposed amendments to the g-'&'3)?-,$)/06/)#%-9&,$)=-%) a Design Overlay district. This workshop will be held in the Administrative Conference Room of the Municipal and Safety Building, 601 E. Main St. For more information, please contact the Development Services Depart-
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ment at 434-6071. Saturday, March 24 The Doc McConnell Yarnsspinnerspinvites all storytelling i n enthusiasts to join us for the celebration of “World Storytelling Day”. which started in 1991 in Sweden, from 3-5 p.m, Room #209, Kingsport Renaissance Center The theme this year is “Trees”; but you can share stories on other topics. Come tell and/ or listen. Please call 423-2728549 for further information. Monday, March 26 The East Tennessee State University student Entrepreneurs’ Club will welcome Dr. Helga X$:$%)-=)M$%;6':U5)>%$;$') University of Applied Sciences as its speaker at 5 p.m. in room 334 of Sam Wilson Hall. Meyer will speak on “Project Management Coaching Points for Start-up Ventures.” The public is invited to this free program. Meyer is a professor of project management in the School of International Business at the Bremen Univer-
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sity of Applied Sciences. Her background is in economics and business administration. During a career encompassing leading positions in higher education management pron e and research r s jects, Meyer has published her work and lectured internationally, including at ETSU in 2002 and later at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington’s Cameron School of Business. For additional information, or to arrange special assistance for those with disabilities, contact Mitzi Brookshear at brookshe@etsu. edu or (423) 439-7444. Take a trip back in time to /0$)3%--9:)f`5)1&/0)WK06/)f`5) Program for Teens’ at the Jones4-%-.30)8&4%6%:)-')X-',6:B) March 26, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. or the M%6:)8&4%6%:)-')K.$5,6:B)X6%(0) 27, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Activities &'(2.,$)6)W=6%)-./U)(-5/.;$)(-'D test (think beads and tie-dyed t-shirts!), and 70s slang and trivia. Hear the hottest tunes from the early 70s. There will be prizes, food and lots of fun! This program is free and open to tweens and teens grade 6 – 12. Space is limited and registration
is required. To register, please (622)/0$)Z-'$54-%-.30)8&4%6%:B) f^QDPe``B)-%)/0$)M%6:)8&4%6%:B) 477-1550. East Tennessee State Universii n v /:)1&22)0-5/)&/5)+)%5/)?&9&2&/:)[$$@) March 26-30 with the theme, VK0&'@7)8&9$7)F$5#$(/7O)K0&5) week will be packed with events designed to cultivate a deeper understanding and value of diversity while nurturing a culture of kindness, courtesy and respect -')(6;#.5B)6((-%,&'3)/-)8$60) A,&'-2+)B),&%$(/-%)-=)5/.,$'/) activities at ETSU. The theme revives the university’s campaign to “encourage dialogue regarding diversity relations.” The objectives of Civility Week are to provide individuals on campus with exposure to and understanding of cultures, beliefs and ways of life that may be different from their own; engage the campus community in conversations about diversity, human behavior and respect; and to recognize and eliminate incivility while +)',&'3)16:5)/-)0$2#)$9$%:-'$) feel welcome, appreciated and safe at ETSU. ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland will participate
&')VK0$)864$2BO)/0$)-=+)(&62)5/6%/) of the week, which will be held Monday, March 26, at 7 p.m. in >%--@5)M:;7))K0&5)$9$'/)1&22) provide an opportunity to talk i about t language e ands stereotypes a that persistently demean individuals and populations within /0$)(-;;.'&/:7))8$,)4:)=6(.2/:) and student facilitators, the conversation will begin by focusing on a student demonstration that will have occurred earlier that day (11 a.m.-1 p.m. on the Sher%-,)8&4%6%:U5)>-%(0.(@)E26]6mB) and will continue in the direction that participants choose to take it. Nationally known speaker Mike Dilbeck will speak on VF!JELGJ!)A>H8HKn_)>$&'3)6') Every Day Hero,” encouraging students to act based upon their values, on Wednesday, March 28, at 7 p.m. in the Brown Hall auditorium. Other events planned for the week include a panel discussion on diversity and cultural awareness; “Pyramid Soccer”; “Race Off,” a talk by a speaker of multinational descent; an “Understanding Transgender” discussion; open forums on “Female Strengths and Perceived Weaknesses,” “The Experience of
Racial and Ethnic Minorities on ?6;#.5BO)V>$&'3)8M>K)-')/0$) ETSU Campus” and “Religious Tolerance/Intolerance on Campus”; and more. The complete schedule l of lCivility s Week events t is located at www.etsu.edu/ students/sorc/calendar.aspx. For more information or special assistance for those with disabili/&$5B)(622)/0$)L=+)($)-=)J/.,$'/) Activities at (423) 439-6827 or /0$)L=+)($)-=)J/.,$'/)A==6&%5)6/) 439-4210. Wednesday, March 28 Mars Hill College will host a reading by New York-based poet Ekere Tallie, on Wednesday, March 28 at 8 pm in Spainhour Hall, in the Moore Building on campus. The event is free and open to the public. Among other themes, Tallie’s poetry focuses on racial justice, the empowerment of women, and life in New York City after September 11. Her visit to campus is sponsored 4:)/0$)R$#6%/;$'/)-=)86'3.63$) 6',)8&/$%6/.%$)6',)/0$)I&5&/&'3) A%/&5/5)6',)8$(/.%$%5)?-;;&/D tee at Mars Hill College. Tallie currently teaches at York College
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44456)$7+",$-+8798$50+: in New York City and has served as an invited speaker at The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Ramapo College. She has taught and performed in various forums and locales in North America, Europe, and Southern Africa. She was the recipient of a 2010 Queens Council on the Arts grant, and her work has been published in numerous literary journals and anthologies. Her +%5/)(-22$(/&-')-=)#-$/%:B)a6%;6U5) Footsteps, was released by the UK-based Flipped Eye Publishing in September of 2011. Mars Hill College is a private, liberal arts institution offering over 30 baccalaureate degrees and one graduate degree in elementary education. Founded in 1856 by Baptist families of the region, the campus is located just 20 minutes north of Asheville in the mountains of western North Carolina.www.mhc.edu 1-866-MHC-4-YOU. Thursday, March 29 Z-&')/0$)Z-'$54-%-.30)8&4%6%:) at 7 p.m. for an author talk and book signing. Mary E. Kingsley is a local author, born and raised in Kingsport. She started writing
/"-0)%&1'%&12&%.%()$%*+",$-'%!"#$%&< Angel in 2004, when she had 3 teenagers and was teaching yoga. Angel was published in d`PP)4:)8&//2$)T6225)E%$55B)X57) Kingsley’s own small, independently owned and operated publishing company. This is her +%5/)'-9$27)?-#&$5)-=)A'3$2)1&22) be available that evening for purchase and for signing. For more information, please call /0$)Z-'$54-%-.30)8&4%6%:)6/)f^QD 1800. This program is free and open to the public. “An Evening with James McBride” will be held at East Tennessee State University as #6%/)-=)/0$)J/.,$'/)M-9$%';$'/) Association’s Civility Week observance. The free public event will begin at 7 p.m. in the D.P. Culp University Center’s Martha Street Culp Auditorium. It is sponsored in part by the (-;;.'&/:)X6%/&')8./0$%)a&'3) Jr. Holiday Planning Committee and Eastman Chemical Co. McBride, an author, musician and 5(%$$'1%&/$%B)1&22)%$C$(/).#-') his landmark memoir, The Color of Water, which is considered an American classic and read in schools and universities across the United States. His debut
novel, Miracle at St. Anna, was translated into a major motion picture, which was directed by A;$%&(6')+2;)&(-')J#&@$)8$$) and released by Disney/Touchstone in 2008. His latest novel, Song Yet Sung, came out in paperback in January 2009. McBride is a former staff writer for /0$)>-5/-')M2-4$B)E$-#2$)X636zine and Washington Post. His work has appeared in Essence, Rolling Stone and the New York Times. His April 2007 National M$-3%6#0&()5/-%:B)VY&#)Y-#) Planet,” has become a respected treatise on African American music and culture. A saxophonist who tours with his six-piece jazz/R&B band, McBride has served as a sideman with jazz legend Jimmy Scott, among others. He has written music and lyrics for such artists as Anita >6@$%B)M%-9$%)[650&'3/-')Z%7B) E.%6=$)6',)M6%:)>.%/-'7)K&(@$/5) are required and are available on 6)+%5/)(-;$D+%5/)5$%9$,)465&5)6/) the Information Services Desk on the second level of the Culp Center. Thursday, April 5 Princeton Arts Center, 2516 E.
Oakland Ave., will offer hiphop classes from 7:30-8 p.m. on Thursdays beginning April 5. The class is open to ages 5-10, and fee is $16 per month Wednesday, April 21 K0$)A''.62)Z.'&-%)8$63.$) Food Drive in Food City stores. Most needed items include peanut butter, canned meats, canned soups, canned fruit and vegetables, boxed meals and macaroni and cheese. When league members ask, please consider making a food donation. Many face hunger in their lives every day. They depend on Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee and our partner agencies that run the local food pantries and soup kitchens. With your help we can make sure that no one in Northeast Tennessee goes hungry. Thank you for your support. A portion of all donations received March 1 through April 30 will be included in the annual Feinstein Challenge. Saturday, May 12 G6/&-'62)A55-(&6/&-')-=)8$//$%) Carriers Food Drive – Simply
leave a bag of non-perishable food items by your mailbox. Your letter carrier will pick you your donation. Second Harvest volunteers help carriers unload vehicles when they return to the #-5/)-=+($)10$%$)/0$)T--,)>6'@) and Food Bank agencies pick up donations. Many face hunger in their lives every day. They depend on Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee and our partner agencies that run the local food pantries and soup kitchens. With your help we can make sure that no one in Northeast Tennessee goes hungry. Thank you for your support. A portion of all donations received March 1 through April 30 will be included in the annual Feinstein Challenge.
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This week I have a double feature to 12")"(%*%'*3'4&"*5,()6*7("*893*&)*,*3":,* ;/0:"%*)$&<8*893*,(0*%="*'%="2*&)*,*9'>* ;/0:"%*='22'2*8936* Get your popcorn and here we go! First up is the Disney release John Carter, based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel, *)-#0I1$MM).K)72#M+ The character of John Carter, sometime known as John Carter of Mars, 165)+%5/)(%$6/$,)&')PhPd)&')6);636]&'$) serial. Flash forward 100 years later, and the character has hit the big screen in the form of actor Taylor Kitsch. Personally, I know Taylor best from the television series Friday Night Lights, a place where his acting talents +%5/)&;#%$55$,);$7)[0$')H)16/(0$,) him on the show, I always felt he could 4$)6);6<-%)+2;)5/6%B)6',)6##6%$'/2:) Disney did as well. Taylor is front and center as Carter, and is backed by a major budget and massive special effects.
A5)/0$)+2;)4$3&'5B)1$)6%$)&'/%-duced to Carter, an ex-Confederate captain, who has traveled to the western United States after losing his family in a tragedy during the Civil War. While he is in the wild west, he stumbles on a strange cave where he encounters a mysterious alien (talk about ancient aliens!), and is transported to Mars, known as Barsoom by the planets natives. While on Mars, Carter is captured by one group of the red planets natives, who are involved in a civil war of their own with two other nations. Carter doesn’t want to become involved in the #26'$/U5)(-'C&(/B)4./),-$5)5-)6=/$%)4$&'3) convinced by the leader of his captors, Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe). He is also convinced to take part in the battle by the beautiful Princess R$<60)K0-%&5)N8:'')?-22&'5mB)6',)/0$) two fall in love (shock!). There are three groups of Mars '6/&9$5)&'9-29$,)&')/0$)(-'C&(/B)62-'3)
with some nasty “super” aliens, who have their own agenda for the planet. ?6%/$%)065)#2$'/:)-=)46//2$5)/-)+30/B) and even collects a pet “dog” along the way. The sets and special effects are lav&50B)6',)H)561)/0$)+2;)&')QRB)10&(0),&,) add to the fun of the proceedings. The actors all do a wonderful job, and keep themselves from overacting, which would be very easy in this type -=)+2;7) K0&5)+2;)$9$')=$6/.%$5)/0$)6(/-%5) who played Caesar and Mark Anthony in the HBO series, Rome, so I give extra points for their appearance. John Carter)&5)6)#.%$)V#-#(-%')C&(@O) and should be treated as such. I really 06,)6)=.')/&;$)9&$1&'3)/0&5)+2;B)6',)&/) was great seeing Mars as it once could have been, and it was enjoyable seeing Kitsch jump around in the air due to the planets effect on his characters body. John Carter 165)6)5(&D+)4265/7)
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Taylor Kitsch, as John Carter (Rated PG-13) B+ K0$)5$(-',)+2;)/0&5)1$$@B)&5B)1$22B) ,&==$%$'/7)K0$)+2;)&5)Silent House, and stars Elizabeth Olsen (the younger sister of the Olsen twins), and she is the -'2:)65#$(/)-=)/0&5)+2;)/06/)&5)&;#%$5sive. The girl can act, and does so very well in this effort. Olsen stars as Sarah, a young woman who is staying at a lakeside country house with her father John (Adam Trese) while they clean the house in preparation to sell the creepy abode. The house is not the only creepy 65#$(/)-=)/0&5)+2;B)J6%60U5),6,)&5)625-) creepy in a mysterious way (we see why later in the story), as his her Uncle Peter (Sheffer Stevens). As the story begins, the three are cleaning the house, which has no power or phone service, and the cell #0-'$5)069$)'-)5&3'627)A5)6':)+2;) fan knows, the lack of power or phone service is of no surprise. Soon Sarah is hearing strange noises in the house and John investigates. Of course, after a loud thump, Sarah can'-/)+',)0$%)=6/0$%B)6',)&5)(065$,)&')/0$) house by a mysterious person. J6%60)$9$'/.622:)+',5)0$%),6,B)10-) has seen better days, and manages to escape the house (whose windows have been boarded over due to vandalism) and runs across her Uncle Peter on the road, who had left the house for awhile. The two return to the house to rescue John, only to be met by more strange occurrences. K0&5)&5)/0$)#-&'/)&')/0$)+2;)10$%$) everything becomes very eccentric, and
you begin to wonder if Sarah is having a breakdown, if the house is haunted, -%)&=):-.%)622$%3:);$,&(&'$)&5)+'622:) kicking in. K0%-.30-./)/0$)+2;B)L25$'),-$5)6) wonderful job presenting herself as a girl in terror, and as I mentioned earlier, 50$)&5)/0$)5-2$)569&'3)3%69$)-=)/0&5)+2;7) If only that were enough. K0$)/1&5/)&')/0&5)+2;)6/)+%5/)165) 50-(@&'3B)4./).#-')%$C$(/&-'B)(-.2,) have been predicted, and may be by 5-;$)10-)9&$1)/0&5)+2;7)H)1&22)16%') you now, this is NOT a monster in a haunted house movie, so don’t expect
such. I felt I should give you that alert, which doesn’t giveaway the twist, but let’s you know not to expect any zombies. K0$)+2;),-$5)069$)#2$'/:)-=)/$'5$) moments, but in the end they don’t pay off. The true monsters in Silent House 6%$)/0$)6,.2/)(06%6(/$%5)6',)/0$)+2;makers. You have been warned.
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When I was a kid, having a sick day off from school meant two things: you got to be in your pajamas all day, and you got to watch ?'$)-#01$)0M)@0&'"+ I grew up in the 1990s, the prepress one button and your DVR will catch it all days. Oh sure, we had VCRs, but we barely knew how to program them, you just thought it a minor miracle if you could keep it =%-;)C650&'3)VPd_``OB)5-)?'$)-#01$) is Right became your TV comfort =--,)&')6)5$6)5-%$)/0%-6/5B)C.B)6',) chicken pox. I’d be under the blankets on the couch, with another bout of strep throat - which was almost an annual tradition in my kiddie days - and I’d watch people jump with delight over the words “it’s a brand new car!” In the 5th grade, they would give us a little treat a few times during the year called “reward day.” What “reward day” meant is a trip to Deano’s Pizza, to eat, and then spend quality time in their amazing game room - it had a huge row of pinball machines, which young Andy loved and spent hours in front of. The little 5th graders would eat our pizza, and some of us would sit around their bar area - which was not covered with booze, but
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*batteries not included -3)5*?L*!$%;53 was centered to a huge projection TV - that had The -#01$)0M)@0&'" on. You’ve not seen anything till you’ve seen a bunch of hyper 10 year olds screaming “750!” at a TV screen. But then as we grew up, and found ourselves not inside a school building all the item at 11 a.m. each day, watching ?'$)-#01$)
is Right became more common. As I found myself being a young writer at home - most days - when
the show was airing, I would naturally watch it. That is when I began to notice the problem start. Deadline? What deadline!? It’s Plinko time! Way behind on a big fancy project!? Who cares, it’s the yodeling guy! It’s something that I never really thought about, until my friend Angie pointed it out to me. Now when a friend points out to
you that you have a slight... distraction, in your life, it usually means intervention time. To this date, no one has held an intervention for watching too much of ?'$)-#01$)0M) Right. But even during work on this column, I’ve been distracted by the cry of “It’s a brand new car!” So yes, my dear friends, there are moments when it becomes a taught battle of Work vs Plinko. You’re brain says “write,” your heart says “lower!” But ?'$)-#01$)0M)@0&'" is like TV Comfort Food, one of the last great old school style TV shows that is still on the air, in a land where everyone is too busy with Are You Fatter Than a 10th Grader and !/J"M).I)-2#23$, it’s a nice island where we can just celebrate the fun of bright colors, shinny lights, and the all important bid of one dollar. Is there a particular television program that distracts you from your work? Or is it something else? For now I think I will leave you— besides, here comes the yodeling guy! See you next week. FYI, you will be pleased to learn that this here writer and his musings are now on Twitter! Please follow me on there; I hope :-.U22)+',)&/)6;.5&'37)cK06/A',:Ross
!"#$%31'%()$%*+",$-%.%/"-0)%&1'%&12& On many occasions I have written about lists in this column, because 5-);.(0)-=)#-#)(.2/.%$)+',5)&/5) way onto these lists. In fact, hardly a week goes by that we don’t encounter yet another list about something or another. M--,)$"6;#2$5)6%$)/0$)#$%$''&62) Rolling Stone-style lists of the top 100 singles of all time, the top 100 albums of all time, the 100 best movies of all time, the top 100 novels of all time and so forth. I’m waiting for a list of the Top 100 lists of all time. I’m sure it will appear soon. Now that we live in the age of mobile technol-3:B)+',&'3)2&5/5)&5)6)9$%:) 5&;#2$)/65@7)86/$2:)H)069$) been amusing myself with an iPad app from Time magazine called, appropriately enough, “Populist.” No, we’re not talking about the agrarian protest group from the late 19th century, but a clever combination of “Pop,” “U”, 6',)V8&5/7O)A)9$%&/642$) cornucopia of lists about just any pop culture subject you can imagine. And perhaps a real time waster - although I don’t consider any pop culture topic a waste of time. According to a recent online comment, this app is a “must have for those who appreciate good entertainment. If you’re lost for something to entertain your eyes and brain with, Time’s Populist will absolutely ruin you. A weekend will never be the same again.” And that should probably appear on a list of the top 100 items that will ruin your weekend. Populist is a very easy app to navigate. What you’ll see on the home page is some daily or weekly featured lists, bordered by a sidebar with clickable topics like books, movies, music, TV, games, and a cus/-;&]642$)VX:)8&5/5O)/647)8$/U5)/6@$) a look at today’s featured lists. How about the “Top 10 Unusual Reality TV Jobs,” “Top 10 Movie Parties,” “Top 10 David Bowie Songs,” “Top 10 Memorable Movie Motorcycles,” “Top 10 Post-Black-and-White-Era Black-and-White Movies,” or “Top 10 Berlin Wall Movies”? You could certainly kill a lot of time on the weekend with these lists, couldn’t
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=32&*.;1*$32&*38*$%&2& you? When I clicked the Movies category, I began to really understand how an entire weekend could be consumed by this app. The list is too long to list here, but here I learned more than I needed about the “Top P`)WH)J$$)R$6,)E$-#2$U)X-9&$5O)Nn$5B) The Sixth Sense is included, but so is Beetlejuice, The Shining, and The Frighteners.), “Top 10 CIA Movies,” “Top 10 Dog Movies,” and “Top 10 Disney Controversies” (including the infamous Little Mermaid scene that lets the viewer’s dirty mind run rampant). Included in the books (6/$3-%:)6%$)/0$)VK-#)P`)M%6#0&() Novels,” “Top 10 Post-Apocalyptic Novels,” and “Top 10 Books You Were Forced To Read.” And the lists
go on and on. Even I was caught by surprise by the “Top 10 Overplayed Wedding Songs.” Having played for many weddings, I couldn’t resist peeking at this one and was happy to see From This Moment On included. While Populist gives us a fairly standard and predictable group of lists, there are other lists that a little ;-%$).'&k.$7)T-%)&'5/6'($B)8&5/9$%5$) gives us some pretty interesting lists like “Top 10 Tips For Meeting A2&$'5BO)VK-#)P`)8$55$%Da'-1')T-2@) Musicians,” “Top 10 Dark-Themed Teen Movies” (“Rebel Without A Cause,” but no “Donnie Darko” or “Heathers”?), “Top 10 Shameful Events in American History,” and VK-#)P`)X:5/$%&$5)[&/0)A)8-3&(62)
Explanation” (all the usual suspects, including the Bermuda Triangle, Face on Mars, Mayan Calendar, >&3=--/B)8-(0)G$55)X-'5/$%B)6',) the Shroud of Turin are explained here, perhaps not to everyone’s satisfaction of course), and “Top 10 Enormous Numbers” (pretty mindboggling and esoteric). Curious about why we are so -45$55$,)1&/0)2&5/5B)H)M--32$,)V[0:) we like lists” and came up with some pretty interesting answers - along with even more lists. The longest one by far was “127 Reasons [0:)[$U%$)T65(&'6/$,)>:)8&5/5O)N/0$) bottom line is that lists seem to “help us manage the chaos of our lives”). The most helpful was a very concise NPR list of 10 reasons why we like
lists. Among the reasons are that lists /$',)/-)4$)+'&/$)6',)/0.5)5/%6'3$2:) comforting, that they seem meaningful, they “relieve stress and focus the mind,” and they “force people to say revealing things.” At least they give us something to talk about and to argue over. Who has ever seen a list of, say, the top P`)!29&5)5-'35)/06/)/0$:),&,'U/)+',) something with which to disagree? Perhaps our agreements and disagreements say a lot about who we are and what makes us tick. They are, if nothing else, a good way to stimulate discussion. The propensity for making lists might even be hardwired in our brains. How often have you asked friends, acquaintances, and even strangers about their favorite movies, books, and KI)50-15o)M%$6/)(-'9$%sation starters, or ways to make yourself a nuisance. One site summed it all up with just three items - we like to make lists because they make us appear organized, are very easy to peruse, and are very straightforward, offering us a “black and white” decision process - either we like what’s on the lists or we don’t. I was recently asked to speak to a group about my experience writing this column for so many years. Obviously thrilled (and a little apprehensive) about the prospect of doing this, I sat down and, of course, started making lists of my favorite columns, the topics I had revisited most often, and the ones I wished I had never written. All this (-'+%;$,)/06/);:)2&5/5),&,);6@$);$) 6##$6%)-%36'&]$,B)/0$:)5&;#2&+$,)6') often complex process, and they offered many opportunities for agreement and disagreement. Whether the process of making my lists reduced the chaos in my life is doubtful, however, but it was fun. So, there you have it - a little excursion into the world of lists. You can now go and compile some lists of your own while I work on one called “Top 10 Reasons Why I Should Bring This Week’s Column To An End.” See you next week with a list-less column.
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