Page 2, The Loafer • January 20, 2015
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January 20, 2015 • The Loafer, Page 3
Volume 29 Issue #7
in this issue .... 4
How things were 29 years ago.
5
The Appleseed Collective in Abingdon
6
NPAC presents River Song
8
An Evening with The Vespers
10
Acupuncture 101
18
Arts Array presents “My Old Lady”
music & fun 12 20
Spotlight - Great Music & Fun Times Crossword & Sudoku
columns & reviews
29 Years of The Loafer
14 15 19 21 22
Stargazer Skies This Week Screen Scenes - TAK3N Batteries Not Included Kelly’s Place
Publisher - Bill Williams • Editor/Graphic Arts Director - Don Sprinkle • Office Manager - Luci Tate Cover Design - Bill May Advertising - Dave Carter, Terry Patterson Contributing Staff - Jim Kelly, Andy Ross, Ken Silvers, Mark Marquette, Jessica Gilliam Published by Tree Street Media, LLC., P.O. Box 3238, Johnson City, TN 37602 Phone: 423/283-4324 FAX - 423/283-4369 www.theloaferonline.com • info@theloaferonline.com e-mail: editorial@theloaferonline.com (editorial) adcopy@theloaferonline.com (advertising) All advertisements are accepted and published by the publisher upon the representation that the agency and/or advertiser is authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The agency and/or advertiser will indemnify and save the publisher harmless from any loss of expense resulting from claims or suits based upon contents of any advertisement,including claims or suits for defamation, libel, right of privacy, plagiarism, and copyright infringement.
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1986, The Loafer’s first issue was published in the Tri-Cities area. Now 29 years later, and over 1500 issues, let’s look back at how things were then.
How Much things cost in 1986
Yearly Inflation Rate USA 1.91% Average Cost of new house $89,430 Median Price Of and Existing Home $80,300 Average Income per year $22,400.00 Average Monthly Rent $385.00 Average Price for new car $9,255.00 1 gallon of gas 89¢
Approximately Seven million Americans join hands in “Hands Across America” Popular Films
* Top Gun * Crocodile Dundee * Platoon * The Karate Kid, Part II * Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home * Aliens * Ruthless People * The Color of Money * The Money Pit
Popular Musicians
* Billy Joel * Robert Palmer * Lionel Richie * Van Halen * The Police * Debbie Harry * Simply Red * Whitney Houston with “ the greatest love of all “ * The Pretenders * Genesis * The Bangles with “ Walk Like and Egyption “ * Chris de Burgh
* Madonna with “ Papa Don’t Preach “ * Prince * Culture Club * Bruce Springsteen * Pet Shop Boys
Popular TV Shows * Magnum, P.I. * Dynasty * Falcon Crest * Hill Street Blues * Cagney and Lacey * Cheers * Fame * Family Ties * Remington Steele * The A-Team * Highway to Heaven * Murder, She Wrote * The Cosby Show * Growing Pains * The Twilight Zone
* The United Kingdom and France announce plans to construct the Channel Tunnel. * Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates after launch, killing all on board * The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station * IBM unveils the PC Convertible, the first laptop computer. * British Surgeons perform the worlds first triple transplant (Heart, Lung and Liver) * Internet Mail Access Protocol defined for e-mail transfer * The 386 series of microprocessor introduced by Intel. * Human Genome Project launched with the object to understand the human genome and therefore provide the continuing progress of medicine, It was announced in 2000 to be completed by Bill Clinton and Tony Blair. And, let’t not forget, the 1st issue of The Loafer. Thank you, our loyal readers and advertisers for keeping the The Loafer around for 29 years!
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THE APPLESEED COLLECTIVE January 24: Wolf Hills Brewery, Abingdon, VA • 5:30 pm/no cover
“The dictionary defines Americana as, ‘things associated with the culture and history of America, especially the United States.’ Well if that is the case then The Appleseed Collective is real Americana. I figured out sort of a mathematical equation last night- it’s like Satch plus Django plus Joplin plus Bob Wills plus a little Bill Monroe, but the sum is actually greater than the parts.” So said Jason Marck of WBEZ Chicago’s Morning Shift, introducing the band for a live segment in November 2014. No Americana sound could ring so true without miles of highway to back it up, and The Appleseed Collective certainly has that- 2014 has seen them travel coast to coast in support of their two studio albums, Baby to Beast (2012) and Young Love (January 2014). According to Aarik Danielsen of the Columbia Daily Tribune, “Young Love sweeps out the various corners of American music, taking a long look at both the sublime and the strange. The group explores both dark and light in a way that other string-band revivalists haven’t touched.” Formed in 2010, The Appleseed Collective has become a force of nature powered by their local community and developed by a strong sense of do-it-yourself drive. In an
age of corporations and climate change, the band’s commitment to buying & selling local, eating from gardens, and being their own bosses has led to the kind of success that feels simply organic. Each part of the Collective comes together to form an amalgam of complementary and contrasting elements. With a Motown session musician for a father, guitarist Andrew Brown was exposed to pre-World War II jazz on a trip to New Orleans. Shortly afterwards a chance meeting introduced him to Brandon Smith, violinist, mandolinist and improvisatory magician who grew up playing old time fiddle music. Vince Russo, multipercussionist and van-packing savant, blends influences of funk, jazz and rock n’ roll on the washboard. Eric Dawe comes from a background of choral singing and studies in Indian classical music and provides the bottom end on the upright bass. The whole band sings in harmony. The band’s latest release is a live album recorded in one night at world-renowned venue, The Ark in their hometown of Ann Arbor MI. On Live At The Ark (December 2014) the energy is palpable, the crowd ready to receive, and the band primed to deliver. With a mix of new and old mate-
rial, as well as a few specially requested covers, Appleseed does just that. The album balances barn burners, old soul jazz, and sparse mood pieces, all suspended above a room hungry for more. It’s a daring spectacle but it pays off- the album feels at once electric and intimate, glamorous and genuine, or as Joshua Pickard at Beats Per Minute put it, “music best served alongside a roaring campfire but that also has the ability to challenge the rafters of any grand arena.” The Appleseed Collective is not a bluegrass band. It’s not The Hot Club of Paris. It’s not a ragtime cover band. The Appleseed Collective represents Americana music rooted in traditions from
all over the world and from every decade, creating a live experience that welcomes every soul and is impossible to replicate. “Not exactly the kind of stuff you’re hearing on the radio, which is only half of what makes us think they’re pretty darn cool. But the fact that along with a mandolin, violin and banjo, they also include a washboard in their incredibly dynamic, filled-out sound...well, it doesn’t get much better than that.” - Real Detroit Weekly “The Appleseed Collective are redefining the possibilities of the folk aesthetic, with dashes of gypsy and dixie.” - Deep Cutz www.theappleseedcollective.com
Have an event coming up? Email a press release and photos to:
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River Song:
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Friday & Saturday, January 23rd & 24th at 7:30 p.m. Niswonger Performing Arts Center
Niswonger Performing Arts Center presents an all-new adaptation of the celebrated novel Tom Sawyer. Newly adapted by local director and dramatist Gerald Maloy, this production is based on tales from Mark Twain’s boyhood home. River Song includes some of the best-loved characters in literature, from the mischievous Tom Sawyer and his best pal Huckleberry Finn, to pretty Becky Thatcher, and many others. This musical production captures the spirit of 1830’s Hannibal, Missouri, with songs including the poignant title tune “River Song”, “Free-Bootin’”, and the toe-tapping “Gratification”. The songs featured in this production were originally written for a 1973 Reader’s Digest film version. The academy award winning team of Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman composed the score. In an unprecedented gesture, Richard M. Sherman has personally granted Maloy permission to use several songs for this stage adaptation. The cast largely consists of tal-
ented individuals from right here in East Tennessee. Joining the cast as “Aunt Polly” is Kathy Garver. Most fondly remembered for her starring role as “Cissy” in the long running CBS international television hit, “Family Affair”, Garver has also garnered critical acclaim in movies, stage, radio, voice-over animation, and audio book narration. An accomplished actor, director, playwright, and educator, Gerald Maloy is noted for his successful stage productions. From 2001 to 2011, Maloy served as Director of Theatre at the Morristown campus of Walters State Community College. In 2013, Walt Disney Studios recognized Maloy for a theatrical version of the 1962 Disney film Summer Magic. Gerald has taught at the elementary, middle school, high school, and college level for more than three decades. He has also directed several musicals and children’s theatre productions. In addition, Maloy is active with Camp NPAC Kids, a summer series of weeklong theatrical day
camps. He enjoys helping students to discover the wonders of classical music. River Song: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is presented by B.A.K. Management. This production will take place on Friday and Saturday, January 23rd and 24th at Niswonger Performing Arts Center (NPAC) in historic downtown Greeneville. Both performances will take begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $25 for orchestra level seating, $20 for mezzanine level seating, and $15 for balcony level seating. Tickets may be purchased online at www.npacgreeneville.com, in person at the NPAC box office, or by calling 423-638-1679. NPAC offers online seat selection and no fee ticketing. The box office hours are Monday through Friday, 10 am until 5 pm. The 1130 seat performing arts center is located adjacent to the campus of Greeneville High School in Greeneville, TN. For venue information, and to purchase tickets, please visit www.npacgreeneville.com.
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January Jams Continues! Friday, January 23rd - Mountain Stories
Ben Sollee & Special Guests David Wax Museum with Cereus Bright For listeners just discovering Ben’s music, you’ll find that there’s a lot more to it than songs. Over the 6 years following the release of his debut record, Learning to Bend, Sollee has told an unconventional story with his rugged cello playing. Like his contemporaries Chris Thile and Abigail Washburn, Sollee’s music is difficult to pin down. Following a performance at the Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series, the New York Times remarked how Sollee’s “… meticulous, fluent arrangements continually morphed from one thing to another. Appalachian mountain music gave way to the blues, and one song was appended with a fragment from a Bach cello suite, beautifully played.” It’s Ben’s quality of narrative and
presence on stage that unifies his musical influences. Special guests, David Wax Museum, will accompany Sollee on stage for this special performance dubbed “Moun-
tain Stories”. David Wax Museum have been featured on NPR and festivals all over the country, earning them fame for their Mexicanfolk style of playing.
Saturday, January 24th
Greensky Bluegrass with The Last Bison
The five members of Greensky Bluegrass have forged a defiant, powerful sound that, while rooted in classic stringband Americana, extends outwards with a fearless, exploratory zeal. The tension and release between these components – tradition and innovation, prearranged songs and improvisation, acoustic tones and electric volume – is what makes them so thrillingly
dynamic, in concert and on record. That their sound is so seamless, so organic, is testament to Greensky’s enduring vision and tireless dedication. Since their first rumblings at the start of the millennium, they have emerged as relentless road warriors, creating a captivating live show while at the same time developing a knack for evocative, disarming songcraft.
In 2012 The Last Bison seemingly rose from the marshes of southeastern Virginia to captivate the national music scene with a rare blend of music that NPR dubbed, “Classical influenced southern folk rock.” Having drawn comparisons in the past to indie superstars the likes of Mumford & Sons, The Decemberists, and Fleet Foxes, their most recent project harvests a more dynamic, and anthemic sound from the soil of their folk roots. **This will be a special extended show, doors will open early at 6:45 and the show will start at 7:30pm. Greensky will play 2 extended sets.**
Doors open at 7:15 and the shows will start at 8pm. For more information, tickets or packages, call Barter Theatre Box Office at 276-628-3991 or go online at www. bartertheatre.com. A complete lineup of the 2015 Abingdon Music Experience series can be found online at www.abingdonmusicexperience.com.
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An Evening with The Vespers with guest Annabelle’s Curse on Friday January 23rd -- part of the Engage Kingsport Performing Arts Series 2015 The Kingsport Office of Cultural Arts and Engage Kingsport present an evening with The Vespers and special guest Annabelle’s Curse on January 23, 2015 at the beautiful Renaissance Arts Center Theatre in Kingsport. This show is part of the Engage Kingsport Performing Arts Series of 2015. All tickets are for reserved seats and available now at www.EngageKingsport.com or by calling the Office of Cultural Arts at (423) 3928414.
The Vespers are an Americana/ folk/roots band from Nashville, TN. The band is made up of two brothers, Taylor and Bruno Jones, and two sisters, Callie and Phoebe Cryar. Bruno plays upright bass, guitar, a little banjo, ukulele, and mandolin. Taylor Jones plays drums, percussion, vocals, and mandolin. Callie plays guitar, ukulele, banjo, electric bass, lead vocals, and low harmony. Phoebe plays guitar, banjo, accordion, mandolin, ukulele, lead vocals and low harmony. A vesper is an evening prayer. All four members were born and raised in Nashville. Callie and Phoebe, daughters of Christian artist Morgan Cryar, sang background vocals on Music Row from a young age. Taylor and Bruno had grown up influenced heavily
by their father’s music collection, which included everything from gritty southern rock to soul. The two sets of siblings met each other at a mutual friend’s campfire. In May 2009, the four came together and played for the first time, originally just playing songs that the Cryar sisters had written. “Things progressed in a way that none of us really could have predicted,” says Callie. “We knew that it was an intriguing sound, and we liked what was happening,” adds Bruno. By the following winter, they made their first record, Tell Your Mama, and released it in March 2010. The record was received with critical acclaim. It is “a blend of bluegrass, folk, & alternative music all held together tightly by Callie & Phoebe’s angelic harmonies & Taylor & Bruno’s hypnotic
The Vespers ..... Continued on page 11
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Carter Family Fold presents the Junior Blankenship Band
Saturday, January 24th, 2015, at 7:30 p.m., the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia, will present a concert of bluegrass music by the Junior Blankenship Band. Admission to the concert is $10 for
ard Blankenship, drove Dr. Ralph Stanley’s tour bus for many years. Junior and his father formed a band called the Rocky Mountain Boys. Soon after that, Ralph Stanley called Junior and asked him to become a Clinch Mountain Boy after Keith Whitley left their group. Junior was only seventeen at the time. He stayed with Dr. Stanley until 1989. Since then he has played with such greats as Ralph Stanley II, Ernie Thacker and Route 23, and Sammy Adkins and the Sandy Hook Mountain Boys. Junior’s unique style of cross picking earned him the privilege of recording with such greats as George Jones, Vince Gill, Emmy Lou Harris, Tom T. Hall, Dwight Yoakam, adults, $1 for children 6 to 11, un- and Bill Monroe. Still playing the der age 6 free. old traditional style music with a Junior Blankenship was raised mix of more modern music, Junior where mountain bluegrass was has formed his own band – the Jua corner stone to the family cul- nior Blankenship Band. ture. Junior’s father, the late HillJunior will be playing lead gui-
tar and doing lead vocals. Gary Moore will be featured on mandolin and vocals. His wife, Serita Moore, will be playing the upright bass and helping out on vocals. Dwayne Runyon will be featured on the banjo and also on vocals. There will be lots of dancing and lots of down-home fun. You can check out Junior’s playing style on You Tube. Don’t miss the Junior Blankenship Band at the Carter Family Fold! Carter Family Memorial Music Center, Incorporated, is a nonprofit, rural arts organization established to preserve traditional, acoustic, mountain music. Shows from the Carter Family Fold can be
accessed on the internet at www. carterfoldshow.com. Carter Music Center is part of the Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. You can visit the Crooked Road Music Trail site at http:// thecrookedroad.org. Partial funding for programs at the center is provided by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. For recorded information on shows coming up at the Fold, call 276386-6054. The Fold is on Facebook – page Carter Fold – and Twitter – Twitter @carterfoldinfo. To speak to a Fold staff member, call 276594-0676.
Be the first to hear this music! On January 23, three of your favorite musicians from Kids Our Age and Limited Edition will play your favorite dancing tunes! Jim Philyaw, Jim Lane and Bruce Rush are combining their talents for a one time event-don’t miss it! Join the fun at the Jonesborough Visitors Center and dance away those winter blahs! Dance begins at 7:00 with line dance lessons offered by the McConnells 6:30.Cost $6. For additional information call 423-952-0772.
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Acupuncture 101:
What you should know if you are considering acupuncture The earliest evidence of acupuncture dates back thousands of years, likely beginning in the Stone Age when stone, or ‘Bian,’ knives were used in China. Today, the popularity of the eastern form of medicine has grown significantly, especially in the United States. “The World Health Organization has a long list of diseases and conditions that have researched evidence toward acupuncture’s benefit,” said Dr. Anton Borja, director of the Integrative Medicine Clinic in East Tennessee State University’s Department of Family Medicine. “Pain – both acute and chronic -- is a huge symptom that acupuncture can benefit. It’s also used to help with osteoarthritis.” Those suffering from headaches, depression or anxiety can also benefit from acupuncture. “It’s also an adjunctive treatment when undergoing treatment – it has been shown to be very good for nausea,” Borja said. “And the military supports it for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction to pain medicine.” Borja began offering acupuncture at the Family Medicine clinic in Johnson City last year and says it has been well received. “We’ve had a really great response,” Borja said, noting he has expanded to also include other forms of eastern medicine. “And we’re trying to expand even more now.” On a patient’s first acupuncture visit, Borja will sit with the person and “chat” for a while. “Then I’ll start asking you a lot of questions you’ve never had a doctor ask you before – questions about sleeping patterns, bowel movements, energy levels,” he said. “I also check pulses and I look at your tongue.” The tongue, Borja explained, is seen in Chinese medicine as an internal organ that is externally visible. “The way the tongue looks can tell you a lot,” he said, noting he checks its color and thickness as well as any cracks on the tongue. Next comes the needles, but those with a fear of sharp objects need not panic. “An acupuncture needle is about as thin as a hair. It’s made to slide into the skin without causing pain,” Borja said. “However, there is a sensation we try to get with acupuncture. We call it the ‘good sensation.’ It’s an aching, electrical sensation. You want that. It is telling me the needles are in the
place where I want them to be.” The needles target areas of the body where there are high levels of nerve fibers. There are nearly 400 such points that can be used in acupuncture, each one designated to help specific conditions, Borja said. “I tell all my patients that acupuncture is not a magical treatment. By the fourth treatment, you should have seen some benefit. You’d be surprised, though, how many people see major improvement after just one treatment. I’ve had patients literally say, ‘I’ve been suffering from this pain for years and acupuncture is the only thing that helps me.’” While acupuncture has become increasingly more common, it is important to note that most health insurance still does not cover it in Tennessee. “We try to keep it very inexpensive for our patients because we realize this,” Borja said. For more information about acupuncture or the Integrative Medicine clinic at ETSU Family Medicine Associates, call 423-4396464. The clinic is located at 918 W. Walnut St.
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The Vespers ..... Continued from page 8 rhythms.” --Music City Interactive They spent the next two years on tour, performing “anywhere people would let [them]”. In the beginning of 2011, they began to think about their next record, writing most of their songs while on the road. They recorded the new music in two pieces, during breaks from touring in May and August 2011, with the help of producers Anderson East and Daniel Scobey. This second record, The Fourth Wall was released on April 3, 2012. The band stated that the ‘fourth wall’ refers to the invisible wall between the performers and the audience, and their goal is to break down that wall with each show. Sisters and Brothers, the band’s third album, is due to be released on February 10, 2015 “The Vespers are on the verge of breaking through The Fourth Wall. The Vespers better get ready to lead a life less normal.” — Huffington Post “The Vespers are fresh and infectious. The sisters’ ethereal look and sound is grounded by the brothers’ tight and creative rhythm section. I’ve seen them mesmerize audiences live several times and look forward to having them back.” — Todd Mayo, Music
City Roots Special guest opening the show: Annabelle’s Curse Annabelle’s Curse is an emotional compulsion. They are a cry of camaraderie to the wasted youth of our generation, an emulsion of the hope and the wickedness in our hearts. Hailing from Bristol, Virginia, an area that throbs as the heart of Appalachian roots music, they have traveled beyond long-established folk to craft a profoundly distinctive and soaring sound. While deeply grounded in musical tradition, each song offers the contrast of strong progression woven with striking
banjo and guitar riffs, evocative lyrical harmony, stirring imagery, and infectious energy. They lovingly produce dynamic and explosive music dealing with powerful themes of the human condition that resonate with each listener. Annabelle’s Curse has generated a family of followers moved to stomp until the floorboards split, clap until their hands are numb, and howl until their voices crack. Together, they burst. All reserved seats: $20 EngageKingsport.com Renaissance Arts Center Theatre 1200 E. Center St. Kingsport (423) 392-8414
‘GET IT BY THE POUND’
Pound Sale at Goodwill Processing Facility Are you looking for a great deal on clothes, toys, books, and housewares? Stop by the Goodwill Processing Center, located at 3020 Brookside Drive, every Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to take advantage of our pound sale! Cus-
tomers are able to look through tables full of donated items and purchase items for $1.10 per pound. By hosting this pound sale, Goodwill is able to give donated items one last chance to be sold before being recycled. The pro-
ceeds from the pound sales and all our retail stores help fund our employment service programs for individuals with barriers to employment. For questions, please call the Goodwill office at 423-245-0600.
Classes offered at Princeton Arts Center Princeton Arts Center on Oakland Ave. in Johnson City has the perfect class for your young musician and performer for only $20 per month! Classes meet once a week for
30 minutes and will be available through May. Guitar classes for ages 6-adult will no books to buy. Vocal classes taught by an i-Tunes Artist and former Male Vocalist of the Year
are available for ages 7-18! Piano classes for ages 5-10 with no books to buy! Acting classes for ages 7-12. To schedule your class which will begin in February, phone 283-5800.
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Amazing Rover Reaches 11th Year It’s been driving backwards for years, dragging one of six wheels, and lately it forgets what it did all day before saying goodnight. The amazing NASA robotic rover Opportunity celebrates its 11th birthday this week. Guaranteed to last 90 days when it landed on the Red Planet on Jan. 24, 2004, more than 3,900 days later a generation of planetary scientists have been trained while running the mission at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, Calif. The size of a golf cart and weighing 400 pounds, Mars Excursion Rover (MER) Opportunity has a $400 million twin, Spirit, which landed twenty days before and lasted more than 7 years exploring the planet. Spirit succumbed in March 2010 to power failure after getting stuck in a hole at an angle that wouldn’t allow the solar panels to get enough recharging sunlight. Both MERs were landed in spots where Mars orbiters had found evidence of previous bodies of water—Spirit in a former lake inside Gusev Crater and Opportunity in corner of a suspected flood plain at Meridiani Planum. Indeed, plenty water evidence was found. Spirit found clay and all kinds of layered rocks. Opportunity landed in a 100-foot crater and opened its eyes to a layered sediment of outcropping—quite a cosmic hole-in-one! Mars orbits the Sun every 687 days, and it’s tilted axis produces weather seasons. So through five Martian years the rovers have experienced weather cycles. Such data is invaluable in understanding the atmospheric patterns around the alien globe, 4,200 miles wide or twice the Moon or half the size of Earth. Mars lost most of its atmosphere one or two billion years ago, so at
the surface the air of mostly carbon dioxide is not even one per cent of the Earth’s. This makes a temperature layer that might be 40 degrees at the soil, 0 F degrees three foot above and -20 below just 10 feet off the surface. Mars is a cold, cold place—much like Antarctica Despite the puny atmosphere, Mars has some dynamic weather including localized dust devils and global dust storms. It’s these dust devils that have blown off the MER solar panels, one unexpected factor in their surprising longevity. Fine dust is everywhere on the planet, belched out by a half dozen gigantic volcanoes on the North Hemisphere created the Tharsis Bulge. The iron oxide in the dust rusted and that’s what gives Mars its reddish tint that can be a brilliant, star-like ruby in the night sky every two years when Earth is closest to the planet. Seven success orbiters since the mid 1970s have given us a details that in some ways surpass our knowledge of Earth. We know This Tharsis Bulge of volcanic plains makes Mars lopsided with highlands, while the Southern Hemisphere appears to be mostly the lowlands several oceans. One volcano, Mons Olympus is 13 miles high its base would cover the state of Colorado. The others are also shield volcanoes well over 7 miles high. East of the Tharsis Bulge is the largest canyon in the Solar System, Valles Marinis, stretching 2,000 miles in a complex system that is a rip in the global crust, unlike the Colorado River that carved our Grand Canyon—puny in comparison. All this dramatic geology adds up to a violent era of Mars’ early age and sometime after there was water. But where it came from,
how long it lasted and where it went is still a mystery. But the MER robots have found conclusive evidence of flowing water and lots of it. These roving missions would not be possible without computer memory driving the vehicles with smart technology that allows decision to be made as to the travel route, avoiding dangerous rocks and holes. Plus there is a 30 minute or so one-way delay for radio signals to travel the 200 plus million miles to Mars. Opportunity has recently has had bouts of amnesia as its Flash memory has had problems sending data and rebooting. That problem has kept the MER team busy in January 2015. Opportunity has spent the past two years wandering around
the edge of a 13-mile-wide crater named Endeavour. This month it reached a high point on the rim of this crater blasted out by a meteor impact maybe three billion years ago. NASA orbiters have located clay deposits near Opportunity, and it is roving in that direction for several months of analysis with it chemical detectors, microscope and drills. The robotic geologists have stereo cameras 5 feet off the ground and able to swivel 360 degrees, giving a human perspective to the terrain. A 6-foot robotic arm can move like a human arm and at the end are instruments that can be put against a rock. Those instruments include a Mössbauer Spectrometer for closeup investigations of the mineralogy of iron-bearing rocks and
soils and an Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer for close-up analysis of the abundances of elements that make up rocks and soils. And a Rock Abrasion Tool to scour a rock and reveal its surface under the coating of rusted volcanic dust. There is also a simple bar magnet. Spirit explored a range of small mountains called Columbia Hills after the astronauts who perished in the Space Shuttle disaster, traveling 5 miles. But Opportunity has been truckin’ for more than a decade and will hit 26 miles in Spring 2015. How much longer it will function is anybody’s guess. Among the discoveries and Spirit and Opportunity: • Conclusive evidence at both
Stargazer .....
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Celestial events in the skies for the week of Jan. 20th - Jan. 26th, 2015 as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette. The moon dance in our evening skies begins again this month, and the winter weather makes it not so marvelous. But you can look out your south-facing windows and easily see the Moon, sparing yourself from the outdoor cold. The thin crescent on Wednesday between Venus and Mercury will set the stage for eyes looking up at La Luna all week. The familiar Orion and company are high in the east as planet Jupiter is well above the horizon at 10 pm.
Tues. Jan. 20
Happy birthday to Apollo 11
with a tripod, telephoto lens and a variety of exposure options.
At 7 pm looking east one will see the brightest stars of the night making a huge “Winter Triangle.” Thurs. Jan. 22 The Moon is next to Mars to- Orion is easily seen, and its red night, setting around 8 pm. On should star Betelgeuse is the top this 1978 date in space history, the of the triangle. Procyon is to the resupply ship Progress 1 docked left and just above the horizon is with the Salyut 6 space station. To- Sirius, the brightest of the stars. day, the same style Russian Prog- Sat. Jan. 24 ress is used to ferry supplies to On this 1985 date in space histhe International Space Station. In tory, Discovery blasted into space. 1992, NASA launched Space Shut- The quick, three-day voyage by tle Discovery. Seven astronauts five astronauts was a Top Secret worked for 8 days in the Spacelab mission of the Department of Demodule in the cargo bay, mostly fense which deployed a sophistion effects of microgravity on a va- cated spy satellite called Magnum ELINT. In 1986, NASA’s Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past Uranus, taking eight years to reach the seventh planet. Voyager 2 gave mankind it’s only close-up views of Uranus 28 years ago.
Sun. Jan. 25
moonwalker Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, 85, who landed on the first historic Moon landing with commander Neil Armstrong, deceased. Aldrin is the astronaut standing in the small crater on the Moon in the iconic image that has Armstrong reflected in the helmet faceplate. Known as “Dr. Rendezvous” as he did the math and figured out how to dock two objects traveling in orbit at 17,500 mph. His two spacewalks on Gemini 12 in 1966 solved problems with training and the spacesuit and were crucial to the success of his July 1969 moon walk.
riety of organisms. In 1998 Endeavour was launched on the eighth of nine Shuttle missions to Russia’s Mir space station and the fifth exchange of American astronauts. Seven crewmen were launched with Andrew Thomas, and he was left as Dave Wolf returned after four months on Mir.
Fri. Jan. 23
On this 2004 date in space history, Mars Excursion Rover named Opportunity landed on the Red Planet, and it’s still alive and well! Eleven years later, the golf-cartsized, six-wheeled Opportunity has driven 26 miles, and currently is at the rim of a 13-mile wide crater. NASA’s amazing robot success story was built for $400 million and guaranteed to last 90 days, and 3,900-plus days later, the American taxpayer has gotten their money’s worth!
Mon. Jan. 26
At 8 pm looking east the planet Jupiter is high enough to draw attention. Even brighter than the brightest star, Sirius, way to its right, Jupiter will dominate the late winter and early spring skies.
Wed. Jan. 21
The extremely thin crescent Moon will be between brilliant Venus, left, and fainter Mercury, right. Use binoculars to see the Moon in this triple conjunction. This is a great photo opportunity
Crescent moon photo by Mark Marquette
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Zombies and more at Acoustic Coffeehouse Renee is a Zombie Wed. Jan 21st @ 10pm
Renee, a one woman multi-instrumental loop performance, the head of an arts collective, a retired third grade teacher, and of course, a zombie. At the present moment, she’s driving an ambiguous white van (named Grumbledor) around the Southeast, touring her latest release, “u are the u”. Her performance is anything but another “singer-songwriter;” it’s a symphony of vocal harmonies, accordion, classical guitar, glockenspiel, ukulele, flute and percussion. All of these, the little zombie mixes and layers like chocolate cake until they blend together to highligh lyrics that are intricate, poetic and only sometime sardonic. When she isn’t actively on tour herself, Renee is an advocate and consultant for other aspiring artists through her organization: Zombies and Lizards Collective. Find out more about the collective, her music and her upcoming performances at Zombiesandlizards.com
Tommy C Lewis Thurs. Jan 22 @ 10pm
Performing Thursday, January 22nd at 8pm is Nashville based singer/songwriter Tommy C. Lewis. Tommy has traveled the country as half of Americana duo Lindgren and Lewis, named “one of the best new bands” in 2013 by music review The Insider Sessions. The music is called “Twang and Soul”, safely straddling the line between commercial country music and the indieAmericana tone of many Red Dirt artists and folk performers. With a solo album in the works, you can find Tommy’s work in Lindgren and Lewis’s two albums, “Everything We Are” (2013) and “Gulf Coast Moon” (2014), available on Spotify, iTunes, and Amazon. Visit www.tommylewis.net for more information. The Acoustic Coffeehouse is located at 415 W. Market Street, Johnson City, TN www.acousticcoffeehoue.net (423)434-9872
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January 20, 2015 • The Loafer, Page 17
Stargazer ..... Continued from page 14
MER landing sites that conditions were once favorable to support life possibly as complex as plants, fish and mammals. • Photographed earth-like cirrus clouds and dust devils that have cleaned the rovers’ solar panels • A basketball-sized meteorite of nickel and iron, the first alien rock on an alien world. Three more Martian meteorites have been found • Iron-rich balls of hematite
dubbed “blueberries” for their size scattered across Opportunity’s landing site by the millions, giving more evidence of water • The first photos of star-like Earth from an alien surface; first photo of a comet from another world (Comet Siding-Spring’s close pass in 2014) • A thin, bright vein of gypsum that was deposited by liquid water billions of years ago along the rim of Endeavour Crater.
• Pure silica discovered when Spirit’s lame wheel dragged up a trench of the white mineral, which is made on Earth by hydrothermal vents like at Yellowstone Park. The amazing missions of Spirit and Opportunity are among NASA’s biggest success stories. And the MER discoveries have laid the ground work for the new Mars rover on the surface, Curiosity, now two years on Mars. Curiosity is at the base of a
three-mile-high Mt. Sharp, exploring where streams once flowed down, as seen by the orbiting spacecraft. The $2.5 billion mile rover is the size of a SUV and its array of science instruments includes a powerful laser to scorch rocks and smell the vapors. Curiosity is making more discoveries of watery evidence, including streams filled with watereroded pebbles and all the chemistry to make a liquid environment
for microbial life and more. One fact about Mars is now certain: if life never did evolve, it missed a good opportunity. The robots moving about Mars are extensions of mankind’s senses. And the only “sense” you can make of the decades of data is life once flourished on Mars. Now the big question is what happened to those living creatures?
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Arts Array presents
“My Old Lady” The Arts Array Film Series presented by Virginia Highlands Community College is in its 44th year. All films are presented at the Abingdon Cinemall on Mondays and Tuesdays at 4 p.m. and again at 7:30 pm. My Old Lady (January 26 and 27) Despondent New Yorker Mathias Gold ventures to Paris with plans of liquidating the apartment inherited from his late father, but runs into an unexpected roadblock when he discovers that the flat is currently inhabited by his father’s former lover, an elderly Englishwoman named Mathilde Girard, and her adult daughter Chloé. Realizing he’s reached an impasse, Mathias convinces her to enter into a tentative lodging agreement. The Arts Array Film Series is part of the comprehensive cultural outreach program of Virginia Highlands Community College. The series is co-sponsored by the Abingdon Cinemall, the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Emory& Henry College, and King University. Admission to the films is free for the faculties and students at the supporting institutions. Members of the general community may attend for $7.75.
Fundraiser Jonesborough Library Wednesday, January 28 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Gray Library Thursday, January 29 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Join us at the Jonesborough Library on January 28 or the Gray Library on January 29 for the “Souper Bowl!” The Friends of
For a brochure on the series or more information, please contact Tommy Bryant at 276-739-2451 or email him at tbryant@vhcc.edu.
the Washington County Library will be serving a variety of soups and chilies for lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., or while supplies last. You can eat-in or come to our convenient drive-through for pick-up. Friends will be making deliveries for group orders around Jonesborough only. The Friends’ menu will include a choice of taco soup, vegetable soup, red chili, and a white chicken chili. With the soup you will receive a side salad, crackers, and brownie for dessert. All of this for a minimum of an $8.00 donation! Order forms are available at the Jonesborough and Gray Libraries. To ensure you get your selection, large groups are encouraged to turn in a completed check-off order form by the close of business on Monday, January 26 at both libraries. Individuals and small groups may order at any time. For groups of 10 or more, and for deliveries in Jonesborough, we ask that you turn in orders on Monday, January 26, by 8:00 p.m. For more information, please call the Jonesborough Library at 753-1800, or the Gray Library at 477-1550.
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January 20, 2015 • The Loafer, Page 19
TAK3N When I first saw a preview for the new film “Taken 3”, altered to “TAK3N”, I groaned in the theater. I thought poor Liam Neeson is doing ANOTHER “Taken” film? I thought the series was exhausted with “Taken 2” in 2012. Never fear, as long as a buck is to be made, Hollywood will bleed a movie series dry. So, it was with a bit of hesitation I ventured to the theater to take in the latest adventure of Bryan Mills (Neeson), a former CIA operative. In the latest effort, set entirely in Los Angeles, the story begins with Bryan visiting his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace), a college student, on her birthday. After exchanging pleasantries, Bryan heads home where he is visited by his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen), who admits she is having problems with her new husband Stuart St. John (Dougary Scott). Little does Lenore know, the problems with St. John are about to intensify. In fact, the next day Lenore is found murdered at Bryan’s home, and when he discovers Lenore’s body, the police burst in and arrest him. Bryan, being an ex-CIA operative, uses his skills to escape from the police and sets out to prove he is innocent. Bryan’s efforts to discover the true killer of Lenore lead him to get aid from his CIA colleagues. Meanwhile, the L.A. police are hot on Bryan’s trail, and almost derail his efforts to catch the person responsible. As the plot proceeds, Bryan uncovers many shocks and surprises in his investigation, and the expected showdown with the bad guys leads to the satisfying but predictable conclusion. While the film is entertaining, it appears to have borrowed several aspects from the “Fast & Furious” film series, especially in some of the more outrageous chase sequences.
The actors manage to do fine with the material, with Neeson again fitting into the role of Bryan Mills like an old shoe. While adding nothing new to the action genre, “TAK3N” did manager to keep me interested, but I really hope this is the last time we will be “taken”.
Rated PG-13
B-
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More Words on Records and Food I like records. I like records a lot. This is not a shock to anyone who knows me, nor is it a shock to anyone who has been a longtime reader of this column. It’s been fascinating to me that over the past two years records are becoming more and more commonplace, again. I love it, personally. You can tell too that the music business has embraced the return of vinyl whole heartedly. Last year, for the first time since iTunes launched, the sale of digital music slipped. CDs sales were, not surprising, down too. What didn’t slip? Vinyl records. Not only did vinyl records not slide in sales, they reached an all time high not seen in nearly two decades. In 2014 the sale of new vinyl records increased 49% from 2013. Nearly eight million records were sold last year. I’ve been a—and I don’t particuarly like this term—serious collector for a good decade or so. I’ve seen the growth first hand. I’ve seen record shops expand and grow. I’ve seen the demographics in record shows expand too. From people my age when I was in my early twenties, to kids and teenagers in my mid twenties, to the most fascinating part I’ve begun to notice in the last two years or so. Baby Boomers, returning to reclaim their long lost collections, either from original pressings, or new gussied up re-issues. Over Christmas I even saw turntables for sale inside of Belk. Belk, ladies and gents, where I go to get bowties and my grandmother gets her perfume. Record players. It’s come a long way. I’m not here to beat the drum on why you should buy records, I’m not getting into that. I’m merely offering my observations. I’ve seen it go from buying records online from Insound, to walking
into local shops, big and small, and seeing record players. You can buy Taylor Swift’s last album on vinyl for crying out loud! To me, it’s really fascinating to note that there is now an entire generation that has grown up only knowing of iTunes as a way to buy music. I wonder what buying records for them is like? They skipped CDs entirely, went straight back for the vinyl. Maybe it’s akin to what I’ve said before, you can’t get more anti-iTunes than vinyl. It’s big, it’s physical, and you literally can see the music. Along with the growth has come labels having more and more fun with releases, in some ways making instant collector items. The concept of making something with a sheen of collectablity right out of the gate isn’t new. The first UK pressing of Elvis Costello’s second album, “This Year’s Model,” was deliberately issued with a misprinted cover to give it that sheen. Two of the first big indie release of this year, the new albums from Scottish band Belle & Sebastian— their first in five years—and the
new return album by decade long absent Sleater-Kinney (one of my top ten favorite bands) are both being issued in regular and deluxe vinyl editions. The Sleater-Kinney album, “No Cities to Love,” is coming as a Two LP, heavy vinyl pressing on white vinyl, with two exclusive songs on the 2nd record, an etching on that record’s side two, a double sided poster, and different cover art. The Belle & Sebastian record, on the other hand, has one of the more crazy deluxe editions I’ve seen for a new album. “Girls In Peacetime Want to Dance” has a standard double album issue, or a deluxe four LP box set edition that features extended mixes, two bonus songs, and a different running order. Naturally, these deluxe editions both increase the price tag slightly, or in the case of the Belle and Sebastian box set—significantly. There’s no sign that sales are going to slow down anytime soon. You shouldn’t feel as if you need to rush out and buy a turntable, but for those of us who love this 12
inch discs of joy, it’s a darn exciting time to be a record nerd. For me I’m going to get the deluxe of the Sleater-Kinney record, but as much as I do like Belle & Sebas-
tian, I’m gonna wait to see what the reviews are before I think about spending $60 for a 4 LP version of it. See you next week.
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Will This Be The Year of Nixie?
The recent International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has sent gadget freaks into a frenzy as they try to sort out the significance of all the stuff they saw on the showroom floor in Las Vegas. It remains to be seen if this cornucopia of pop culture will seriously alter our lives this year, but we have certainly seen our share of prognosticators who are all-too-eager to tell us how their favorite gadgets will remake civilization as we know it; of course, the nay-sayers are also quick to point out how these same gadgets might indeed spell the end of civilization as we know it. Regardless of where you stand, however, this is always an interesting debate to follow each January. According to Ben Parr, writing in an INC blog dated January 11, 2015, the CES show proved that “Cable is dead and your car is a supercomputer [because] a future powered by Web television and connected cars is closer than you may think.” He then goes on to give us five tech trends to watch during the coming year. First, he believes that “Technology is killing cable bundles.” That’s right, we appear to be witnessing the last days of cable TV as streaming ushers in the golden age of Web television. That makes me feel really proactive since my household said
goodbye to cable TV two years ago. However, I feel very inadequate because, although we are the proud owners of a little hockey-puckshaped Apple TV thingie, we watch our movies and streaming video on a very antiquated 1080i (not p) digital monitor. After following the CES show news, I realize we will have to hang our heads in shame until we can see fit to replace our prehistoric set with an 80” curved screen monitor bringing the magic of UHD, 8K, SUHD, and Quantum Dot Technology (QDT—sounds like an insecticide, doesn’t it?) into our living room. Although all this might not spell the immediate demise of Cable TV, “cable bundles are destined to die a slow, painful death.” Needless to say, I intend on waiting around another year in order to witness all this Ultra HD stuff being available at bargain-basement prices (signaling, of course, the introduction of next year’s new 16K 100’’ Beyond Ultra Round Screen Monitors With Hologram Projection Capabilities). Second, in the understatement of the year, Parr tells us that “Connected is the new catchword.” It seems that the long-touted “Internet of Things” (IoT) has arrived in a very big way as we find ourselves surrounded by “connected furniture, cars, toothbrushes, and light bulbs,” not to mention the next
wave of smart thermostats. Add to this the ubiquitous appearance of various health monitoring devices that are worn on our wrists and around our necks—no doubt, next year will feature the implantation of these devices under our skin. At this point, let me recommend two essential books that will enlighten and sometimes frighten you about all this IoT stuff: ENCHANTED OBJECTS: DESIGN, HUMAN DESIRE, AND THE INTERNET OF THINGS, by David Rose and THE GLASS CAGE: AUTOMATION AND US, by Nicholas Carr. Keep these books handy as you contemplate your brand new smart thermostat. Parr then alerts us to the fact that our “next car will be more computer than transportation device.” We won’t have to wait for driverless cars to appear on our highways, however, because many car manufacturers are already equipping their automobiles with tons of automated devices that can do everything from automatically braking to parking. These vehicles will ease us into a future filled with driverless cars and will, as Nicholas Carr points out in THE GLASS CAGE, dramatically change definitions of liability and responsibility, not to mention what it means to be human. All this leads to the realization that the “car is becoming the ultimate connected device,” a rolling museum of IoT if you will. Parr’s fourth point focuses on “fitness, health, and beauty” and shows how our bodies will soon become ground zero for the Internet of Things. For instance, in addition to endless assortments of smart wristbands and health apps, Panasonic “had one of the coolest pieces of tech this year: a smart mirror with a screen that shows you how your makeup and appearance will look in different settings [and] Interaxon showed off the next generation of its Muse brain-sensing headband, use for attention and
emotional training.” Wonder if I’m ready for some of this “attention and emotional training,” whatever they might entail? Finally, Parr probably doesn’t have to remind us that “Apple is still the king of consumer electronics,” as CES attendees were all abuzz with leaked news about “the new Macbook Air and Apple Watch,” neither of which made an appearance at the CES extravaganza, but will no doubt soon be generating long lines at the Apple store. As interesting as these five trends are, I nominate Nixie as the product to watch this year. Not yet available for purchase and still in the experimental stage, this little device, the brainchild of Jelena Jovanovic and Christoph Kohstall, takes emerging drone technology to a whole new (and perhaps ridiculous) level. Inspired by our selfie culture and need for constant video feedback, Nixie is the world’s first wristwatch drone. Yes, you read that correctly. Nixie initially looks like a rather peculiar wristwatch until it flies off your arm into the air, ready to take the most amazing selfies ever. Just
watch the several YouTube videos that show it in its prototype stages, flying off several wrists. No price has been set, but Jovanovic and Kohstall are engaged in a $500,000 Kickstarter-like campaign to raise the funds that will result in all of us being able to purchase one of these neat little watch-like devices and then taking our selfies to new heights (pun intended). Nixie seems to me to be the appropriate symbol, not only for the Internet of Things, but also for our desire to wed selfinfatuation with technology. And I have faith that this product will see the light of day. After all, how can it fail, given that Kohstall is the author of an impressive-sounding tome, METASTABILITY AND CHOERENCE OF REPULSIVE POLARONS IN A STRONGLY INTERACTING FERMI MIXTURE. Got that on your nightstand yet? With all that said, I will bid you a fond farewell as I try to think of ways I can incorporate my weekly column into the Internet of Things. Suggestions are always welcome. See you next week.
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