9
“Freedom Anthem” at LampLight Theatre
15
Arts In The Park Artists’ Deadline
...plus so much more
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July 28, 2015 | The Loafer | Page 3
Volume 29 • Issue #34
VA Highlands Festival 2015
Publisher Luci Tate Editor Graphic Arts Director Don Sprinkle
pages 4 & 5
Office Manager Luci Tate Cover Design Bill May Advertising Dave Carter Terry Patterson Lori Hughes Contributing Staff Jim Kelly Andy Ross Ken Silvers Mark Marquette Brian McManus Joshua Hicks Karie Grace Duncan Brian Bishop Nathan Cox Published by Pulse Publishing, 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.
Founder: Bill Williams
happenings 6 7 8 9 11 13 14 15 21 22 25 26 27
Appalachian Challenge SUP & Kayak Race Song of the Mountains Featuring Jim Lauderdale 6th Annual Elvis Extravaganza WWP Show Whiskey Sticks Take Over Winged Deer Hands On! August Events Kinsport Ballet Students to Prestigious Programs Largest Rob-Con Comic Book Convention WKMA Spotlights Makers in New Exhibit Books About Roan Mountain & Clinchfield No. 1 23rd Annual South Holston Lake & River CleanUp A Celebration Of Song and Story Rhythms Of The Mountain Empire Summer Harvest Potluck
music & fun 16 28
Spotlight - Great Music & Fun Times Crossword & Sudoku
12 18 19 20 23 24 29 30
Batteries Not Included - Flossing Your Life Away Stargazer - Blue Moon, Super Moon, Full Moon, Shoot The Moon! Skies This Week She Does It Herself - Floor Pillows The Trivial Traveler - Visiting the Oval Office Screen Scenes - “Ant Man” Lock, Stock & Barrel - Black Rifle Debate Kelly’s Place - Are You Depressed? Just Ask Your Phone
columns & reviews
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Create Your Own Adventure at the 67th Annual Virginia Highlands Festival
The 67th Annual Virginia Highlands Festival offers a full schedule of new events and returning favorites. Held July 31 – August 9, the Festival features a regionally-renowned antiques market, juried arts and crafts show, live music, free children’s activities, guided nature walks and more! This year’s theme, “Create Your Own Adventure,” invites you to discover all that Abingdon has to offer! Take a trip through the area’s rich history on the new Abingdon Historic Homes Tour, explore the surrounding landscape on a forest ecology hike, or take to the skies for a bird’s eye view of it all on a vintage biplane ride. With so many adventures to choose from, the excitement never ends! Ben Jennings, this year’s President, says, “Every year Abingdon throws a party and invites the region to come and enjoy all of the hundreds of events that have been organized by the Virginia Highlands Festival Board. We hope that visitors from outside the region will stay for several days and take in plays at Barter Theatre, hike the Virginia Creeper Trail, eat at Abingdon’s first-class restaurants, and soak up the town’s ambience.” Go on a treasure hunt and discover that perfect, rare item at the Festival’s hugely popular Antiques Market. Browse antiques from around the world through the many booths that will fill two large tents adjacent to the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center. Vendors are continuously restocking, so be sure to visit daily. The Antiques Market will be open every day from August 1 – August 9, 10 am to 6 pm, though it will close early, at 5 pm on Sunday Aug. 9. Also check out the dozens of vendors from around the country at the Juried Arts and Crafts show kicking off the Festival July 31 and continuing every day until August 9. With many new vendors, visitors are sure to find fun crafts and unique gifts. For a complete list of vendors, visit the Festival’s website. “Even though Arts and Crafts and the Antiques Markets are our anchors, if all you do at the Festival is these two activities, you’re missing out on the adventure of the summer.” said Executive Director Becky Caldwell. “With outdoor adventures, local history, performing arts, and so much more, there’s a lot to discover within this year’s Festival!” The Festival’s Outdoor Adventures activities include wetland walks in St. Paul and Saltville and hunting for salamanders on Mt. Rogers and hellbenders in the Clinch River. Active adventures include cycling on the Creeper Trail, kayaking on the Clinch and exploring the Channels State Park and hiking Sugar Hill. The nearby town of St. Paul is the focus of several planned adventures with suggestions for more places to discover. Music lovers can’t miss the Celtic Ceilidh, with performances by Appalachian Highlanders, the
BorderCollies, Barleyjuice, Sharon Knight, and Tuatha Dea. This one day only musical event promises to transport you to another time and place through an eclectic mix of melodic to mayhem. Be sure to be there Sunday, August 2, from 1 pm to 9 pm for these high energy performances! Dance returns to the Festival with performances by two new dance companies and free workshops. Galumpha’s award winning choreography will bring you to your feet with their blend of stunning acrobatics and special effects. Travel to an exotic land with a trio of dancers from Apsaras Classical Indian Dance. Receive free admission to the workshops when you purchase tickets to these performances, and learn the steps from the masters themselves. If you are a reader or an aspiring writer, the annual Writers’ Day will be your adventure. Held on Friday, July 31, this year’s line-up of speakers will include best-selling novelist Christopher Scotton, author of ”The Secret Wisdom of the Earth”; the most acclaimed contemporary Appalachian poet Jesse Graves; fantasy writer Andy Duncan; and regional actor and playwright John Hardy. If you are interested in publishing a book, there will be a panel of experts to discuss this as well. Travel back in time and learn the local history that made this area central to American history. Walk through 12 of Abingdon’s most historic houses on the Abingdon Historic Homes Tour. All the properties are within the established downtown historic district, all within easy walking distance of each other. Learn about moonshine’s rich and colorful history in Appalachia and how it led to the creation of NASCAR at “The History of Moonshine” illustrated lecture. Civil War enthusiasts shouldn’t miss the Abingdon Civil War Weekend event. Visit encampments of rank and file, see firing demonstrations, learn from interpreters, historians, scholars and much more. The Festival offers a chance to meet Signature Artists, Brian and Marie Bridgeforth of Bridgeforth Design Studio in Bristol, Tenn., and take home a signed fine art poster of the Festival’s Signature Art. The Festival’s adventurous spirit is perfectly captured through their comic book/fantasy style. The Festival continues to support local artists with the opportunity to submit your own piece to the Juried Fine Arts exhibit Saturday, July 25 And Sunday, July 26 between 2 - 5 pm. Enter your own work in the Photography Exhibition and Competition where it may be displayed at the William King Museum of Art throughout the Festival. The adventure never stops with dozens of free activities for the kids. Join the fun at the Virginia Highlands Festival Blast Off Party on Sunday,
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August 2, from 12 pm to 5 pm. It promises to be a great time with dancing, games, and even karaoke. Enter the Abingdon’s Got Talent youth competition for a chance to showcase that special skill. Or have fun learning something new at one of the many workshops detailed on the Festival’s website. All of the children’s events this year will be held in the Barter Tent. Some events require tickets or advance registration, so please check program details for more information. For a full schedule of events, pick up a Highlander magazine at locations throughout the Tri-Cities. You can also request a mailed copy by e-mailinginfo@
vahighlandsfestival.org or calling 276-623-5266. An electronic version is available online atwww. vahighlandsfestival.org. About the Virginia Highlands Festival: Founded in 1948, the Virginia Highlands Festival is an annual, 10-day event devoted to the celebration of Southwest Virginian heritage and rich Appalachian tradition. Held in historic Abingdon, Virginia, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Festival attracts about 200,000 visitors each year. The Festival was selected as the “Best Art Event” by the readers of Virginia Living magazine in 2015 (fourth year in a row), recognized as a Top 20 Event by the
July 28, 2015 | The Loafer | Page 5 Southeastern Tourism Society and has been consistently named as one of the American Bus Association’s Top 100 Tourist Attractions over the past four decades. In 2015, the 67th Virginia Highlands Festival will run from July 31-August 9 (Antiques Market Aug. 1-9) and feature live concerts, a juried arts and crafts show, and an antique market, as well as workshops, lectures and tours. To learn more about the Virginia Highlands Fes- visithttp://www.vahighlandsfestival and this year’s events, or to tival.org/ download the mobile app, please
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3rd Annual Appalachian Challenge SUP & Kayak Race Saturday, August 1, 2015 At Sportsman Marina, South Holston Lake
The third annual Appalachian Challenge SUP (stand up paddleboard) and kayak race will take place Saturday, August 1, beginning at 10 a.m. at the Sportsman Marina, 23511 Sportsman Drive, Abingdon, on South Holston Lake. It is open to paddleboards and kayaks. The event is sponsored by TriCities Stand Up Paddleboard store (TriSUP) in downtown Bristol, TN, and features a 12-mile long race, a 3-mile short race and a fun race. Previously held during the Watagua Lake Triathlon, the race was moved to South Holston this year as a stand-alone event. Competitors can sign up for the event ahead of time at www.paddleguru.com or the day of the race beginning at 8:30 a.m. There will be awards for first, second and third place in a variety of categories. All entries will include an event t-shirt and a Damascus Brewery cold beverage. Appalachian Challenge The event is sanctioned by the Southern Stoke Paddle Series and also sponsored by Sportsman Marina, Bristol Yoga, Hala Boards, Damacus Brewery, Iron Mountain Cross Fit, Mountain Sports and Gurrnaid Energy Drink. The ma-
rina restaurant Broken Ski Grill will have a band performing at 8 p.m. Bristol Yoga will have SUP yoga from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for beginners/intermediates and at 4 p.m. for advanced. TriSUP will offer free demos for curious participants and have boards available for rental. “This will be a day-long fun event for participants and spectators alike,” says Jack Nelson, TriSUP manager. “We even have a Fun Race so locals can run a race course and experience the thrill without the pressure. Bristol Yoga will have yoga on the boards, we’ll
have boards for demo and rental and there’s a bar and restaurant with a band that evening.” For more information, call TriSUP at 423-652-0220 or go to the website www.Trisup.net or Facebook page at Tri.Sup. TriSUP, located at 514 State Street in Bristol, TN, is the region’s only dedicated Stand Up Paddleboard Store selling boards, accessories, kayaks, eBikes (electric) and providing lessons and rentals. The three-yearold TriSUP is locally owned and operated.
Jonesborough’s Storybrook Farm
to be Featured on TLC’s Extreme I Do’s July 30
Jonesborough’s made a name for itself as a wedding destination, and that caught the eye of a couple filming for TLC’s new reality wedding show Extreme I Do’s. Savannah and Andrew were married in December 2014 at Storybrook Farm located within the city limits of Jonesborough. Their planning process and wedding were documented by TLC’s newest realty show titled Extreme I Do’s. In the premiere episode, the Bankers encounter extreme conditions of an outdoor mountain wedding in December, including cutting down trees, navigating treacherously curvy mountain roads, and transforming winter
woods into an enchanted forest ceremony. The episode will air on TLC Thursday, July 30 at 10 p.m. EST. For more information on Storybrook Farm Bed & Breakfast and Weddings and Events, visit
www.storybrookfarmweddings. com,www.storybrookfarmtn.com or call 423-262-7995. For a preview of TLC’s Extreme I Do’s, visit http://www.tlc.com/ tv-shows/tlc-presents/extreme-idos/.
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Song of the Mountains, August 1: Featuring Multiple-Grammy Winner Jim Lauderdale
The award-winning Song of the Mountains concert series continues to bring top performances by artists in the heritage music genres of Bluegrass, Old Time, and Americana. As the tenth season of television episodes are about the hit the air on public television stations across the US, the eleventh season of concerts are heading into the fall season of tapings. The next concert will be held on Saturday, August 1, live from The historic Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Virginia. This performance will feature Jim Lauderdale, The South Carolina Broadcasters, Valley Grass, and BearWallow Bluegrass. Jim Lauderdale is a multiple Grammy® and Americana Music Association Award-winning musician and one of the most respected artists working the Americana, Bluegrass and Country music communities today. I’m A Song is Lauderdale’s latest country endeavor, his 26th album to date. Lauderdale has always stayed true to his North Carolina roots but is influenced from the experience of his travels. He first immersed himself in the early country music scenes of both New York City and Los Angeles before breaking through in Nashville as a songwriter. He has helped pave the way of the current Americana Movement recording records and writing songs that cross genres from country, pop, roots, rock, folk and bluegrass. Lauderdale, a master songwriter, has had his work recorded by artists such as Patty Loveless, George Jones, Shelby Lynne, Solomon Burke, The Dixie Chicks, Blake Shelton, and George Strait, who has had numerous hits with Jim’s songs. Lauderdale’s music has been featured regularly on the ABC hit show Nashville, and he appeared in the successful film Country Strong. He also cohosts a weekly radio show on SiriusXM with Buddy Miller called “The Buddy & Jim Show,” and he is the host of the popular Music City Roots each week and Scenic City Roots on a monthly basis. Lauderdale has collaborated with legends like Ralph Stanley, Elvis
Costello and Robert Hunter and is also a critically acclaimed solo artist. Based in Mount Airy, North Carolina, The South Carolina Broadcasters are an Old Time band that has influences rooted in traditional Appalachian music including the Carter Family, the Stanley Brothers, and Flatt and Scruggs. Tim O’Brien once stated about the group “I’d like to think that if AP Carter had had more time to think about it and work things out, the Carter Family would have been singing like the Broadcasters.” Band members include Ivy Sheppard, Andy Edmonds, and David Sheppard. Ivy Sheppard expresses herself in this world with music. It is the sounds of a bygone era that resonate so clearly in her soul. Andy Edmonds comes from a family of guitar and banjo players, and gospel singers. Though he is able to play a number of instruments, the fiddle has become his primary focus, and his fiddling has won numerous prizes at area fiddle contests. David Sheppard puts the drive in The Broadcasters sound. Like a freight train coming on down the line his style of playing gives The Broadcasters an unmistakable sound. Currently, his song writing knack is gaining the trio lots of attention. He is a world-renowned luthier and expert restorer of vintage acoustic instruments. Valley Grass is a bluegrass gospel and bluegrass band that originated out of Rich Valley Presbyterian Church in Smyth County, Virginia. The band was started in March 2006 by Raymond Campbell, former member of Fescue, as
a result of individuals who were eager to learn how to play a musical instrument met weekly at the church and from there the group was formed. Several members of the group have been and will continue to be mentors to the youth that are interested in the learning the music. Valley Grass has played at numerous gospel and bluegrass venues over the past few years and will be making their third appearance on The Lincoln stage, but their first on Song of the Mountains. BearWallow Bluegrass is based in Morganton, NC. They bring to their performances a unique blend of progressive bluegrass and country. The group originated as a duo playing locally, and then about five years ago, became a full five piece band playing extensively in the Southeast. The band recently performed in the first Merlefest Band Competition, winning First Place against bands from all across the US. One CD of original songs is now available, with a second album in the works. The Song of the Mountains live concert taping on Saturday, August 1 will start at 7:00pm at the Lincoln Theatre in Marion, VA. Reserved seating tickets are $25 each and are available on the websitewww.songofthemountains.org or by calling the Box Office at276783-6092. Song of the Mountains receives underwriting support from the Town of Marion, Bank of Marion, and the Ellis Family Foundation. Song of the Mountains is a program of The Lincoln Theatre, a non-profit arts organization.
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6th Annual Elvis Extravaganza Wounded Warrior Project Show
6th Annual Elvis Extravaganza to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project on Saturday, August 1 at 7:00 PM at the Renaissance Center located at 1200 E. Center Street, Kingsport, TN 37660. Admission is $15.00. For reserved seating, contact Missy Miller at (865) 684-6082 or by email at tribute.entertainment@yahoo.com. Tickets may also be purchased at the door at 6:15 PM. The 6th Annual Elvis Extravaganza will feature five of the top Elvis Presley Tribute Artists in the world. Each tribute artist will perform for over twenty minutes in a stage style show performance. The ETA’s will cover the eras of the 50’s, ’68 comeback and
‘70’s. At the conclusion of the show there will be a special recognition to honor the Veterans. ETA’s will be available to meet and take photos after the show. Elvis Tribute Artist Ronnie Miller will be performing and hosting the event. Starring also will be four other multi-award winning tribute artists and performers. Brandon E. from Athens, TN; Terry Turner from Lincoln, AL; Robert Keefer from Pigeon Forge; and Stewart Chapman from Virginia. We also have Levi Elvis (age 4) from Bluff City that will join us. Each Elvis Tribute Artist will be performing as Elvis Presley with a full stage concert style performance. Our special guest Cricket Coul-
ter will be joining us and sharing some of her stories about Elvis. Cricket was a fan who was lucky enough to become a close friend of Elvis on movie sets, on tour and in Las Vegas. Cricket starred in “That’s The Way It Is” with Elvis Presley. Cricket also has a large collection of Elvis memorabilia. Among Cricket’s collection is an original autograph signed photo of Elvis at NBC Studios on June 27, 1968. This photo is accompanied by a Notarial Certificate of Authenticity. Cricket will have photos, her book (Elvis’ Real Gold - The Spirit Of His Fans - A Book By Cricket-Marie Coulter-Harris), and other items will be available at the show for audience viewing. A portion of the show proceeds will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. For more information or to reserve advance seats contact Missy Miller at (865) 6846082 ortribute.entertainment@yahoo.com.
McKinney Center
Accepting Registration for Fall Art Classes
Jonesborough’s Mary B. Martin Program for the Arts is now accepting registration for fall classes at the McKinney Center at Booker T. Washington School. Classes will take place August through November. New classes to the arts education program for fall will include Drawing & Painting for Everyone, Adventures in Painting, Glass on Glass Mosaics, Beginning Bead Embroidery, Chronicling our Veterans Voices, Look at Me! Drama Class for Primary Students, And. . . Action! Drama Class, Young Actors Theatre Ensemble, Ballet, Jazz Dance, Guitar and an Adult Ensemble Class – Old Time Music,
Banjo. Early registration for fall classes takes place now throughAugust 1 with $10 off every class you register for. A multiple class discount will run through August 2 – 15 with each additional class $10 off. Registration deadline is August 15. A Fall Expo will take place at the McKinney Center on Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. free and open to the public with the opportunity to sample classes and meet instructors. For a full program and more information, visit jonesboroughtn. org or contact theresah@jonesboroughtn.org or call 423.753.0562
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Whiskey Sticks to take over Winged Deer lakefront Thursday Thursday, July 30, 7-9 p.m.
No gimmicks, just good music will fill the air at Winged Deer Park’s Goulding Amphitheatre on Thursday (July 30), when the Whiskey Sticks takes the stage. The Whiskey Sticks lineup consists of Scott Mand, Kris Carlson, Todd Kane, and Brandon Renfro. Mand and Carlson developed many of their musical skills writing and performing with another well-known Tri-Cities band, Doc Bonhomie. Mand brings to the band original material and lyrics, while Carlson demonstrates why he teaches guitar lessons for a living. Kane and Renfro founded the local hard-driving, blues-based rock band Stormy Monday in 1996 and rocked from Knoxville to Charlotte for over a decade. Most know Kane for his explosive capabilities on slide guitar; however he is also an accomplished bassist. The musical foundation of this
motley crew is Renfro. Aside from being a “drummer’s drummer,” Renfro belts out lyrics and vocal tones that one might describe as “Allmanesque.” The Whiskey Sticks performs originals and covers from artists like Steve Miller Band, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, Little Feat and the Allman Brothers. This concert takes place from 7-9 p.m., and admission is free. Bring your lawn chairs, picnic basket, and your dancing shoes. Winged
Deer Park is located at 4137 Bristol Highway, and the lakefront Goulding Amphitheatre is off Carroll Creek Road. For more information, call (423)283-5815, or email jcparksinfo@johnsoncitytn. org. This year’s Lakeside Concert Series is sponsored by Bristol Broadcasting, Johnson City Parks and Recreation, Mountain States Health Alliance, and the News and Neighbor.
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Tri-Cities Gospel Music Camp performs shaped-note show Revisit a fascinating piece of the South’s musical past when the Tri-Cities Gospel Music Camp performs a shaped-note singing concert at Northeast State to round out the College’s Hot Nights, Cool Music summer concert series. Fans of the shaped-note style, as well as newcomers to the method, will be treated to a concert and workshop by singers from the camp July 30 at 7:00 p.m. at Northeast State’s Wellmont Regional Center for the Performing Arts Theater at the Blountville campus. The event is free and open to the public. Shaped-note singing is an American tradition of hymn-singing that endures today in churches and annual singing schools and conventions. The style began in New England during the 18th century and made its way to the Southern states where it enjoyed popularity through the mid-19th century. Shaped-notes allow for a simplified way to read music. Based
on geometric shapes like squares, ovals, diamonds, and triangles – the distinctive shapes of the notes instantly tell what pitch to sing. The style gained a great following in colonial times when many singers were musically untrained. The performing arts center is located at 2425 Highway 75, adjacent to the Tri-Cities Regional Airport. For more information, contact Jim Kelly at jpkelly@NortheastState.edu or 423.279.7669.
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Hands On! August Calendar of Events 315 E. Main St. | Johnson City | TN | 37601
CLOSING AUGUST 2nd - Traveling Exhibit, Our Body: The Universe Within The world-renowned exhibition, “Our Body: The Universe Within” is a limited-time, artful presentation consisting of actual human bodies and organs. The display, which has been seen by millions in select cities, literally goes “under the skin”, revealing the mysteries of the human anatomy. The bodies, specimens and organs have been preserved using a process known as polymer impregnation so they can be viewed in a dignified, educational way. As guests enter the exhibit, they will have the opportunity to examine the human body as a whole. Continuing throughout the exhibit, they will journey through each of the body’s major systems seeing first hand how they function and relate to other systems as they view actual human bodies and specimens, see bones, blood vessels, nerves, muscles, hearts, livers...all of the human organs. This extraordinary exhibition, appropriate for all ages, was designed to educate, enlighten, and allow all who attend to understand the complexities of our bodies and has only been available in major cities within the U.S. and abroad. Our Body: The Universe Within and Hands On! Museum will have separate entrances. Guests may choose to visit one or both. For ticket and other information, visit http://handsonmuseum.org. Monday, July 13th - Sunday, August 2nd - Magnet Magic Discover how magnets work, were they come from, and why Earth is considered a giant magnet. Test various items for magnetism, find out why some cereal is magnificent, and even help make an electromagnet. The Eastman Discovery Lab will be open by announcement periodically throughout each day. (***This program contains neodymium magnets which may inhibit the function of pacemakers.) Monday, August 3rd - Sunday, August 16th - Break the Tension Join us as we learn all about the seemingly “magical” bond of water molecules and discover the properties of surface tension. Try out the Penny Drop, Swimming Fish,
Magic Handkerchief, and Rainbow Milk experiments. The Eastman Discovery Lab will be open by announcement periodically throughout each day. Monday, August 17th - Sunday, August 30th - High Flying Fun Join us for some high flying fun in honor of National Aviation Week. Learn about aviation, aerodynamics, gravity, and more with our wing test and propeller demonstration. Then, test your creativity, skill, and craftsmanship by folding and flying your own paper airplane design or use one of our templates. Then send your paper plane on a test flight race with your friends and see how you measure
up. The Eastman Discovery Lab will be open by announcement periodically throughout each day. Wednesday, August 19th, 9:30 am - 11:00 am - Owl Pellet Dissection Workshop Owls are amazing creatures that swallow their prey whole. Learn what owls eat as you dissect an owl pellet and reconstruct the skeleton found inside it. Each child will receive an owl pellet. Cost $10 for members, $15 for non-members. Ages 5-12. Payment is required with registration by Wednesday, August 5th. To register, please call (423) 434-4263 ext. 100, or email reservations@handsonmuseum.org.
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Flossing Your Life Away
I started my week off with a dentist appointment. A major cavity appeared in a tooth and it was needing to be filled. I have anxiety in general most days, but the idea of going to the dentist really sends things into over drive. My mind doesn’t slowly move from thoughts and concepts when it comes to my anxiety. It’s 0 to 100 real quick. Ei-
ther all is calm in the land, or death and destruction is upon us. The morning of the appointment I was fine, my thoughts flowed free and easy. Yet, when I saw it was an hour out before the drilling was to start, I was full of panic. “What if it’s dentures already at my age? What if my tooth becomes radioactive and takes over
the city much like in that episode of “Rocko’s Modern Life?” These were the thoughts that ran rampant through my mind. The people at my dentist office are very lovely people. Kind and aware of the fact that I have lovely lobs of anxiety. For the most part during the filling process I was fine. However, I don’t do well with needles, and during the two shots of Novocain I was blasted with, I found myself humming “The Beat Goes On.” At one point after chipping away at decay in my tooth—with two different sets of drills—the dentist informed me that next he’s going to use something that I can’t recall the name, of but translates as “we’re going to use electricity to burn things away. It’s going to smell too!” When being told this, followed by “We’ve got to put this special pillow behind you to ground you” is when I went from 0 to 100. A simple headline in my mind that read “Local Writer Dies During Routine Dental Work, Thousands of Lovers Revealed in Wake.” As I laid there pondering my fu-
neral, the dentist said to his assistant “Ace, go up front and get that new stuff.” The dentist explained to me that a brand new sealant has been approved and released. A sealant that was so new and so super improved they hadn’t used it yet. I would be the first one to get it implanted into my tooth. Ace returned with the new miracle stuff, and the dentist began to load it up into my tooth. The dentist was mostly quiet as he worked with the new material, but then his excitement began to show. “Oh. Oh wow. Oh wow, this seals so great! Yes!” Was the reaction from my dentist as he applied this new miracle formula for the first time. Was my dentist getting so worked up he was about to have
a “When Harry Met Sally” moment, or would my dentist simply drop to his knees and shout “We hail you Denturia the mouth God, and praise you for this new development in the protection of the human mouth! Rinse and spit! Rinse and spit! Rinse and spit!?” I honestly had no clue. Instead they just cured all the new stuff into place, then began to drill it all down as to not mess with my bite. “Does your bite feel normal?” they asked. It was hard to answer this accurately, as half my face felt gone. But I nodded that it did and the dentist sent me on my merry way. A week later the tooth is fine, and I’m glad I can move forward with my life, all thanks to Denturia. See you next week.
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Kingsport Ballet Students Invited to Prestigious Programs
Advanced dancers continue their training through the summer in order to keep up their skills and add to their training and technique. For the serious dancer, summer is a time to concentrate on truly improving, without the added distractions of school, competitions, or ballet productions. One way dancers at Kingsport Ballet do this is by attending the company’s summer intensive, where they study under guest master teachers, learn new choreography and push their boundaries. Classes are from 10-5 daily, and culminate in an in-house performance. Following the three week intensive, some dancers continue on to competitive summer programs elsewhere, where they study with renowned companies and teachers, alongside dancers from all over the world. This year is no exception. Several students are attending, or have attended, competitive summer programs away from home: - Alayna Farmer will be spending six weeks at the Gelsey Kirkland Academy in New York in the preprofessional program. The academy is under the direction of Ms Kirkland herself, who is an American ballet icon having danced with Rudolph Nureyev and Mikhail Baryshnakov during her tenure as principal ballerina with New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theater. Alayna is 15 years old and is the daughter of Greg and Julia Farmer. - Grace Manna is attending the Bolshoi Academy of Ballet in New York for the second year. She attended the program in summer 2014 and was invited to return. Grace has been a student at Kingsport Ballet for six years, along with her sister Madeline, who is a 2015 graduate of the school. - Victoria Kanel has recently returned from attending a Broadway Dance Center workshop in July, where she took classes in all forms of dance and theater from leading instructors. - Monica Tirado attended the Radford University summer intensive, where she studied under Inessa Plekhanova. Monica was offered
a full scholarship to attend Radford University this fall as a ballet performance major. - Abby Fish is attending the Russian Academy of Ballet in Orlando, Florida. Abby has been a Kingsport Ballet commuter student for five years and is a resident of Morristown, TN. Her sister Olivia is a recent graduate of Kingsport Ballet school and will be attending the University of Alabama in the fall. Kingsport Ballet is now accepting new students for the coming
year. Fall classes begin August 17th. Registration will take place August 3-15. 423-378-3967. www. kingsportballet.org Email: kingsportballet@gmail.com Kingsport Ballet is funded for general operations by the Tennessee Arts Commission, under an agreement with the General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts. Outreach programs are partly funded by TAC’s Funds for At-Risk Youth and by the City of Kingsport.
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Page 14 | The Loafer | July 28, 2015
Largest Ever Rob-Con Comic Book Convention Viking Hall
Aug. 1st & 2nd robcon.net The 30th annual Rob-Con Comic Book Convention is set for Saturday and Sunday, August 1 and 2 in Viking Hall, located at 1100 Edgemont Avenue in Bristol, Tennessee. “There will be something for everyone,” said Rob-Con creator Robert Pilk. “There are a number of comic artists and writers who will be on hand to chat, sketch and mingle. Horror fans can meet actors from the hit TV show, The Walking Dead, and talk with the man who played supernatural killer Michael Myers in Halloween II.” The hugely successful costume contest will be back again this year and will begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday. 2014’s contest featured over 100 entries. Pilk reported that the show this year will feature the largest number of vendors ever at any Tri-Cities comic con. The Scooby Doo van and the Star Wars droids will be on hand making the 2015 Rob Con the largest in Rob Con’s 30 year history. A new feature this year will be a University of Tennessee group, Make Me3D.com will be using 3-D printers to manufacture action figures of attendees. “Activities are planned throughout the weekend for all age groups,” Pilk continued. Convention time for both days is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parking is free and tickets are available at the door. Admission is $10 for one day or $15 for both days. Children under five are admitted free. For more information call Mountain Empire Comics at 423-2740450 or 423-929-0245. Find out more about the show at http:// www.facebook.com/RobConBristol or check the website at http:// robcon.net/
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WKMA spotlights makers in new exhibit
William King Museum of Art will open its newest exhibition, Backcountry Makers: An Artisan History of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee, on July 31, 2015. Abingdon’s own scholar, Betsy K. White, brings to life the materialculture heritage of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee in her recent publication Backcountry Makers: An Artisan History of Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee, published in 2013. This exhibition will include biographical sketches sampled from 43 makers included in the book — potters, weavers, spinners, quilters, embroiderers, cabinetmakers, metalsmiths, clocksmiths, gunsmiths, and artists—alongside examples of their work gathered from important public and private collections throughout the region.
Ballet & Tumbling Classes
The coach for National Dance Champions will teach ballet and tumbling for ages 3-7 at the Gold Star Fitness Center on Ft. Henry Dr. On Saturdays from 11:30-12:15 beginning August 1. Students will learn basic tumbling skills including cartwheels, backbends, handstands, splits while improving strength, coordination, flexibility and balance. They will learn ballet positions and combinations, leaps and turns, as well as dance routines. They will be given opportunities to perform! The fee is only $35 per month! To register, phone 863-6051 or email tricitiestalent@hotmail.com
“Backcountry Makers, with its somewhat unusual emphasis on both maker and object, creates an important and fully-rounded storyline, the maker adding a bit of humanity to the object,” says White. Using census records and other documentary evidence, White traced the earliest of these artisans from their origins in such places as Europe and Philadelphia down through the Great Valley of Virginia to their ultimate destinations in Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee. The opening reception, which is free and open to the public, will be held Thursday, August 6 from 6–8 p.m. at the Museum in Abingdon. The exhibition will run through January 3, 2016 in the Price-Strongwell Galleries. For more information about this and other exhibits call us at (276)
628-5005 or visit us on the web at www.williamkingmuseum.org. William King Museum of Art is located at 415 Academy Drive, off West Main Street or Russell Road, in Abingdon. The Museum features five exhibition galleries, artist studios and outdoor sculpture garden. Educational programs in the visual arts are offered year-round for both children and adults, and school audiences are served by inhouse and outreach programs. Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the William King Museum of Art is a partner of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, a member of the Virginia Association of Museums and is funded in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
July 28, 2015 | The Loafer | Page 15
Page 16 | The Loafer | July 28, 2015
TUESDAY - July 28
JASON LLOYD & FRIENDS at Biggies Clam Bar
OPEN MIC w/ DAN HERRELL
6pm at Sonny’s Marina & Cafe
OPEN MIC at O’Mainnin’s Pub ERIN COBURN / CHRIS LONG, PI JACOBS at Acoustic Coffeehouse
WEDNESDAY - July 29
at The Family Barn
JEFF WOODS AARON HAGY & CO.
6:30pm at Kickin’ Back Kings Alley
SOUTHERN COUNTRYMEN BAND (Country) at The Outdoorsman MARK LARKINS at State Line Bar & Grill
ACOUSTIFRIED (Country)
at O’Mainnin’s Pub
ASYLUM SUITE
at Acoustic Coffeehouse
at Bone Fire Smokehouse
at Country Club Bar & Grill CARTER FAMILY FESTIVAL w/ FOLK SOUL REVIVAL, BIG COUNTRY BLUEGRASS, WHITETOP MOUNTAIN BAND, TROUBLESOME HOLLOW at Carter Family Fold
THURSDAY - July 30
SHOOTER
JAZZ at Wellington’s - Carnegie Hotel DAISI RAIN (Country, Pop)
DANGERMUFFIN
7pm at Full Moon Jam Bristol Downtown Center
LIVE MUSIC at O’Mainnin’s Pub WHISKEY STICKS 7pm at Winged Deer Park Lakeside
MARK LARKINS at Salsarita’s BONNIE BLUE 7pm at Marker “2” Grill
LIVE MUSIC
at Bone Fire Smokehouse
BEN BLANKENSHIP at The Acoustic Coffeehouse
FRIDAY - July 31
DREW GIBSON THE ROYAL BUZZ HOLLOW SHOULDER at Acoustic Coffeehouse
TUESDAY
at Biggie’s Clam Bar
at Marker “2” Grill
MARK LARKINS at Luke’s Pizza WILDE HEART at O’Mainnin’s Pub SHANE PLAKOW w/ MAFDET / MAL COOPER
DECEPTION PASS
SOUTHERN BREEZE
7pm at Sonny’s Marina & Cafe
6pm at Sonny’s Cafe
THE DUO TONES
KARAOKE
ALI RANDOLPH
ADAM BOLT & THE ORDINARY BITTERS
ADAM CHURCH
INIFINATE SOUL
JD CABLE & THE EMPTY BOTTLE BAND
(Country, Classic Rock, Oldies) 9pm at Elizabethton Elk’s Club 8pm at The Willow Tree Coffeehouse & Music Room
AUSTIN CRUM
7pm at Marker “2” Grill
at the Family Barn
SHOOTER (Country, Classic Rock, Oldies) at Holiday Inn (Exit 7)
SUNDOWN BAND (Country)
7:30pm at Willoughby Ruritan
JERRY GARCIA BIRTHDAY BASH
8pm at The Willow Tree Coffeehouse & Music Room CARTER FAMILY FESTIVAL w/ FOLK SOUL REVIVAL, BIG COUNTRY BLUEGRASS, WHITETOP MOUNTAIN BAND, TROUBLESOME HOLLOW at Carter Family Fold
NIGHTSHIFT BAND
(Country, Southern Rock, Oldies) at David Thompson’s Produce
ASYLUM SUITE
at Country Club Bar & Grill
LIVE MUSIC
at Bone Fire Smokehouse
FREDDY REDMON COLONY PARK at Acoustic Coffeehouse
SUNDAY - August 2
7pm at Marker “2” Grill
IVY ROAD
at Biggie’s Clam Bar
LIVE MUSIC
SULLIVAN STREET
SATURDAY - August 1 CATFISH FRYE BAND (Rockin’ Boogie Blues) 7pm at Painter Creek Marina
ACOUSTIFRIED (Country) 7pm at Sonny’s Marina & Cafe NIGHTSHIFT
at Marker “2” Grill at Bone Fire Smokehouse
OPEN MIC
at Acoustic Coffeehouse
LIVE MUSIC
5pm at Sonny’s Marina & Cafe
MONDAY - August 3
(Country, Southern Rock, Oldies) 7pm at Buffalo Ruritan
BLUEGRASS JAM
at Jiggy Ray’s
7pm at Bristol’s Pickin’ Porch
SOUTHERN REBELLION RAMBLING ROSE
at Boozy Creek Community Center
at Hardee’s (Boones Creek)
TIM WHITE OPEN MIC
at Acoustic Coffeehouse
Karaoke At Numan’s - Johnson City TN ***********************
WEDNESDAY
Karaoke At Bristol VFW - Bristol TN Turn the Page Karaoke At VFW Post 2108 - JC ***********************
THURSDAY
Karaoke At Numan’s - Johnson City TN Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment at Electric Cowboy - JC Karaoke At Holiday Inn - JC Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment At Everette’s Bar & Grille - JC ***********************
FRIDAY
Karaoke At Bristol VFW - Bristol TN Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertaiment at Rainbow Asian Cuisine - JC Karaoke w/ Reverb Karaoke at The Cottage 8:30 pm Turn the Page Karaoke at VFW Post 2108 - JC Karaoke At Elizabethton VFW Elizabethton TN Karaoke w/ DJ Marques At Holiday Inn (Exit 7) - Bristol VA Karaoke At Numan’s - Johnson City TN ***********************
SATURDAY
Turn the Page Karaoke at VFW Post 2108 - Johnson City TN Karaoke At Numan’s - Johnson City TN ***********************
SUNDAY
Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment at Mellow Mushroom - JC Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment At Everette’s Bar & Grille -JC ***********************
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July 28, 2015 | The Loafer | Page 17
Pi Jacobs
Acoustic Coffeehouse 10pm | Tuesday, July 28 Pi Jacobs is the singer you’ve probably heard, even if you haven’t heard of her! With over 60 Song placements in television and film, Pi’s music has been heard on MTV, Oxygen, ABC Family, Lufthansa Airlines Inflight Entertainment, Macy’s Commercials, and several independent films. The Los Angeles based singer-songwriter has just released her 6th Studio Album, Hi-Rise Ranch, to rave reviews, with LARecord describing it as “funky, tight and driving roots rock”, and AXS.Com calling it “a masterpiece”. An accomplished rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, Jacobs has taken her current solo tour a step further, adding a home-made percussion stomp box to her set. In addition to her “smoldering” vocals (ParcBench. com) and intricate guitar playing, the percussion box drives her “one-woman band” show to the next level. Fans of Shakey Graves and KT Tunstall alike will find much to love about Ms. Jacobs solo work.
Spotlight Directory Acoustic Coffeehouse 415 W Walnut St. Johnson City 423/434.9872 Biggies Clam Bar 417 W Stone Dr Kingsport 423/765-9633 Bone Fire Smokehouse at the Hardware 260 W Main St Abingdon Va 276/623-0037 Boozy Creek Community Center 1989 Shelley’s Rd Hiltons VA 276/ 466-0026 Bristol’s Pickin’ Porch 620 State St Bristol • 423/573-2262 Carter Family Fold 3449 A. P. Carter Hwy Hiltons Va 276/594-0676 Country Club Bar & Grill 3080 W State St Bristol 423/844-0400 David Thompson’s Produce 251 Highway 107 Jonesborough 423/913-8123 Elizabethton Elk’s Lodge 288 Lovers Lane Elizabethton 423/542-5454 Family Barn 1718 US Highway 19 Hansonville VA Full Moon Jam Bristol Downtown Center 423/ 989-5500
Holiday Inn (Exit 7) 3005 Linden Dr Bristol Va 276/466-4100 Jiggy Ray’s 610 E. Elk Ave Elizabethton 423/ 518-1500 Kickin’ Back at King’s Alley 156 E. Jackson St. Gate City VA 276/386-3831 Luke’s Pizza 3111 W. Market St. Johnson City 423/ 328-0186 Marker “2’ Grill at Lakeview Marina 474 Lakeside Dock, Kingsport 423/323-4665 O’Mainnin’s Pub 712 State St Bristol • 423/844-0049 The Outdoorsman 4535 Highway 11W Kingsport Painter Creek Marina 766 Painter Creek Rd Bristol TN 423/878-5775 Salsarita’s 200 Linden Square Dr Bristol VA 276/591-1260 Sonny’s Marina & Café 109 One St. Gray TN 423/283-4014 State Line Bar & Grill 644 State Street Bristol •423/652-0792 Wellington’s Restaurant Carnegie Hotel 1216 W State of Franklin Rd Johnson City •423/979-6400 The Willow Tree Coffeehouse & Music Room 216 E Main St Johnson City Winged Deer Park 4137 Bristol Hwy Johnson City 423/ 283-5816
Page 18 | The Loafer | July 28, 2015
Blue Moon, Super Moon, Full Moon, Shoot the Moon! “You saw me standing alone, Without a dream in my heart, Without a love of my own. Blue Moon, You knew just what I was there for. You heard me saying a pray for Someone I really could care for. Blue Moon, You saw me standing alone, Without a dream in my heart, Without a love of my own. Blue Moon… Without a love my own.” Rodgers and Hart, sung famously by Elvis Presley So, once in a Blue Moon there is a Super Moon, right? Or are we just standing alone shooting for the Moon? Well some “urban legend” interpretations of the science of these conjured-up moons has amateur astronomers like me ready to drop trousers and “moon” the world of science naivety. First, the Moon can never be as large as many of the photoshopped computer images that circulate around the Internet. Yeah, they’re pretty and look cool, but a lunar crescent has never covered a third of the sky and hung over an iceberg landscape. Second, let’s get correct the phase of the Moon for the right time of day: Third, use the correct face of the Moon and orientate it in the sky correctly. Fourth and Fifth: What about those Super and Blue Moons? They are more fantasy than fact, a harmless interpretation which resonates the readiness of Joe and Jane America to believe in scientific things we know little about.
But anything that draws heads skyward is a good thing…keeping mind the creed of public science educators: there are no silly questions! Let’s start with the Blue Moon because you’re going to hear a lot about it as the July 31st Full Moon is said to be one. So, aside from a great Elvis song, what is a Blue Moon? Technically, the fourth Full Moon in a three month period is the Blue Moon. That is not necessarily the second Full Moon of the month. Many ancient people realized that every few years or so there were 13, not 12 months in a year of lunar cycles. The Blue Moon observed
by Joe and Jane America is the second full phase in a month—and the next one after this July 31st is in January 2018. Why the color blue? It probably goes back to the Farmer’s Almanac of the 1930s. Phases of the Moon are denoted with red ink icons, so to make the second full phase of the month stick out they used blue ink for the lunar icon. It makes sense. And now for the “Super Moon.” This is a phrase that did not originate in the astronomical community. In fact it is a 21st Century term coined by the astrologers—those who take the background of the stars and pretend they affect hu-
man affairs. Yes, when a full phase of our Moon coincides with its closest approach to Earth, that Moon is going to be slightly larger in our sky. And its light will be a few per cent brighter. But it is an increase that escapes the human eye, and is really not that much of a difference. The Moon revolves eastward around the Earth once every 29.5 days in an ellipse with a closest point, called perigee, and farthest point, called apogee. Those distances from the Earth range from 221,463 miles to 252,719 miles. When the “Super Moon” lines up, the astronomical term is “the perigee-syzygy of the Earth-Moon system.” There is a slight affect on the tidal bulge created on our planet by the Moon’s gravity during these times. Super Moons are quite common, and can also occur at the “new” phase. The next three months of 2015, August, September and October will each have Full Moon close to the orbital perigee, so get ready for more ballyhoo about super moons. Now there are visual examples of the size of a Super Moon to the other Full Moons of the year—and you’d be lucky to pick the right one. In fact, it makes a cool poster! With today’s “point and shoot” digital cameras that have extremely sharp 30x optical zoom and image stabilization it is possible to get some great shots of the Moon. I’ve seen Moon photos that show craters, mountain ranges and the dark seas very clearly. And these images are easy for the savvy digital photographer to manipulate in any landscape or artwork in a photo-shop program so popular these days. But beware of the Moon image, its size and location in the sky. You’ll never see the Moon (or Sun and planets) in the north, like in the Big Dipper or Little Dipper. And a crescent Moon has to have its lit “smile” facing either the morning or evening horizon—not possible in the middle of the night. The Sun, Moon and planets are all found within a narrow band of the sky called the ecliptic. Look to the south and the ecliptic spans about midway to overhead and from east to west; the width is two outstretched hand spans, or about 20 degrees. And another pet peeve is to use the side of the Moon facing Earth,
correctly positioned: not upside down or turned right to left or an image of the backside taken by Apollo astronauts—I’ve seen all kinds of crazy looking moons in every kind of advertising. An easy key point to a properly displayed Moon is the dark oval sea of frozen lava in the upper right corner. That’s Mare Crisium, the Sea of Crisis. It’s visible three days after new phase and until a couple days after full phase. So it’s easy to spot—literally a dark, oval spot in the upper right. Another reference point is the bright, white rays coming from the crater Tycho in the bright mountains at the bottom, or south. There are countless examples of out of proportion and disoriented Moons in ads, movies and print. In fact such powerhouse creators as Disney and Pixar are guilty of wrongly displayed Earth’s Moon. As for the apparent size of the Moon in the sky, it always covers up one-half of a degree of sky no matter what time of night or year. That is small. Two examples to bring home the point: outstretch your arm and you can cover the Moon with your pinky finger— always; that one-half degree size means that it would take 360 Moons end to end to span from the east horizon to directly overhead (called zenith) to the western horizon. That’s a lot of moons! So why does the rising or setting Moon appear larger when it is close to the horizon near a mountain range or tree or building? This is called the “Moon illusion.” We all have memories of the big, orange “Harvest Moon” of October rising above the landscape, seemingly huge in the sky. And then later in the night when directly overhead, the Moon seems much smaller and pearly white. This Moon illusion is a real perception in our minds, and several books have been written about it with opinions that are still unclear as to what is happening. Our brain is pleasing us with a cosmic illusion! When the Moon is low in the sky and near a tree or skyscraper, it just seems bigger. The illusion has a lot to do with perspectives, line of sight and earthly terrain as the Moon dominates the scene in
Stargazer ....
Continued on next page
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July 28, 2015 | The Loafer | Page 19
Celestial events in the skies for the week of July 28 - August 3, 2015 as compiled for The Loafer by Mark D. Marquette. This week is filled with space history of the fourth landing on the Moon and a record shattering two-month mission by three astronauts in the United States’ first space station. Meanwhile in the night sky Saturn is directly south in the claws of Scorpius as the Moon dominates with a second full phase this month…enjoy it!
Tues. July 28
On this 1973 date in space history, the second three-man expedition to America’s space station Skylab was launched on a 59-day mission. This was the longest space mission at the time, filled with biomedical experiments to observe how the human body adapts to weightlessness.
Wed. July 29
You won’t see it, but imagine the amazing world Pluto to the lower left of the gibbous Moon, both above the handle of the teapot of stars that make up part of the constellation Sagittarius. A challenge to see even for veteran amateur astronomers, Pluto is just a speck of light. But tonight it shines with a face thanks to images from NASA’s New Horizon spacecraft.
Thurs. July 30
On this 1971 date in space history, Apollo 15 landed on the Moon beside an ancient lava river. The seventh and eighth moonwalkers, David Scott and James Irwin, deployed the first Lunar Rover, giving them a range of more than 7 miles in one direction away from their moonship.
Fri. July 31
Full Moon is today, the sec-
ond full phase of the month and coined a “Blue Moon.” The next time we’ll have two Full Moons in a month will be January 2018. That’s 30 “moons” from now!
ry, the Apollo 15 moonship Falcon rocketed off the Moon in the first televised launch from the lunar surface. The astronauts discovered what was dubbed the “Genesis Rock” as it is one of the oldest Sat. Aug. 1 Rip a page off the calendar brought back from the Moon or and it’s suddenly August. This ever found on Earth at 4.2 billion month was the sixth in the Ro- years old. A few rocks from Apollo man Year (that began with March) 16 might be older. and called “Sextilis.” But in 8 BC, Mon. Aug. 3 new Emperor Augustus Caesar The Summer Triangle straddles renamed the month after himself, the Milky Way high overhead. The since his great Uncle Julius had his star to the north is Deneb in Cygown month, too! nus the Swan, directly overhead is Vega in Lyra the Harp and to the Sun. Aug. 2 On this 1971 date in space histo- south is Altair in Aquila the Eagle.
Stargazer .... Continued from previous page our brains. The colors come from refraction of moonlight as it travels through Earth’s thick atmosphere. Directly overhead, we are looking at the Moon through a lot less of the atmosphere and the light is not colorized. The observation of the Moon and its phases are the first “science”
performed by civilized Man, using the unwavering rhythm over 29.5 days as the first time keeping device, later to be months of the year. In many cultures, each Full Moon was given a name that represented the seasonal climate of the time, and none are more appropriate than those monikers of the Na-
tive American tribes. July is traditionally the Hay Moon or Thunder Moon, and August is the Grain Moon or Green Corn Moon. Take your pick and enjoy the touch of lunacy that goes along with an evening of beautiful moonlight.
Page 20 | The Loafer | July 28, 2015
Floor Pillows
As home décor transitions into more and more open concept floor plans and designs, adaptable seating becomes the optimal and enviable choice in furniture. Ottomans, stools, and an abundance of pillows have taken over the world of traditional couches and coffee tables. Because these transitional items can be dragged from living room to kitchen to office without disrupting the design concept, they are the ideal way to spruce up your space. Floor pillows in particular can help you get the most bang for your buck. The large, stiff pillows
also called poufs come in many colors, patterns, shapes, and sizes. Poufs are able to transition from a decoration on chairs and floors to seating inside or outdoors. Many of them have cute and eye-catching details like textured fabrics, buttons, or trim. If you want to make a statement in any room, these babies are the way to go. But of course such a versatile piece for the home can also be a costly investment. Floor pillows found from specialty home décor shops and discount retailers alike can range from $40 to $400. So once again, I sought and found a way to
do it myself, creating one of these beautiful pillows for less than half the retail price. Not only is this DIY functional and cheap, it’s a no-sew project that’s perfect for the craft disinclined. All that you’ll need is: an iron, ironing board, scissors, a square yard of desired fabric (or two 3” x 3”), Ultrahold Heat N Bond Iron-On Adhesive, thee yards Pom-Poms Woven Craft Trim (optional), and square pillow form. Most of these things you may already have or can create. I used two old pillows to create a thicker square pillow, sealing
it with the iron-on adhesive. And I salvaged an old bedspread for my fabric pieces. The only things I bought were the adhesive ($1.98) and the trim ($2.99 for each yard). Start by setting your iron on medium heat. Because I used trim to decorate my pillow, I fused the seams of my fabric together in two layers of fabric adhesive instead of one. Place your adhesive paper side up onto your fabric and iron for five seconds. Allow the paper to cool until you can peel it off. Place your trim on top of the adhesive and iron for five to 8 seconds. If you are not using trim, do the same with your top layer of fabric. To close the seam of a trimmed pillow apply adhesive to the top of
the trim, iron, peel off the paper, place the top layer of fabric, and iron the seam together. After your first seam, flip the fabric so that you’re working with it inside out. Repeat the above steps to close two more of the seams. At this point, you will have what resembles a pillowcase. Put your pillow form inside and make sure there is no excess fabric. If there is, fold it inside of the case. Finish your pillow by adhering your last seem together just as before. When you’re ready to enjoy the versatility of your new crafty cushion, position it on a chair, stack it with others in a corner, or take it outside to lounge on the deck.
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Books about Roan Mountain, Clinchfield No. 1 win awards
July 28, 2015 | The Loafer | Page 21
from Knoxville historical society
Three local authors were recently among award recipients from Knoxville-based East Tennessee Historical Society. Receiving Awards of Distinction from the ETHS were Robert Sorrell for his book “Images of America: Roan Mountain,” a pictorial history book published in 2014 about the Carter County mountain community, and A.J. “Alf” Peoples and Mark A. Stevens for their book titled “The Clinchfield No. 1: Tennessee’s Legendary Steam Engine.” Sorrell’s 128-page book was published in June 2014 by Charleston, South Carolina-based Arcadia Publishing and features nearly 200 rare historical photos. He is an award-winning journalist, having worked for The Erwin Record, the Elizabethton Star and, currently, for the Bristol Herald Courier. He is also the author of “Blue Ridge Fire Towers,”
published by The History Press in 2015. He is a frequent contributor to numerous regional and national publications. “I’m so honored that my first book would receive this award,” Sorrell said. “I was delighted to attend the awards ceremony and be with so many other talented recipients.” Peoples and Stevens were honored by the ETHS for their latest book about the famous steam locomotive, the Clinchfield No. 1. “The Clinchfield No. 1: Tennessee’s Legendary Steam Engine” earned national media attention upon its release. Described by the Logansport (Indiana) Pharos Tribune as “the definitive history book on the No. 1,” the 159-page book was published by Charleston, South Carolina-based History Press. The book was a follow-up to Peoples’ and Stevens’ successful
2013 book titled “The One & Only: A Pictorial History of the Clinchfield No. 1.” Peoples, a retired railroad engineer from Erwin got his start on the railroad in 1969 as a car marshal on the famous excursion trains pulled by the No. 1. He serves on the board of directors for the Unicoi County Heritage Museum and the Clinchfield Railroad Museum and is a frequent speaker for railroad and history associations. Stevens is a Carter County native. He is a former publisher of the Elizabethton Star and The Erwin Record. He now lives in Pawleys Island, South Carolina, with his wife, Amy. He is executive editor of the South Strand News Group and its four newspapers, The Georgetown Times, the Waccamaw Times of Pawleys Island, the Inlet Outlook of Murrells Inlet and The County Chronicle.
In a joint statement, Peoples and Stevens said how happy they were to once again be honored for their work on compiling and preserving the history of the Clinchfield No. 1, which was built in 1882. “When we began our projects several years ago that led to both our books, we never could have envisioned just how much people loved the No. 1,” the authors said. “We are particularly honored that the East Tennessee Historical Society would also offer its stamp of approval. We are honored and
grateful to the society.” To order a signed copies of either of Sorrell’s books, “Roan Mountain” and “Blue Ridge Fire Towers,” go to robertsorrell. com or send a check for $26 (includes postage) to Robert Sorrell, 800 Briarcliff Road, 57, Johnson City, TN 37604. To order signed copies of “The Clinchfield No. 1,” send a check for $24 to to Mark A. Stevens, 390 Lumbee Circle, Pawleys Island, SC 29585.
Page 22 | The Loafer | July 28, 2015
23rd Annual South Holston Lake & River Cleanup Pre-Registration Will Take Place Aug. 7
The 23rd annual South Holston Lake & River Cleanup, which has removed more than 650 tons of litter from the lake, river and surrounding area over the last 22 years, will take place Saturday, Aug. 8. Help is still needed for the Cleanup, which utilizes nearly 500 volunteers every August. “Our goal is to keep these wonderful natural resources free of unsightly and potentially dangerous solid waste materials,” said volunteer and Overmountain Chapter, Trout Unlimited president Ron Harrington. “Litter hurts. It is harmful to the environment and our wildlife…birds, animals and fish. We want folks to be able to enjoy and savor their visit to these places without having to contend with bottles, cans, styrofoam, old tires, plastic cups, old fish line and so forth. I like to say ‘Love the land. Lose the Litter.’ Come out and participate this year. You’ll be glad you did.” Volunteers interested in participating in the Cleanup can pre-register Friday, Aug. 7 from 4-6 p.m. at the boat ramp at Observation Knob or the day of the event at 8 a.m. at Observation Knob, Weir Dam, Bluff City Boardwalk, 421 Boat Ramp, Little Oak Campground, and Washington County Park. An after-Cleanup party for volunteers, which will feature lunch, t-shirts, live music and door prizes, will take place at noon at Observation Knob. Any businesses interested in donating door prizes for the event can do so by contacting Kathy Lowdermilk at klowdermilk@bristolchamber.org or by calling 423-989-4872. Sponsors for the Cleanup are Advanced
Disposal, Bristol Chamber of Commerce, Bristol Compressors International, Inc., Bristol Herald Courier, Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol Regional Medical Center, Bristol Tennessee Essential Services, BVU Authority, City of Bristol Tennessee, City of Bristol Virginia, Eastman Credit Union, Ecological Energy Systems, Electro-Mechanical Corp., Food City, Jacobs Creek Job Corps, Laurel Marina, Painter Creek Marina, Republic Services, Sexton’s Marine Service, Tennessee Clean Water Network, Tennessee Valley Authority, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Trout Unlimited, Waste Industries USA, and Waste Management. South Holston Lake is located along the border of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. The lake covers 7,580 acres with 168 miles of shoreline. The Cherokee National Forest borders much of the lake along with The U.S Forest Service Campgrounds, Girl Scouts Campgrounds, private campgrounds and Sullivan County Campgrounds. South Holston Lake provides drinking water to 73,000 people and recreation such as boating, fishing and swimming for an average of 4,000,000 people each year. Keep Bristol Beautiful has coordinated the annual South Holston Lake & River Cleanup for 22 years. More than 18,400 community volunteers have participated in the cleanup throughout the years.
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July 28, 2015 | The Loafer | Page 23
Visiting the Oval Office in Jeans and a T-Shirt
I’m a big fan of the presidency. Not necessarily the man (or potentially woman) holding the title at any given moment, but the office in general. Presidents of the United States, no matter what conspiracy theories you might believe, hold an extraordinary amount of power, singularly influencing, more than anyone else, how American and world history is due to unfold. Plus, they’re the closest thing we as Americans have to royalty, and as such, presidents and former presidents are probably the most inaccessible people on the planet. I’ve never met a sitting president myself, though it is certainly a dream of mine. I did shake hands with Barack Obama while he was campaigning in 2008, but unless I somehow manage to win the Little League World Series or walk on the moon, that’s probably about as close as I’m going to get. So, given
the title of this entry, what the heck was I doing in the Oval Office? True, I have been to Washington DC, and done all the touristy stuff, including a tour of the White House (pre-9/11, when it wasn’t quite as difficult to manage). I saw a good bit of the executive mansion, but I didn’t get so much as a whiff of the West Wing - where the president’s Office is located. But recently, on a trip to Austin Texas, I visited the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library, which has a recreation of the Oval Office, so I at least got a feel for what it might be like to visit the real thing. It’s not quite the same, it’s only 7/8 scale, but this fauxval office is decorated exactly as it would have looked when Johnson was President, using the original furnishings whenever possible. Furthermore, rather than heavily armed goons waiting to gang tackle
me should I get too close, it was watched over by a sweet little old lady who was more than happy to tell me all about the office and the good deeds that were carried out there. Plus, there was nobody else around, so I could spend all the time I wanted. In addition to the office, Johnson’s presidential limousine is on display right there in the library’s lobby. Very cool. Mind you, that’s not the one that Kennedy used, which is housed at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan (another place I’m dying to visit), but just to think that this is the vehicle that ferried Johnson around while he hatched all those good ideas about civil rights (and all those bad ideas about Vietnam) was a real treat. And there wasn’t even a dress code.
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In Theaters Now
Box Office Top 10 Ant-Man (2015)
“Ant-Man”
I must confess, I was not exactly excited to see the new film “Ant-Man”. In fact the thought of seeing a film featuring the Blevel Marvel hero almost had me choosing another, any other, film for this weeks column. However, being the superhero geek I am, the decision was made to see the film after much contemplation. Personally I wasn’t that familiar with the character, who has actually been around since 1962. Thus, despite my reluctance and the films weak preview, I trudged on to the theater, donned my 3D glasses, and settled in for what I hoped would be a passable film. The film is, of course, an origin story, so non comic book fans can learn about the character. The film begins in 1989, and shows us scientist Hank Pym (a young Michael Douglas) resigning from S.H.E.I.L.D. after they attempt to use his Ant-Man shrinking technology. Pym believes the technology is too dangerous, and decides to hide it as long as he lives. Flash forward to present day, and the character of Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), a former protege of Pym, is close to perfecting his own shrinking suit, known as the Yellowjacket. Meanwhile, a side story introduces us to a thief named Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), who has just been released from prison, and moves in with a former cellmate while he attempts to get in the good graces of his exwife in order to see his daughter. While Lang is looking for a steady job, he is convinced by his former cellmate and some other buddies to pull on last heist. Little does Lang know, the whole thief plot was initiated by Pym in order to see how well Lang would adopt to the Ant-Man suit he finds in Pym’s
Terminator
Armed with a super-suit with Genisys (2015) the astonishing ability to shrink in John Connor sends Kyle Reese scale but increase in strength, cat back in time to protect Sarah Conburglar Scott Lang must embrace nor, but when he arrives in 1984, his inner hero and help his mentor, nothing is as he expected it to be. Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world. Magic Mike XXL (2015)
Minions (2015)
Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world.
Trainwreck (2015)
Having thought that monogamy was never possible, a commitment-phobic career woman may have to face her fears when she meets a good guy.
Inside Out (2015)
Three years after Mike bowed out of the stripper life at the top of his game, he and the remaining Kings of Tampa hit the road to Myrtle Beach to put on one last blow-out performance.
The Gallows (2015)
20 years after a horrific accident during a small town school play, students at the school resurrect the failed show in a misguided attempt to honor the anniversary of the tragedy - but soon discover that some things are better left alone.
After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved Ted 2 (2015) to San Francisco, her emotions Newlywed couple Ted and TaJoy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sad- mi-Lynn want to have a baby, but ness - conflict on how best to navi- in order to qualify to be a parent, gate a new city, house, and school. Ted will have to prove he’s a person in a court of law.
Jurassic World (2015)
A new theme park is built on the Mr. Holmes (2015) original site of Jurassic Park. EvAn aged, retired Sherlock Holerything is going well until the mes looks back on his life, and park’s newest attraction--a geneti- grapples with an unsolved case cally modified giant stealth killing involving a beautiful woman. machine--escapes containment and goes on a killing spree. Source: IMDb.com • (7/25/2015)
home. Several plot twists later, Lang finds himself in the Ant-Man suit on a mission for Pym that is directed toward Cross. Ant-Man is flying on and running around with ants in a shrunken state, and eventually battles Cross, who has perfected the shrinking technology and has the persona of Yel-
lowjacket. Despite all the special effects and fighting, there is still plenty of the Marvel “superhero humor.” In fact, this film has even more humor than most of the other Marvel films. The parts I enjoyed most were when Ant-Man was in his shrunken state floating down
water pipes, or flying through the air on the back of a flying ant. The special effects were “marvelous” (sorry!), and the film rocks in the 3D format. The actors, led by Rudd were all great in their parts, with Rudd a great choice for this less-than-stellar hero. Per usual, stay seated for the mid-credits scene, which will no doubt delight
fans of the Marvel universe. “AntMan” totally surprised me, and gave me new respect for the hero I knew very little about. (Rated PG13) B+
Rated: PG-13
B+
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A Celebration of Song and Story with Angela Lloyd Personal tales, much like folk tales and fairy stories, are staples in the world of storytelling. Most tellers naturally tend to focus on stories about family—especially scenes from childhood. Veteran storyteller Angela Lloyd has a somewhat different approach: her favorite personal stories are about strangers. It’s not that she never tells stories about her parents; it’s just that you meet some really interesting hitchhikers when you spend six years on the road, as Lloyd did in the early 1980’s. Soon to be Jonesborough’s storyteller in residence, Lloyd will share highlights from her wideranging repertoire, which includes music, traditional stories, and even puppetry. Tuesday through Saturday, August 4 – 8, Lloyd will host daily matinees in the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall. Performances are scheduled for 2:00 p.m. sharp, and tickets are just $12 for adults and $11 for seniors, students, and children under 18.
In addition to daily matinees, Lloyd will host a special children’s concert on Saturday, August 8, at 10:30 a.m. The show is just $5 for all ages, and ticket holders will receive coupons for 15 percent off at The Lollipop Shop, a popular Main Street store that sells oldfashioned sweets and toys. Like her offbeat perspective, Lloyd’s music offers the thrill of the unexpected. In Jonesborough, she’ll accompany herself on a variety of interesting instruments, including the spoons, the Autoharp, the ukulele, and the washboard. “What I’ve discovered is that all of a sudden the washboard creates a space where you can sing all the ridiculous songs you learned as a kid—those songs you sang in the back of the car, or at a campfire,” she says. “Suddenly, because you’re wearing a washboard, you can be 60 and still sing those songs.” Lloyd thinks of music as a second language (well, third including Spanish—she spent her first
14 years living abroad in South America). Her mother was a gifted pianist, and her father, though technically minded, was a huge fan of musical theater. It’s not uncommon for Lloyd to break into a snippet of a Broadway tune midstory—for her, it’s just another way to convey information. Reservations for Lloyd’s matinees and children’s concert are highly recommended, and all ticket holders will save 10 percent on same-day dining at The Dining Room, Jonesborough General Store and Eatery, or Main Street Café. Information about this season’s performers, as well as a detailed schedule, is available at www. storytellingcenter.net. Storytelling Live! is supported by program sponsors CrestPoint Health and Eastman Credit Union, and media sponsors News 5-WCYB, FOX TriCities, Tri-Cities CW, Johnson City Press, Kingsport Times-News, Herald & Tribune, Cumulus Media and Foster Signs. Additional
funding comes from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the Niswonger Foundation, and the Arts Fund of East Tennessee Foundation. The International Storytelling
Center is open 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information about Storytelling Live! or to make a group reservation, call (800) 952-8392 ext. 222 or (423) 913-1276.
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“Rhythms Of The Mountain Empire”
A Ten Part Original Series About Local Music, Supported by Tri-City Communities & Adoring Fans
Donnie & Samantha Share The Story of Local Music and Each Other!! Written by: William Camelot
Boone Dam Earthen Embankment Seepage and Erosion Public Meeting
Solution for Boone Dam Earthen Embankment Seepage and Erosion to be Discussed at Public Meeting July 30. Representatives from TVA will discuss the repairs necessary to stop the seepage and erosion taking place at the Boone Dam earthen embankment. The meeting will be held Thursday, July 30 at the Millennium Centre, located at 2001 Millennium Place in Johnson City, Tenn. Doors will open at 5 p.m. with the formal presentation beginning at 5:30 p.m. There will be an opportunity for the public to ask questions.
Donnie and Samantha found each other online and never looked back.Two hungry souls that felt their past should not influence their future; but then nothing is ever what it appears..! These divergent lives suddenly have been cast as “life partners” in this musical journey that takes place in the Tri.... Music has become the common denominator in this fledgling relationship of a burned out drummer and a rising star in rock radio...! The series will allow their relationship to grow over rocky and sometimes unorthodox ground. Both harbor “secrets” that see the light of day as the storytelling unfolds and impacts each segment of the video series... Donnie & Samantha will light up the screen in this video storytelling series that hard working musicians and the local communities that embrace their passion... Fans will be able to follow the story right here in The Loafer in “exclusive articles”from behind the scenes...
www.rhythmsofthemountainempire.com www.facebook.com/rhythsmofthemountainempire www.twitter.com/rhythmsempire williamcamelot@mymorningcoffee.tv
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Summer Harvest Potluck & Contra Dance in Jonesborough
The Historic Jonesborough Dance Society will present the Annual Summer Harvest Potluck Dinner & Contra Dance on Saturday August 2, 2015. The potluck dinner and contra dance will be held at the Jonesborough Visitors Center at 117 Boone Street beginning at 6:00 pm. Class for beginning contra dancers will follow at 7:00 pm. The dance will run from 7:30-10:30 pm with a waltz and Klondike Bar break at 9:00pm. Coming to Jonesborough to perform for the dance will be the Redbud Ramblers from Greenville, SC. Calling for the dance will be Vicki Herndon from Chattanooga. During the dinner hour, guests can also waltz to recorded music. The Summer Harvest Potluck Dinner will begin at 6:00pm. Nothing brings people together like a potluck, and nothing gets them talking together like the subject of food. Just watch as the buffet table fills up with salads, casseroles, pastas and desserts and you’ll see for yourself. “We are building a community through traditional music and dance. We hope to get our dancers chatting happily, exchanging recipes and telling the story behind each recipe,” adds Wiley. Food talk at a potluck can teach us a lot about each other and the world around us. Prizes will be given to the most creative and mouthwatering dishes. If you are not a home gardener, support your local Farmer’s Market including the Jonesborough Farmer’s Market held every Saturday from 8 am until noon in the parking area next to the Court House on Main Street. Early risers can join together for a flash mob contra demonstration at 10:30 at the Jonesborough Farmers Market. Redbud Ramblers are David White (SteamShovel) on fiddle and banjo with Wes Maluk
(Eric the Cat) on mandolin and guitar. Vicki Herndon has been a dancer since 1997, when she accidentally came across contra dancing, and has been a dance lover since. She began calling in 2000, and have called all around the southeast. Wedding dances in open fields, and dances with kids are all part of the diversity she represents, and loves. Vicki is very active part of the Chattanooga dance community. “Keeping my home group growing and strong has become very important to me over the years. Welcoming newcomers, and giving them confidence is my specialty. Dancers must have this to return to your dance and thrive” offers Ms. Herndon. Vicki just led her local dance community in presenting the 2015 Chattaboogie Dance Weekend featuring ContraForce and the Coffee Zombies. Being a dance gypsy has led Vicki to be a familiar face at many dance weekends along with her husband, Steve, where her enthusiasm as a caller is just as evident as when she is dancing. “There’s not much more than I love to do . . . dance and call”, she adds. Come as you are; wear soft flexible shoes for dancing. Come to dance, join the potluck dinner or just to listen. No partner is necessary. All dances are taught. As always, our dances are smoke and alcohol free. Admission to the dance is $7, $5 for HJDS members and $5 for full time students. Families with their own children are all admitted for only $15 as a package. For further information call event organizer, David Wiley, at 423-534-8879 or visit www.historicjonesboroughdancesociety.org or Historic Jonesborough Dance Society on FACEBOOK.
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July 28, 2015 | The Loafer | Page 29 ing or attacking someone. All this to say that what you consider your rifle is you own business, but what others, especially the government considers your rifle is of far greater importance. Do I think there is likely to be another Assault Weapons Ban in the near
Black Rifle Debate
So one of the big debates of our time is what I like to call the “Black Rifle Debate” you might be asking yourself “Why does it matter what my AR-15 is designated as?” well the answer is that what you call your rifle is you own business, but the government’s designation of your rifle is a different matter altogether. Such designations can result in legislation being passed such as the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 which limited the manufacture and ownership of certain semiautomatic rifles, high capacity magazines and types of ammunition. According to Wikipedia the following is a list of the criteria defining an assault weapon as per the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban: Under the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994 the definition of “semiautomatic assault weapon” included specific semi-automatic firearm models by name, and other semiautomatic firearms that possessed two or more of the following features: Semi-automatic rifles able to accept detachable magazines and two or more of the following: • Folding or telescoping stock • Pistol grip • Bayonet mount • Flash suppressor, or threaded barrel designed to accommodate one • Grenade launcher mount Semi-automatic pistols with detachable magazines and two or more of the following: • Magazine that attaches outside the pistol grip • Threaded barrel to attach barrel extender, flash suppressor, handgrip, or suppressor • Barrel shroud safety feature that prevents burns to the operator • Unloaded weight of 50 oz (1.4 kg) or more • A semi-automatic version of a
fully automatic firearm. Semi-automatic shotguns with two or more of the following: • Folding or telescoping stock • Pistol grip • Detachable magazine. The reason these criteria are important is because in 2013 a new Assault Weapons Ban was proposed, and seemed to be likely to pass, as I’m sure you can recall everyone lost their minds and started buying AR-15’s and Ak-47’s like it was the end of the world. Handgun sales also flew through the roof as a ten round magazine restriction for all guns was a part of the proposed bill. I am in no way a conspiracy theorist, but I have maintained a theory about this series of events. You may also recall about that time President Obama sent everyone a check as part of his plan to stimulate the economy. This had little effect; however the proposed Assault Weapons Ban saw marked economic stimulation as firearms manufactures were suddenly faced with exponential demand. Likewise ammunition manufacturers had to open new facilities and were still unable to meet demand. Thousands of jobs were created. President Obama went on to be called “The greatest gun salesman of all time”. If we look back at American history there has never been a time when “Guns designed for the military” haven’t also been used by civilians. Within reason of course, were not all walking around with fully automatic rifles with grenade launchers or M249’s. That being said, in the time of muzzle loaded muskets, the civilians and soldiers both used the same rifles, likewise with the advent of the bolt-action rifle, and semi-automatic rifle. The wrench was thrown in the gears with the advent of the M-16 and
Ak-47 rifles which were quickly cloned into semi-automatics in the 1970’s. This changed everything as rifles no longer looked like the traditional long-gun but were now “scary”. Traditionally rifles held 5-10 rounds and now these new rifles could hold 20-30 rounds with removable box magazines. It didn’t take long for scumbags to realize the full potential of these firearms for evil. In fact it was the mass shooting in Stockton, California that compelled President Clinton to sign the first AWB in 1994. To this day it is still illegal for a gun to hold more than 10 rounds in California. The truth of the matter is there have been evil people as long as there have been people, and evil people will use whatever means necessary to commit evil. When teaching my students one of the questions I like to ask is “Can anyone tell me the difference between a weapon and a gun?” this usually gets a raised eyebrow or two, accompanied by silence. I then explain that the difference between a weapon and a gun is intent. A gun is merely a device used to activate and channel the energy produced by a chemical reaction which projects an object at high speeds in a general direction. Similarly a hammer is a weighted lump of material, typically steel, affixed to a handle. Either can be used as a weapon, which is defined by Merriam Webster as “Something (such as a gun, knife, club, or bomb) that is used for fighting or attacking someone or for defending yourself when someone is attacking you”. Notice it says “used for” not “designed for” which is a source of confusion for many people. A sword for example can be argued to be “designed” for fighting or attacking someone, but it is not a weapon until it is “used” for fight-
future? I think that depends on what happens next year, it is definitely a possibility. As a word of advice after seeing what happened before, if you’re in the market for an AR-15 or AK47 I would buy it now, I would also recommend stocking up on ammunition too.
Sources: • http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assault%20rifle • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Assault_Weapons_Ban • http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/weapon
Page 30 | The Loafer | July 28, 2015 ready for my padded cell. And we should suspect that because the subjects apparently knew they were being tracked, they might behave differently than they would had they been oblivious to their being tracked. And what about the contention that looking at Apps indicates that the subject was distracted and therefore depressed? What if they were looking at educational or productivity Apps or even mental health Apps? As a result of this and similar studies, we should be on the lookout for an increase in the number of Apps designed to monitor our mental as well as our physical health. We already are plagued by all sorts of fitness Apps that invite us to log our every movement. I read a post this morning about a man who turned in his Apple Watch because it bugged him to stand up frequently when he sat too long on an airplane. Why not just turn these annoying healthmonitoring Apps off? That’s the first thing I do when I get a new phone. And you bet I won’t install any mental health Apps. I get depressed just thinking about being monitored, although I know I am being monitored whether I like it or not. Because I don’t want to give up Google and Amazon, I put up with being tracked and data mined. But I might think twice if I start getting too many recommendations about books, movies etc. dealing with depression; when Amazon puts “The Snake Pit” at the top of my recommendations list, I will start to worry. If you could take a look at my Amazon wish list, you would immediately question my mental state. I have everything there from histories of jazz music and obscure literary studies to the “It Follows” soundtrack to horror movies by Edward L. Cahn (“The Creature With The Atom Brain” is tom of depression), their phones higher depression scores,” but, fact that certainly feeds into the one of my all-time favorites, and were equipped with an array of contrary to what you might infer, pharmaceutical companies who I can’t wait for the upcoming relocation and usage software. Then, departing from this routine didn’t manufacture a host of drugs de- lease of the remastered version the subjects were tracked for two tend to decrease depression. In signed to treat depression and commemorating the film’s 60th weeks and required to respond fact, people who exhibit mood the psychiatrists who are eager to anniversary). to frequent online questionnaires swings in he direction of depres- prescribe them. According to this I will leave you to contemplate about their mood. sion tend to exhibit erratic and of- study, I must be very depressed the meaning of the aforemenAnd what did the research- ten unpredictable physical move- because I refuse to follow a rou- tioned depression-and-phone-use ers discover about their subjects ments that stray from their usual tine most of the time and wander study. Try not to get too depressed, after the two-week test? Interest- routines. Guess this is a case of be- around a lot because I get bored however, while thinking about it. ingly enough, “people who tend ing damned if you do and damned doing the same things in the same And if by chance you do, there’s to spend more time in just one or if you don’t. way. Also, are we to believe that probably an App for that. two places—like people who stay Another finding is that people less depressed people spend only See you next week with hopeat home or go to work and go back who spend more time on their seventeen minutes on their phones fully less depressing news home—are more likely to have smartphones tend to be more de- each day? If that is the case, I am
Are You Depressed? Just Ask Your Phone Our smartphones are becoming, quite literally, one of our appendages, and new phenomena like false vibration syndrome (i.e. sensing phone notification vibrations when none are present) only serve to reinforce the truth of this observation. In the words of social psychologist Sherry Turkel, our phones, like our computers, are our “second selves.” With uncanny human-like digital assistants like Siri on hand to cater to our every whim, our phones and tablets are directing our lives in ways that would have seemed like pure science fiction a short time ago. Now it seems our phones (or, more accurately, our “digital assistants”) will become our mental health specialists. According to a July 15 online blog by Time correspondent Mandy Oaklander, “your phone may be able to tell if you’re depressed even better than a self-assessment of your own depression can.” Based on research published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Oaklander’s column presents us with some pretty interesting, and scary, data about the relationships between our phones and our mental health. Being a skeptic of most mental health and psychiatric practitioners, I am of course interested in what these researchers at Northwestern University have to say. For this little research project, twenty-people, ranging in age from nineteen to fifty-eight, were recruited from Craigslist (perhaps not the best source for finding ideal research candidates). After they were subjected to a standardized test that measured their depression symptoms (half had symp-
pressed than those who don’t. For instance, depressed people “spend an average of 68 minutes using their phones each day, while people without depression only spent about 17 minutes on their phones.” David Mohr, one of the Northwestern researchers, explains that “One of the things we see when people are depressed is that people tend to start avoiding tasks or things they have to do, particularly when they’re uncomfortable.” Therefore, “Using the phone, going in and using an app, is kind of a distraction.” As I see it, these finding don’t make a lot of sense and set up a set of circumstances that make almost anyone appear depressed—a
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