December 2011 edition of the Murfreesboro Pulse

ALBUM REVIEWS:PROPHET NATHANANDREW ADKINSFORREST YORKGRANDPA EGGCAITLIN ROSEIAN THOMAS pg. 20

ONLINE AT: BOROPULSE.COM

Middle Tennessee’s Source for Art, Entertainment and Culture News

MURFREESBORO

MUSICMusicians On Call delivers the gift of music to patients’ bedsides. pg. 18

ARTWork from Glenn Merchant at Center; more MTSU degree candidates. pg. 14

Vol. 6, Issue 12December 2011

FREETake One!

THE

PROJECTCHRISTMAS

We challenge everyone to perform one random act of kindness each

day until Christmas to improve the lives of others and your own. pg. 16

XX * DECEMBER 2011 * BOROPULSE.COM

BOROPULSE.COM * DECEMBER 2011 * 3

There is a country where the people feel so oppressed and alienated that they take to the streets in protest of the corrupt govern-ment and fi nancial systems. They camp out

for months. Government agents beat them, trash their tents and use chemical warfare against their own people. This is not a distant land across the globe. This is here. This is how the international media is reporting on the U.S.

So, there are some who want change; they’ve proven they can organize and capture the nation’s attention, but will they really do anything about it or just have a weeks-long camp out and make a bunch of noise?

Obama has shown that he is not interested in change. He talked a big game in the campaign, but surprise, surprise, it’s business as usual from the White House, a continuation of the hawkish Bush years. It’s proven once again there’s not a dime’s worth of difference between a Republican and a Democrat. It’s those in power vs. the 99 percent. Do not let elected offi cials forget that they work for you.

Didn’t Obama talk about ending wars and hope for a better future about three years ago?

Hypocrite! Vote him out. Iraq is forcing foreign forces to leave their country. Now Obama can talk about ending a war, after he was backed into a corner, three years after he promised to do so.

I say raise the pay for the U.S. president (though I could fi nd billions to cut elsewhere). For a multimillionaire, the president’s salary is of little consequence. But there are probably plenty of talented business leaders out there who would not want to pursue the presidency and take the pay cut. Raise it to $1,000,000 a year. Make Congressional and Presidential salaries incentive based. Slash govern-ment spending, save our future generations some money and keep a little for your own pockets, a bonus system based on performance. Keep driving up the debt, fi nd your own way to pay for it.

By the way, all you people who care so deeply about not running up the national debt, if the U.S. did not participate militarily in Iraq and Afghanistan, we could have knocked out 25 percent of the debt out over the past 10 years.

Do we see how these two are related?Want to end war? Vote Ron Paul.Want to cut spending? Vote Ron Paul.For whatever reason, the media elite hate him and his views, but

millions of the people agree. He’s leading in some Iowa polls just a month from their caucuses. Amazing. Real people support him.

How many real people support Perry or Romney? It seems their primary supporters are within the military/industrial/fi nancial complex that the 99 percent hate. Corporations are indeed made up of people too, Mr. Romney, but those peoples’ votes don’t count any more than those of the Paul supporters, and I believe there are

more Paul supporters out there.I say avoid Mr. 9-9-9 Cain at all costs. A 9 percent federal sales

tax? That’s crazy. That would mean the tax we’d pay for goods bought in Rutherford County would be nearly 20 percent! This, in combination with Cain’s blatant contempt for any knowledge of what’s going on in other countries, should put his campaign to rest in short order.

Now this is rich: our Congressional Representative says it’s time to curb government spending, but just a few short months ago voted for the legislation that made it possible for the debt to reach these unprecedented new heights.

Hypocrite! Vote her out. Does she think people are stupid? That they won’t notice you say one thing and do another?

I have to have a little more respect for the Democrats lately. They will say they want high taxes and want to redistribute the wealth and act to do so. But Republicans will say they are for limiting govern-

ment, cutting taxes, cutting spending, and then, time after time, do the opposite!

The Christmas tree is up, the stockings are hung and another year is coming to a close. Much love, goodwill and cheer from the Mayo family to yours. For everyone who has read, passed out, written for, displayed and distributed at your place of business, ad-vertised in, communicated with or noticed the Pulse this past year, thank you! It’s our gift to everyone all year round.

Please do something good for your neighbor, and take the time to look into the Goodwill Treaty for World Peace.

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.Peace,

Bracken Mayo, Editor in Chief

DEAR READERS:

Copyright © 2011, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 116-E N. Walnut St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130. Proudly owned, operated and published the first Thursday of each month by the Mayo family; printed by Franklin Web Printing Co. The Murfreesboro Pulse is a free publication funded by our advertisers. Views expressed in The Pulse do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. ISSN: 1940-378X

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

Art Director: Sarah L. Mayo

Copy Editor: Cindy Phiffer

Advertising Reps: Don Clark, Ryan Noreikas

Photographer: Jon WesenbergPULS

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CONTENTS

To carry The Pulse at your business, or submit letters, stories and photography: [email protected] North Walnut St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130(615) 796-6248

29 Run with a Light in the Night Though it’s colder, a couple of races.

30 Z-Train Titans are still in the playoff picture; Vols handle Blue Raiders easily.

SPORTS

14 More Art from MTSU Majors

School Invites Involvement MTSU increses promotion of its arts.

15 Capturing the Colonial Way Photographer uses old techniques.

Perimeters Center hosts Merchant’s paintings.

ART

26 Murfreesboro Entrepreneurs Shaun Berbert of Enchanted Planet.

27 Apple Talk Can’t-live-without applications.

28 Read to Succeed Book Review Room by Emma Donoghue.

Celebrity Spelling Bee Kristin Demos wins this year.

NEWS

13 Reviews The Muppets, Tower Heist

Living Room Cinema Festive Fun

MOVIES

18 Musicians On Call Volunteers bring the power of music to the bedsides of hospital patients.

20 Reviews Caitlin Rose, Grandpa Egg, Prophet Nathan, Ian Thomas, Forrest York, Andrew Adkins

24 CONCERT LISTINGS

25 Prarie Home What? Mr. Keillor and the Royal Academy bring radio show south to Kentucky.

SOUNDS

4 Gagflex OWS wants overhaul of the political system, not just different politicians. 5 Living Green Measuring our water footprint.

6 Bah, Humbug Wishing for a Santa, wishing there were still small family businesses.

7 La Palabra El apoyo de su comunidad local.

8 Phil Valentine Republicans need to do their jobs.

10 COMMUNITY EVENTS

MAIL

31 Gondolier Broad St. eatery offers great selection of warm Italian comfort food.

FOOD

12 Nightly Sings the Staring Owl MLT presents famed Scottish play.

THEATER

Contributing Writers: Spencer Blake, Ernie Chase, Patrick Clark, Ryan Egly, Jason Johnson, Tony Lehew,Marcus Luche, Zach Maxfield, Jessica Pace, Cameron Parrish, Jay Spight, Norbert Thiemann, Phil Valentine

16 The Christmas Project We challenge our readers to perform 25 random acts of kindness throughout the month of December.

17 Bows of Film Malco Theatres continue unique holiday fundraiser for St. Jude.

OUT & ABOUTOn The Cover

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4 * DECEMBER 2011 * BOROPULSE.COM

Whiners are whining about the Oc-cupy Wall Street protests being too uncivil and causing too much

of a disturbance. Dear Whiners, this is how protest works when you aren’t supporting a major political party and your orders and talking points aren’t delivered to you via Fox News and wealthy backers like the Koch brothers. Grass roots protest move-ments don’t typically begin with a how-to playbook. It also doesn’t help that police from Oakland to New York have repeat-edly clashed with protestors, using pepper spray and rubber bullets to attempt to break up protests. So yes, trying to force real change isn’t always appealing to the eye. Sometimes it’s a just a damn mess.

The Tea Party, on the other hand, is a top-down movement. The message trickles down to angry people who think the cure

for their anger is to elect politicians who in turn vote against their better interests. There’s no doubt that the Tea Party will ul-timately be more successful because their success is gauged by how many Tea Party supporting politicians get elected. Once they’re in power, their only responsibility to the Tea Party is to defy Democrats, which means that the Tea Party is basically just a limb of the Republican Party. How can the Tea Party not succeed when their interests

are already being served by one of the major political parties? There isn’t a Michele Bachman equivalent hanging out at Zucotti Park or traveling around the protest circuit giving speeches. While a few politicians have voiced their support for the OWS protestors, most are steering clear. There’s a lot at stake for politicians. They don’t want to seem too fringe and they also don’t want to piss off the big banks who support them in favor of light regulation.

Conservatives who are coming out condemning the OWS movement just because they perceive it to be a liberal movement are idiots. They’re labeling it a liberal movement because it’s a protest against big business mixing with politics, and that’s that the bread and butter of Re-publican politics. But this is not a protest against Republicans. It’s a protest against our whole system in which every member of Congress is responsible. And this is why the OWS movement will likely not be as successful as the Tea Party move-

ment. The problem is massive. There are too many politicians who are influenced by lobbyists and are mesmerized by the influence of the

big banks. For many, trying to grasp the demands of the OWS protestors is dif-ficult because it’s almost in indictment of democracy itself.

But the truth is that our system is not working. Watch Republicans and Democrats gridlock about the most minor of details and tell me that this is working. Read about the ridiculous super committee and tell me that this is working. Read about regulations that are gutted in favor of big business and how there are massive loopholes for the wealthi-est of Americans and tell me this is working. We have politicians who are literally signing oaths to lobbyists. Everything our politicians say and do is dictated by the election cycle, which in turn is run by corporate dollars. So if the OWS movement never makes a dent in our political system it will at least have been a great representation of the anger of the 99 percent.

GAGFLEXcolumn by JASON JOHNSON

[email protected]

Protests Aim to Cause a Disturbance

OPINIONS

“This is not a protest against Republicans. It’s a protest against our whole system in which every member

of Congress is responsible . . . The problem is

massive.”


As the topic of sustainability slowly makes its way into the American consciousness it seems that one key component lurks perpetually

below the surface: water. Even the 2007 Tennessee drought that made international news seems to have been largely forgot-ten. The London publication The Indepen-dent referred to Tennessee at the time as “a once-lush region where the American dream has been reduced to a single four-letter word: rain.”

The challenges presented by the looming crisis are significant, but not insurmount-able, especially given the willpower and ingenuity of the Tennessee that I know.

The lack of interest likely has to do with the apparent abundance of the scarce natu-ral resource as well as the elusive nature of the terms “water footprint” and “virtual water,” which are used to quantify its use. Broadly speaking, your role as a consumer far outweighs that as an end user (although this too is important). Consider the weekly laundry: would you have guessed that a pair of jeans has a water footprint of roughly 2,900 gallons (cotton is particularly water intensive)? Or around 480 gallons for a quarter pound hamburger, and 37 gallons for a cup of coffee? These staggering numbers are hard to take in until you take a look at the methodology behind a water footprint calculation and understand what the end result represents.

UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, defines water footprint as “how much water is con-sumed, when and where, measured over the whole supply chain of a product.” Virtual water is a more narrow concept as it refers only to volumes, rather than the type of water (green, blue, grey). Water footprint figures allow for a more accurate estimation of a country’s water usage by accounting for the consumption of goods or services that have their origins outside of the country in question.

For the example above of jeans, the fac-tors involved in a water footprint calcula-tion include the resource intensive practice of mono-crop cotton agriculture, cotton seed processing into lint for a 3:1 loss, carding, spinning, and weaving into gray fabric, bleaching, dying and transportation (of raw materials throughout the agricul-tural/industrial cycle as well as to the end market). The hamburger example follows similar logic. The bulk of the water footprint of beef comes from the grain used to feed the animals. In the industrial food system, which supplies the vast majority of US beef, roughly 7 pounds of grain are required for one pound of meat. I can easily do without

the first two, but really get stuck on coffee, which I am sipping as I type this. One cup of the life-sustaining brew has a whopping 37 gallon water footprint, 4.7 times that of black tea.

Goods and services require water, and that water eventually finds its way back into the water cycle, so where is the problem? One cause for concern lies in the scarcity of freshwater, a point easily overlooked here, but inescapable in the areas of the world that produce much of what we find on our store shelves. Results from NASA satellites already warn of severe water shortages in parts of India, where nearly a quarter of the country is experiencing drought conditions and abnormal monsoon patterns. The same concerns are true for China, which faced droughts throughout the 1990s and contin-ues to search for solutions today. India and China produce 10 and 25 percent of global cotton, respectively.

Water in numbers: Yearly rainfall ac-counts for only .32% of the world’s fresh-water reserves, which equates to a 300-year replacement period for the entire volume. On top of that, around 66 percent of the

world’s freshwater is stored in glaciers, while another 30% lies deep in geological layers not accessible to humans. Depending on the esti-mation, 1-4 percent is left for human and ecological

use. Another important point is that fresh-water flows in a dynamic system, at about .3 percent of the total volume of freshwater. Imbalances caused to this system by overuse can have dramatic effects, some of which we already see in the nightly news.

An understanding of the water footprint concept sheds light on the hidden water footprint of everyday goods and actions and serves as one of many indicators of how interconnected we are with the world—both with its fruits and its problems. If we work together we can make sure that world’s 7 billionth person, who is expected soon, will also have a world worth living in.

Below are a few ways to reduce your personal water footprint:

Keep things longer and think hard about new purchases.

Buy used (yard sale, thrift store), or trade with friends.

Clothes swap with friends for a change of pace rather than buying new.

Reduce or eliminate the use of meat and animal products.

Carpool/mass transit/plan to avoid multiple trips/buy a small car—or even better: bike.

Be part of the discussion!

LIVINGGREEN

column by RYAN EGLY

Our Daily Water

Plant now for a burst of spring growth!


Bah, Humbug

I never believed in Santa Claus. I was never one of those lucky kids that had the opportunity to believe in a made up saint who travelled the world in one night bringing gifts to good children and coal for the bad. All the children I knew received gifts, even the bad ones, but not me. There were years where I didn’t even know it

was Christmas and would end up at a friend’s house getting a line like “go home, it’s Christmas”. We had it the hard way I guess, but even when we did get a Christmas there was never really a Santa Claus.

I knew that my grandma was responsible for the gifts or later Dad and then Mom. I was thankful to get anything, but it was never that magical feeling that you see on TV or in movies. I didn’t understand the magic of Christmas until I had kids of my own. And I never got a chance to believe in Santa Claus.

My friends might tell you that I am a cynic. I have been described as being doom and gloom and having a less than bright outlook on future events. You might say it’s a crappy way to live one’s life. I have generally used it as a method of protection. You see, if you expect the world to turn roses into rain you don’t leave much wiggle room for disappointment. But there are some things that I do somehow believe in. There are some things in which, even to my own amazement, I place my faith, as it were. I trust my wife and my marriage. I never really give it a second thought, joking aside. And I had complete faith in the company I worked for…until today.

You see, I bought into the lie. Mind you, a lie with the best intentions is still what it is . . . a lie. Before today, I felt comfortable and protected in my job. As long as I kept my head down and did my share, minding not to rock the boat, I could have said job until I retired. People had worked at this company for over thirty years and had lived this dream, so it was not out of the ordinary. I felt safe and not at all naive at the same time.

I had already been run off from the same company before for being brash and impulsive. I learned my lesson and I begged for my job back, because I believed what the company stood for. Family values. This company was family owned and operated until today. The third generation ran the place and the fourth worked among us. And the family was great and strong. They ran the place like lords of the realm, but they were fair and generous. Every year we had a fat profit sharing check and a 3 percent raise. It was a dream come true to a mere field technician turned tie wearing phone jockey. I finally could smile and enjoy coming to work every day . . . which is rare. I believed in my company and would fight to defend it.

Then this morning, we were told that our beloved company was acquired by a larger entity. Almost 400 people gasped at once. We were gobbled up like so many other American companies in an increasingly greedy environment. I use to tell people that family owned corporations like ours did not exist in America anymore. Today I am sad to say I was right.

We are still here and nothing has changed as of today, but I have to admit to feeling empty and lost. I think I understand why all those kids were so shattered when they figured out a made up elf was a figment of their parents imaginings in order to keep balance and control. “Be a good boy Jr. and Santa will bring you lots of presents”. Well, I don’t believe in Santa. And now, although it hurts to admit, I guess I can’t believe in the American family business anymore . . . I really wish there was a Santa.

OPINIONS

by ERNIE CHASE


IN ENGLISH:

Every year, the intensity of commer-cial advertising reaches an overwhelming crescendo during the holidays as businesses launch carefully crafted holiday messages designed to drive consumption of specific products and services. Nonprofits with big advertising budgets do likewise to com-pete for your dollars in order to fund their charitable activities. Last night on the eve of “Black Friday,” I passed by our local Target and Kohl’s to see the mobs of people anxiously waiting for the doors to open so they could take advantage of bargains. Next, I couldn’t help but notice a stark contrast between this scene and what I saw in areas where smaller business-es are located. There were no long lines of people, no extra security necessary to hold back the shoppers responding to the previ-ous weeks of mass media advertisement.

Is it possible that with all of the advertis-ing we see from the “big guys” we might overlook opportunities to support smaller, locally owned businesses? Might it then also be the case that our local charities and nonprofits may also go overlooked? It’s true that companies of all sizes need to maintain profit levels to stay in business. Charitable organizations also have goals they set to continue serving those in need. However, in light of America’s dire economic circum-stances, I want to challenge readers this Holiday Season to consider shopping with locally owned businesses and donating to local organizations whenever possible. This way we are supporting those within arm’s reach and impacting our own community instead of primarily those with the power to reach us via the web or massive TV and radio campaigns. Local charity organizations aren’t hard to find. Journey Home and Greenhouse Ministries come to mind as well as the Food Bank of Rutherford County. All of these are in great need this year and welcome your do-nations of food, clothing or even your time.

Unless you are a student of mass com-munication, you’ve probably never recog-nized how easily advertising can control your thoughts and even promote behaviors which aren’t in the best interest of your own community. You may find it interest-ing to know that those who would later write the textbooks on advertising tech-niques gained their experience by applying these principals during the 1930s as geopo-litical forces jockeyed for position prior to World War II. Psychological warfare (psy-war) or weltanschauungskrieg (worldview warfare) as it was called in Nazi Germany, is valued for its potential in shaping public

opinion at home and abroad, even to the extent of influencing the outcome of armed conflicts by manipulating the perceptions of parties on both sides. The use of propa-ganda to persuade and deceive populations to achieve military and political objectives is a continually evolving science that as-sumes more sophisticated forms with every decade. It’s a thrilling topic that we will have to leave behind for now and return to

our original purpose.This article isn’t a

slam against big busi-ness, large charities or even against marketing campaigns. Rather this

season we should snap out of our trance and do our best to positively impact those closest to us. We should expand our goals to include not only buying the right gifts, but buying and donating to places which contribute to the overall strength of the local community! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. I’ll see you all in 2012!

IN SPANISH:

El apoyo de su Comunidad Local Mientras que las Compras Este Año

Cada año, la intensidad de la publicidad culmina fuertemente durante la tempo-rada navideña y las empresas lanzan sus mensajes especialmente diseñados para impulsar el consumo de productos y servi-cios específicos. Organizaciones Sin fines de lucro Sin fines de lucro con grandes presupuestos de publicidad también hagan lo mismo para competir por los dólares con el fin de financiar sus actividades benéficas.

Ayer por la noche (en la víspera del “Vi-ernes Negro”) fuimos del paseo a cerca de Kohl’s y Target para ver las multitudes de personas esperando afuera ansiosamente el momento que abrirían las puertas para que pudieran aprovechar las gangas.

Después, no pude dejar de notar un fuerte contraste entre esta escena y lo que vi en las zonas donde las empresas más pequeñas se ubican. No hubo filas de per-sonas, no hubo seguridad adicionales para detener a los compradores que respondi-eron a la publicidad los medios de comuni-cación de las semanas anteriores.

¿Es posible que con toda la publicidad que vemos desde los “grandes” podríamos perder oportunidades para apoyar pequeñas empresas de propiedad local? ¿Entonces también sería el caso para nuestras or-ganizaciones sin fines de lucro? Es cierto que las empresas de todos los tamaños necesitan mantener los niveles de ganancia

para permanecer en el negocio. Además las organizaciones caritativas tienen objetivos que se fijaron para continuar sirviendo a los necesitados. Sin embargo, a la luz de graves circunstancias económicas de Esta-dos Unidos, quiero desafiar a los lectores para considerar haciendo las compras con negocios de propiedad local ydonaciones a organizaciones locales de un nivel mas alto que sea posible. De esta manera estamos apoyando nuestros vecinos y nuestra propia comunidad en lugar de aquellos con el poder de comunicarse con nosotros a través de la web, TV o de la radio. Localmente en caso de que se están preguntando, organiza-ciones locales de caridad no son difíciles de encontrar. Journey Home y Greenhouse Ministries son ejemplos, así como Food Bank of Rutherford tambien. Todos necesi-tan mucho este año y sus donaciones de alimentos, ropa o tiempo son bienvenidas.

A menos que usted es un estudiante de comunicación de masas, que probable-mente nunca ha reconocido la facilidad con que la publicidad puede controlar sus pensamientos, e incluso promover hechos que no están en el mejor interés de su propia comunidad. Es posible que le interesa saber que la personas que más tarde iba a escribir los libros de texto en las técnicas de publicidad habia adquirido su experiencia mediante la aplicación de estos principios durante la década de 1930

cuando las fuerzas geopolíticas competían por la posición antes de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. La guerra psicológica oweltan-schauungskrieg (guerra de cosmovisión) como se le llamó en la Alemania bajo los nazi, es valorado por su potencial en la formación de la opinión pública nacional e internacional, hasta el punto de influir en el resultado de los conflictos armados mediante la manipulación de las percep-ciones de los partidos en ambos lados. El uso de la propaganda para persuadir y engañar a la población para alcanzar ob-jetivos políticos y militares es una ciencia en continua evolución que asume formas más sofisticadas con cada década. Es un tema apasionante que vamos a tener que dejar por el momento y volver a nuestro propósito original.

Este artículo no es un golpe contra las grandes empresas, las organizaciones benéficas de gran tamaño tampoco estoy en contra de las campañas de marketing sino quiero que despertarnos y hacer todo lo posible para impactar positivamente en las personas más cercanas a nosotros. Debemos ampliar nuestros objetivos para incluir no sólo la compra de los regalos perfectos, pero la compra y donación de los lugares que contribuyen al bienestar general de la comunidad local. Que tengan una Feliz Navidad y un feliz temporada de fiestas. ¡Veremos en el año 2012!

La PALABRAUna columna del idioma español por

CAMERON PARRISH

Support Your Local Community While Shopping This Year


Republicans Are Not Stopping the Tax and Debt Increases

The so-called “Super Com-mittee” failed to come to a consensus. Big surprise, eh? I mean, when you put

six Republicans and six Democrats in a room together in the midst of a presidential election cycle and task them with compromising on a budget, what could go wrong?

I must admit that I was fear-ful the Republicans would cave. Thankfully, they didn’t. So let’s rewind the clock to August. We’ve gotten abso-lutely nowhere, which is about where we thought we’d be.

It basically boils down to this. President Obama and the Demo-crats believe that raising taxes is the way to solve our debt and deficit problems. The Republicans believe raising taxes will only damage the economy and make matters worse. They favor cutting spending. What’s interesting is the Democrats, who knew the super committee would fail—even longed for it—will take this issue to the people and try to score points at the polls.

That may sound odd, going to the people and saying, “We wanted to raise your taxes but those mean, ole Republicans wouldn’t let us.” That’s not the way it’ll go down. It will be more like, “The Republicans insisted on giving tax breaks to their rich constituents so they could cut ser-vices to the poor and take away your Social Security and Medicare.”

I believe the Democrats have mis-calculated the sophistication of the electorate. Medicare used to work before the availability of so much information. Now people can access

facts via the Internet that were here-tofore closely guarded by the ruling elite. The peasants have stormed the Bastille, technologically speaking. Knowledge truly is power, and more and more people are using it.

The only wild card is the Re-publicans blowing this golden opportunity . . . again. The fact that we even had this debt reduction super committee is the result of the

colossal failure of the House Republicans back in August during

the debt ceiling debate. The stan-dard excuse given

for their lack of boldness was, “We’re only one half of one third of the process.” That was bovine scatology. In reality they were much more.

The simple fact is this. There was going to be no increase in the debt ceiling without the House Repub-

licans going along. Period. This was their chance to jam their foot in the proverbial revolving door of compounding debt. In order for our federal government to increase our national debt by even one dime, it was going to take the permission of John Boehner and the Republicans in the House.

Instead of plowing through on

fourth and inches, they decided to punt. They tried to pin Obama and the Democrats deep in their own territory with the super committee. I guess somehow they hoped the Dem-ocrats would come to their senses and embrace some form of tax cut and spending reduction. You know, the same kind embraced by JFK and Reagan and W that got the economy moving every time it was tried.

That’s not at all likely. The Democrats have proven themselves incapable of grasping that concept.

The House Republicans have the ball back again only this time it’s not fourth and inches, it’s third and long with a lot of green in front of them. Will they be bold enough to sell their ideas of fiscal restraint and job-creating tax cuts to the American people, or will they be content just to run out the clock?

Somebody needs to yell “score-board” at the Republican bench.

They’re losing this game and sitting on the ball hoping for a last-second touchdown in November is a risky move indeed.

Phil Valentine is an author and na-tionally syndicated radio talk show host with Westwood One. For more of his commentary and articles, visit philvalentine.com.

VIEWS OF A CONSERVATIVEcolumn byPHIL VALENTINE philvalentine.com

OPINIONS

“There was going to be no increase in the debt ceiling without the House Republicans going along. Period. This was their chance to jam their foot in the proverbial revolving

door of compounding debt.”

Read more columns by Phil Valentine at:


Students Learn to Grow, Give

Students in Hobgood El-ementary School’s sixth-grade

class have been growing poinsettias in the Hobgood greenhouse since August.

The public is invited to purchase a poinsettia through Dec. 2. The plants are available in red and white and cost $10.

Proceeds earned from the sale of the plants goes toward covering the cost of plants distributed in December to patients at Rutherford County Community Care Center.

“This is a great way for the children to learn the science of plant growth and more importantly, the joy of giving back to our community,” says Chick Knitter, sixth-grade teacher at Hobgood. “The highlight of our growing season is our field trip to Commu-nity Care.”

To purchase a poinsettia, simply drop by the school between 7:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Hobgood Elementary is located at 307 Baird Lane in Murfreesboro. For more information, call (615) 895-2744.

Golf Event Benefits Angel Tree Program

The Rutherford County Salvation Army has more than

doubled the participants in the Angel Tree Program for 2011 and asks for the commu-nity’s help.

A four-person golf scramble and toy drive event at Champions Run will benefit the Salvation Army.

Held both Friday, Dec. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 3, the competition will begin with an 11 a.m. shotgun start with a dinner following play.

Entry is $40 per person plus one un-

wrapped new toy.For more information, call (615) 424-

8210 or e-mail [email protected].

Annual UFO Conference to be Held in Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro’s Baymont Inn will host the annual conference

of the Tennessee Chapter of the Mutual Unidentified Flying Objects Network on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 9 a.m–5 p.m.

MUFON is an international investigative organization with the mission goal of “The scientific study of UFO’s for the benefit of Humanity.”

Tennessee has almost doubled the normal reports of sightings this year, with more than 20 in September alone. A possible reason for the upswing could be more media cover-age of these events and an increased inter-est in the phenomena due to more movies and TV shows about the subject.

Featured speakers at the conference include George Filer, Christopher O’Brien and Thomas Reed. Filer is well-known for his weekly UFO news update, “The Filer Files.” O’Brien is the author of four books on the area in Colorado (the San Louis Valley), which has had more unexplained cattle mutilations and other bizarre occur-rences than any other area in the country. O’Brien refers to the region as a “portal area.” Thomas Reed is an abductee who, along with other members of his family, will be the subject of an upcoming National Geographic special. Others will share sto-ries of UFO sightings and extraterrestrial encounters.

For more information, visit tnmufon.com or e-mail [email protected].

The Season for “Messiah”The MTSU Concert Chorale

and Middle Tennessee Chorale Society will partner once again

to create the memorable music of Handel’s “Messiah.”

Concerts are scheduled at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, and at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 5, in Hinton Music Hall inside MTSU’s Wright Music Building. The event is part of the University’s Centennial Celebration.

In addition to “Messiah,” the concert will feature the MTSU Women’s Chorale performing a portion of Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols.”

“This is my 27th year of conducting the ‘Messiah’ for MTSU and the Rutherford County area,” says Dr. Raphael Bundage, director of choral studies at MTSU and conductor for the Middle Tennessee Choral Society. “I want to particularly thank the MTSU Choral Society for their annual sup-port of this event over the last 27 years.”

Bundage adds that the choral groups, which number about 150 members, will perform “the Christmas portion of the ‘Messiah,’” which makes the work last about an hour.

Advanced vocal majors from MTSU will serve as soloists, the director says, noting that there are approximately 20 soloists over the two nights of performances.

The “Messiah” chamber orchestra includes professional musicians from the Nashville area and MTSU faculty members Angela Tipps on organ and Pat Ward on harpsichord.

For more information, call (615) 898-2493 or visit mtsumusic.com.

Music of Les Miserables Benefits YEAH

On Wednesday and Thurs-day, Dec. 7–8, the music

of Les Miserables will be presented by an assortment of musicians at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville. Drawing from the extraordinary pool of talent available in Mu-sic City, the concert interprets the music of Les Mis for rock music and musical the-ater lovers alike. This production does not hinge on Broadway traditions, but instead, illuminates the emotionally potent content of the story and score. Costumes, profes-sional lighting design and a full orchestra make this an event more ambitious, power-ful and memorable than any rock show the cast members have presented individually.

DEC.3

DEC.2–3

Candlelight Tour of Homes

The annual Oaklands Christmas Candlelight

Tour of Homes is slated for Dec. 3 from 4–8 p.m. in Murfreesboro. The enchanting tour will feature beautiful and historic private homes, a distinc-tive church and the graceful Oaklands Historic House Museum.

In the late 1860s, the Maneys sub-divided and sold most of the front drive

into lots to create a residential neighborhood, originally called “Maney’s Addition,” thought to be Murfreesboro’s first “subdivision.” It later became North Maney Avenue, which inter-sects present-day Main Street. Advertisements for lots in Maney’s Addition appeared in local newspapers assuring prospective owners of free access to the Maneys’ spring.

Stops along the holiday tour include:• Oaklands Historic House Museum, 900 N. Maney Ave.• Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Bell, “Big Holly” 718 N. Maney Ave.• Carriage Lane Inn, 411 N. Maney Ave.• Mosaic Art Gallery, 312 N. Maney Ave.• Marie & Glen Eubanks, 321 N. Maney Ave.• Mr. and Mrs. Bill Jakes, 225 N. Maney Ave.• The Morris House, 347 E. Main St.• Central Christian Church, 404 E. Main St.These festively adorned historical homes and church, dressed in holly and ever-

greens, will transport you to a simpler time. From the veranda of Oaklands mansion, you will see the Sons of the Confederate Veterans, Murfreesboro Camp No. 33 as they present living history demonstrations on the lawn of the mansion.

“This year’s tour guides visitors along the old carriage path of the plantation and offers an opportunity to visit homes spanning several decades and various architectural styles”, said James Manning, Executive Director of Oaklands Historic House Museum.

The cornerstone of the tour is the grand Oaklands Historic House Museum. Inter-preters in period attire will guide you through the history of this gracious mansion. At its peak, Oaklands was the center of a 1,500 acre plantation and one of the most elegant homes in Middle Tennessee.

Proceeds of the Candlelight Tour of Homes go toward the care and upkeep of this historic treasure. Tickets may be purchased at any home on the tour or at Oaklands. For more information, call (615) 893-0022 or e-mail [email protected].

COMMUNITY

EVENTSDEC.

2 DEC.

3

DEC.3

DEC.4–5

DEC.7–8


Performers include: members of The Proto-men, Ponychase, By Lightning, Little Bandit, Uncle Skeleton, My So-Called Band, Mayhem, Cheer Up Charlie Dan-iels, Shoot the Mountain, The Non-Commissioned Officers, Forget Cas-settes, Umbrella Tree, The Privates, De Novo Dahl, Poly, Korean is Asian, Paris, Ontario, Blue Heart Hour, Happy Little Trees and Kinder-castle.

Tickets are available at mercylounge.com. All proceeds go to benefit YEAH’s Rock and Roll Camps. For more information on YEAH, visit yeahintheboro.org.

Home School Holiday at Oaklands

Families can make memories by creating historic ornaments

and touring the gracious Oaklands Mansion during Home School Holiday, an event for all ages. This holiday event is set for Thursday, Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. in Maney Hall at Oaklands Historic House Museum in Murfreesboro.

The yuletide crafts to be made at Home-school Holiday include Victorian Christmas Spiders. After making their ornaments, guests are invited to tour the elegant Oaklands Historic House Museum, where children will learn Victorian Christmas traditions such as the cobweb room and Saint Nicholas.

For more information, call (615) 893-0022 or e-mail [email protected].

Spread the Christmas Cheer

Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity asks those who

have a new Christmas tree or unwanted holiday decorations to donate them so oth-ers may use them.

Donations will be accepted at the Habitat ReStore, 850 Mercury Blvd., Murfrees-boro, through Dec. 6.

Please only bring artificial trees or deco-rations that are in good condition.

Then look for great deals at the Christ-mas sale on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 9 and 10 from 9 a.m.–4 p.m.

Market Features Late Season Farm Products

Life on the farm doesn’t stop when it gets cold. Many vegetables can be harvested well past frost, such as salad and cooking greens, kale and winter squash. Also available late in the year from farms are fresh eggs, honey, sweet potatoes, beef, pork, preserves and baked goods.

The Rutherford County Farmers’ Market will be open every Sunday through Dec. 18 from 2–5 p.m. at the Lane Agri-Park Community Center.

Vendors will also offer holiday gifts, local honey, grass-fed beef, fresh eggs, herbs, firewood, chestnuts, poinsettias, Christmas trees, fresh greenery, kettle corn, jams and jellies, breads and sweets and other local products. All RCFM producers are from Middle Tennessee and

grow, harvest or make what they sell.Five Senses Restaurant will be at the

market on Dec. 4 to demonstrate cooking techniques using seasonal vegetables and to pass out samples.

This extended season of the RCFM will have a festive flair with different musical performers each market day.

The Lane Agri-Park is located on John R. Rice Boulevard. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or call (615) 898-7710.

A New DirectionThe Murfreesboro/Ruther-

ford County Center for the Arts is taking applications from the

community for directors for its 2012 pro-ductions. Directors are being sought for:Cabaret, FebruaryBeauty and the Beast Jr., MarchGodspell, AprilThe Color Purple, MaySteel Magnolias, June13 The Musical, JulyEvita, AugustWilly Wonka Jr., SeptemberOn Golden Pond, OctoberA Chorus Line, NovemberIt’s A Wonderful Life December

The center plans to collect director ap-plicants for each show and then determine who would be the best fit for each specific show; by doing so, it can also identify backup(s) in the event that a director is un-able to complete a show.

Interested individuals should con-tact [email protected] or [email protected] to discuss the application process.

Movies on the SquareMurfreesboro Parks and Rec

continues its movies on the Square program at 6 p.m., Dec.

16, with a showing of Polar Express.Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, hats

and mittens for a unique winter event. Hot chocolate and popcorn will be available, or families can bring picnics.

For more information, call (615) 893-2141 or e-mail [email protected].

DEC.8

DEC.9

DEC.18

DEC.16

this month

The Murfreesboro Little Theatre was last month home to the Shake-spearean classic Macbeth. Directed by Dalton Reeves, the show was

haunting, surreal and visceral. The combina-tion was engaging and effective in spite of a few rough edges.

As this production was delivered in the round and in a black-box style with minimal set, the audience’s focus was never distracted from the performers themselves. Heightening this connection was the incredible intimacy of the venue; the actors often stood mere inches from the audience before whom they per-formed. The result was an intense, character-driven experience that highlighted well the pathos of the tragedy.

Andy Ford led the cast as the titular Scot-tish nobleman. His dominating presence fi lled the venue as he, with aid of Amy Mc-Manus’s Lady Macbeth, schemed for power and deceived his peers. Though these actors’ chemistry was occasionally tenuous, the two played well against each other; McManus’s steely resolve was an apt foil for Ford’s exces-sively overwrought performance.

The several noblemen who people this classic drama were eloquently represented by actors both veteran and new. Malcom and Macduff, portrayed by Jack Ryan Denny and Shane Lowery respectively, gave incredible heart to the performance. Lowery, in particu-lar, delivered a most passionate and memora-ble turn; this was without doubt the most im-pressive performance I have seen from him. Also haunting were director Dalton Reeves as Banquo and Nathaniel Hooper as Fleance; the horror of Banquo’s death was a palpable blow to the audience. One also could not but be disturbed—to a previously unimagined degree—by the riveting performance of Way-man Price as the Porter; his villainous ruffi an was most memorable for his ability to makes one’s skin wish to crawl off and die in one of the dim corners of the theater.

No performance of Macbeth would be complete without its famous Weird Sisters. Here the trio of Danielle Araujo, Patricia Hicks and Patti Long-Lee were splendid. They were constantly disconcerting and eerie, and their singularly white costumes created a unique and creative distinction from the remainder of the cast, all clad in solid black.

The costumes, lights and set combined to separate the world of this Macbeth from any

known or established time or place. The tale seemed to exist in its own netherworld. This was, unfortunately, the one distraction of the production. As Shakespearean drama are of-ten set in innovative locales and periods, the ambition with such non-traditional selections is to highlight either thematic elements or the characters’ relationships. In this produc-tion, however, the void in which the play was rendered specifi cally failed in that purpose as it provided to specifi c context to deepen the symbolism of Shakespeare’s play.

Overall, Macbeth was a modest success. The passionate performances elevated the show’s lacking concept to unanticipated heights. Dalton Reeves is a young director who should be followed with interest; one could easily expect great things in his future.

Orphans Occupy the CenterIn an apparently continuing effort to force

me to revisit my childhood of 1980s fi lms, the beloved musical Annie wowed packed houses at the Center for the Arts last month. Though the production was hit-or-miss, the two casts of orphans—their direction an Herculean task embraced by Michael McGee—were adorable and splendid. The audience was universally uplifted by this production.

Riveting in her turn as the world’s most

famous orphan, Ansley Adcock was beyond endearing in her performance. In addition to a spectacular vocal performance—her perfor-mances of “Maybe” and “Tomorrow” were simultaneously heart-rending and joyous—her emotions were nuanced and indicated a burgeoning talent beyond her years. In the opening scenes with her fellow orphans, Ad-cock and her fellow actors convinced the au-dience that there were years of shared history between these characters. Most memorable were Lydia McLaurin as the bully Pepper and Emma Wayne as the orphan ingénue Molly; both were fantastic and funny in their perfor-mances. When the orphans united for “Hard Knock Life,” the feelings of elation amongst the audience were irrepressible.

In a vivacious effort to endear themselves to the audience as much as their young coun-terparts, the adult performers were equally memorable. Chris McLaurin was splendid as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks; watching his gruff demeanor melt away under the noodling of a precocious redhead was undeniably winsome. This was especially true with his performance of “Something Was Missing,” one of the mu-sical’s less well-known numbers, when Chris’s beautiful voice and deeply emotive perfor-mance wowed the packed house. Further, his performance melded nicely with that of Donna Driver, who played Warbucks’s secre-tary Grace Farrell. It was regretful, however, that the subplot of this couple’s burgeon-ing romance was completely ignored in this production. As a result, there was a emotional resonance that was distinctly lacking.

As foils to all of Chris McLaurin’s and Driver’s benefi cent ambitions, the villainous trio of Miss Hannigan, her brother Rooster and his dame-of-the-day Lily St. Regis were spectacular. Leading the charge as the malevolent head of the orphanage, Sherry Sunday Booth was remarkable as Miss Han-nigan. Her rendition of “Little Girls” was side-splitting, and the image of a distraught and overworked public servant—granted, one with a severely impaired attitude, even for the Depression—sullenly banging the head of a doll against her desk had me laughing for weeks. The miscreant duo of Rooster and Lily, played respectively by Kevin Driver and Edy Wilson, was also delightful and engag-ing, and when these three actors combined for “Easy Street,” the audience was swept up with their contagious abandon.

Unfortunately, while the lead performers in the production were fantastic, the adult ensemble seemed a bit adrift and uncertain. It felt as though they had simply been given insuffi cient direction to understand their roles in the performance. Individual moments of brilliance aside, such as Josh Ball’s scene as a ventriloquist’s dummy, the combined effort failed to rise to the level of the lead actors. Perhaps doubling the number of orphans in the production—admittedly, an under-standable decision in terms of community participation and ticket sales—did not allow suffi cient time to round some of the harsher edges of the production. Nevertheless, with a classic like Annie, no one could leave without a smile, which is to say that everyone was indeed fully dressed.


Nightly Sings the Staring OwlThe Scottish play chills the boards at the Little Theatre. column by MARCUS LUCHE

THEATER

A Christmas Carol 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9–10 and 16–17,

4:30 p.m. Dec. 11 and 18Lamplighters Theatre

14119 Old Nashville Highway, Smyrna(615) 852-8499

Christmas Belles7 p.m. Dec. 9–10 and 16–17,

2 p.m. Dec. 18Murfreesboro Little Theatre

702 Ewing Ave.893-9825

The Wizard of Oz7 p.m. Dec. 1–5; 2 p.m. Dec. 4

Siegel High School355 W. Thompson Lane

(615) 904-3800

Dead Man’s Cell Phone7:30 p.m. Dec. 1–4, 8-11

Out Front on Main

Nuncrackers7:30 Dec. 2–3, 8–10 and 16–17; 2 p.m.

Dec. 4, 11 and 18The Center for the Arts

110 W. College St.615-904-2787

DECEMBER PERFORMANCES

(Above) Ansley Adcock as Annie in the Center for the Arts’ November offering. (Top right) Shane Atkinson playing his

theremin, the real star of Lamplighter’s upcoming A Christmas Carol production.

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With a title like Tower Heist, the basic plot and setting are literally spelled out and hand-fed to you. A bare-bones moniker like this could be trying to acknowledge the loaf up-front to make way for the meat of the movie. The “meat” then is the grouping of three generations of comedians: Alda, Murphy and Stiller, all primed to combine their comedy styles into one super Voltron of Comedy!

Only their parts don’t match; one guy is a Voltron, one’s a Power Ranger and the other is a Ben Stiller. Without any sort of comedic chemistry, Tower Heist achieves the amaz-ingly mundane task of actually living up to its title. Stiller is the manager of the eponymous tower, an upscale apartment building. Alan Alda’s insider trading leaves all the rube em-ployees of The Tower pension-less. Murphy plays the petty thief who aids in the heisting of the pension money from Alda, who is on house arrest, in the Tower. Thus, Tower Heist.

And that, boys and girls, is how movies are made! Poorly. That’s how movies are made

poorly. Brett Ratner directs what could be his last (google him + Oscars) from a script by committee that’s a grab-bag of recession headlines grafted onto a rip-off of the plot of the novelization of a straight-to-video knock-off of Ocean’s 13. Aside from the by-the-books Robin Hood tale, which uses more cliches than my own boilerplate review, the watered-down performances come off as the faintest essence of each comics’ once-popular persona. It’s like Ben Stiller and Matthew Broderick based their careers on the “Nobody calls me chicken” scene in Back to the Future, each iteration yielding less than the last.

Then there’s Eddie Murphy and Gabourey Sidibe, a street-wise thief and sassy Jamaican, respectively. Whether their roles are racist or post-racist or whatever, the stereotypes, including Alda’s rich-old-white jerk, never go beyond the industry standard, and worse, aren’t funny. The one highlight is Michael Peña, a stereotypical street-wise fool of a bell-hop, and the freshest comic of the bunch.

Really, there’s so little to this movie other than extreme mediocrity—if TV channels still exist in a couple of years, catch Tower Heist on TBS latenight and see if it doesn’t leave you feeling entirely indifferent. — JAY SPIGHT

A CLASSICRATINGS: OUTSTANDING AVERAGE BELOW AVERAGE AVOID AT ALL COSTS DEAD

MOVIES

For this holiday season you should make some time for laughs and relaxation. Gather your family

and friends to partake in these superbly crafted comedies. You’ll be refreshingly satisfi ed with their timelessness.

Duck Soup (1933) is thought by many to be the Marx Brothers fi nest fi lm. A failing country seeks its last hope in a new leader, and Groucho’s character is obliged to step in. Problems with a neighboring country ensues, as Groucho fuels the fi re.

Harpo and Chico play spies sent from the enemy to try and bring his new empire down. The fi lm has a great premise, and is packed with creative gags and jokes throughout.

Some Like It Hot (1959) is directed by Billy Wilder, and stars Marilyn Mon-roe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. Two disenfranchised gangsters save their necks by posing as traveling musi-cians in an all female ensemble. They meet and become instantly infatuated with the lead singer, played by Monroe. Much of the humor is based around keeping their dignity as ladies, while navigating the logistics of loves.

Until next time, I hope you have a great viewing experience. Comments are welcomed at [email protected].

LIVING ROOM CINEMA column by NORBERT THIEMANN

[email protected]

Festive Fun

To those who saw Jason Segel’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall a few years ago, a Muppet revamp from the Freaks and Geeks drummer might have seemed inevitable. This time, Segel returns to his typewriter to bring Hen-son’s classic characters back to life.

If you’re a Muppet fan, you’ll fi nd the abundance of in-jokes and references clever and satisfying. There’s plenty of prodding at the Muppets themselves, drawing attention to how outdated and insubstantially famous the Muppets are in the 21st century, massively oversaturated media. But that’s why we love the Muppets: simple, family humor blown up to a surreal, spastic, slapstick fl ux of gags.

Needless to say, a host of cameos show up in the fi lm, not limited to the likes of Alan Arkin, Neil Patrick Harris, Jack Black and, of course, Whoopi Goldberg. Segel dialed in a lot of favors to legitimize this risky venture. Most kids now only know the

Muppets as faded legends.One complaint is the lack of Gonzo and

Rolf scenes. Gonzo only blows up one build-ing and shoots himself out of one cannon. Rolf is virtually cut out of the movie, though he’s an original and quite funny. There’s plenty of garbled lines from the Swedish Chef, though, and you can expect Kermit’s iconic “Rainbow Connection” to cap the campy musical.

The Muppets attempt to seize their dilapi-dated theatre from an oil tycoon by staging a telethon to raise $10 million. Their inspira-

tion comes from a very Muppet of a man, Walter (Peter Linz), and his friends Gary and Mary (Amy Adams), who attempts the iconic Chaplin/Arbuckle “Fork Dance”.

In the end, Kermit preaches that together-ness trumps any hope for success. The frog laments their time spent scattered around the globe, but having reunited the old gang, takes solace that no effort was in vain. The Muppets is great family fun, and the Toy Story short before the picture is worth the price of admission.

— SPENCER BLAKE

THE MUPPETS

Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris CooperDirected by James BobinRated PG

TOWER HEIST

Starring: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda Directed by Brett RatnerRated PG-13

MOVIESMOVIESMOVIESREVIEWSMOVIES


The Bachelor of Fine Arts shows at MTSU feature the Department of Art’s candidates for graduation this semester or in the near future.The shows are divided into groups representing students in studio arts; such as

book arts, clay, drawing, letter press, printmaking and sculpture and shows featuring the area of graphic design. The second studio arts show is entitled Four.50.Four and runs through Dec. 9 at the Todd Art Gallery. This exhibit features the work of Pete Hill, Kallie Jackson, Emily Luke and Cori Snider.“I decided to explore the concept of expressing my pain and emotions through my paint-ings,” says painting major Kallie Jackson. “I suffer a lot on a daily basis from my seven different severe illnesses and I wanted to fi nd a way to incorporate this into my artwork. I experimented with different ways on how to express my pain and suffering, but still al-lowed room for the creative and colorful side of my artistic personality . . . I hope to create this expressed message through my painting and use of colors alone.”

MTSU Degree Candidates to Show Work

ART

Middle Tennessee State Univer-sity recently announced plans to better promote its arts programs,

including dance, music, theatre and visual arts, under the banner of MTSU Arts and increase public awareness and participation in its varied offerings.

University Provost Brad Bartel and Lib-eral Arts Dean Mark Byrnes, appearing at a ceremony on the stage of the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall in the Wright Music Building, unveiled a new brand for the combined mar-keting effort, MTSU Arts. It will be used in marketing of events by schools and depart-ments within the College of Liberal Arts.

The announcement coincided with the re-lease of Angels in the Architecture, a CD by the MTSU Wind Ensemble under the direc-tion of Dr. Reed Thomas. The recording is the fi rst and only by a Tennessee collegiate ensemble on the world’s largest classical-music label, Franklin, Tenn.-based Naxos, and its Wind Band Classics subsidiary.

“We are fortunate to have excellent fi ne arts departments, all within the College of Liberal Arts, which work throughout the year to schedule, plan and promote these events,” Byrnes said. “By combining and coordinating their events into a single brand,

MTSU Arts, we can be more effective in our advertising, marketing and promotion.”

WMOT-FM (89.5), the University’s 100,000-watt public radio station, will be the broadcast home of MTSUs Arts. WMOT will promote MTSU Arts events and seek opportunities to include MTSU Arts in its programming.

“WMOT’s strong emphasis on classical music on weekdays, jazz music at nights and varied styles on the weekend perfectly complements this effort,” the provost said.

Bartel said the University values com-munity interaction and participation and sees stronger promotion of the arts as an opportunity to bring more people to cam-pus. “We hope to build our audience—and awareness of the fi ne work by our students and faculty—under this brand,” he said.

The MTSU Arts branding effort will begin in earnest in January and will include:

- more focused promotion of students and faculty and works, as illustrated by the Wind Ensemble’s CD release announcement.

- a wider variety of print and digital events calendars and tools to promote MTSU Arts offerings on campus.

- the anticipated January launch of a centralized site, mtsuarts.com, which will

be a calendar and reference tool for the MTSU Arts efforts.

- creation of strategic community partner-ships to increase civic involvement and ties to MTSU Arts programs and offerings.

“We have many great events on campus, and we want to make it as easy as possible for members of the public to learn about them and attend them,” Bartel said.

Examples of those events include recent concert by the MTSU Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra and MTSU Singers; the Theatre and Dance Program’s pro-

duction of Underwear: The Musical, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and the dance program’s creation of Exodus; and the Todd Art Gallery’s “Ave Atque Vale” (“Hail and Farewell”) exhibit.

Bartel noted that MTSU has multiple and robust arts offerings available to the public for low or no cost.

“MTSU is an engine for cultural transfor-mation for Murfreesboro and Middle Ten-nessee,” he said. “Our hope is MTSU Arts will help our community be more aware of the richness of these experiences.”

MTSU Strengthens Promotion of Arts Offerings to Students and Public

MTSU Provost Brad Bartel, left, and College of Liberal Arts Dean Mark Byrnes at the unveil-ing of the new MTSU Arts logo. MTSU Arts will organize and promote the visual and perfor-mance art offerings on campus.

by print-making major Cori Snider

painting by Kallie Jackson by print-making major Emily Luke

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The Center for the Arts will host “Perimeters,” a solo exhibition featuring

new landscape paintings and drawings by Glenn Merchant. This show features a cohesive body of works executed in oil, pastel and charcoal. The vibrant, color-fi lled landscape images hover between being incomplete sketches and fully realized paintings. The work explores the psychological ten-sion between suburban sprawl and rural memory.

Glenn Merchant was born in Chicago and grew up in Tennessee. He earned his BFA in painting from MTSU. Along with being a practicing artist, Merchant is an active visiting artist and arts organizer. He is the owner of Moxie Art Supply in downtown Murfreesboro. Moxie offers art supplies and hosts workshops and classes for the general public.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, Dec. 3, from 5–7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. The Center for the Arts is located at 110 W. College St. (615) 904–2787.

Merchant’s Landscapes on

Display for December

Traditional Methods Used to Photograph Colonial Buildings

The fast pace of digital photography is being replaced by “A Space for Faith: Colonial Meeting Houses of New England,” a new exhibit on display through Thursday, Dec. 8, at MTSU’s Baldwin Photographic Gallery.

Photographer Paul Wainwright, who is based in Atkinson, N.H., works in a traditional manner with sheet fi lm, a large-format camera and silver-gelatin printing in a wet darkroom. His work has appeared in numerous juried competitions and solo exhibitions and is included in the permanent collections of both private and corporate collectors, including Fidelity Investments and Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts.

He is a mostly self-taught photographer whose images feature space and light, subtle details and an appreciation of his-tory, as well a sense of quiet contemplation that comes from the slow, Zen-like pace of creating his images.

A Space for Faith: Colonial Meeting Houses of New England is his fi rst book of photographs.

Baldwin Photographic Gallery is located in the McWherter Learning Resources Center, and its operating hours are Mon-day through Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and noon–4 p.m. Saturday. All photo exhi-bitions are free and open to the public.

For more information about the photog-rapher, visit paulwainwrightphotography.com.

Photographer Paul Wainwright uses an

old-style camera and techniques to

capture Colonial-era meetings houses.


Dec. 1Leave candy canes on parked cars, along with notes wishing people happy holi-days. Fold a gas card into a couple of the notes if you can afford to do so. Hospital/doctor’s offi ce parking lots are a good place to start.

Dec. 2Surprise a friend who you haven’t seen in awhile with Christmas cookies and hot chocolate.

Dec. 3Donate generously to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. They save the lives of children with life threatening illnesses. You can do so online [stjude.org] , or visit Smyrna’s Malco Theater and buy $20 or $50 worth of fi lm bows (proceeds go to St. Jude). Give the bows out to friends. Read more about this on page 17.

Dec. 4Leave your mail man/lady a treat and along with a Christmas card, thanking them for delivering your mail each day. Also, leave special treats for the city worker who picks up your trash each week. Put a long two by four in the trashcan so the lid doesn’t shut and hang a gift bag on the outside with a note that’s clearly visible. Be sure and leave them treats worth getting out of the truck for, though, like cookies and milk, or a bag full of candy.

Dec. 5Tape some quarters to a vending machine with a note that reads, “A random act of kindness for you. Have a blessed day.” Be sure and tape it where passers-by can see it. Stop in at a laundromat and leave quarters laying around. If you’re at a playground, leave quarters where children will fi nd them.

Dec. 6Visit an assisted living center, and take Christmas candy and cards to the nurses and residents, along with magazines and puzzle books, if your budget permits.

Dec. 7Purchase a grocery gift card and give it to the person standing in line behind you, or if you’re too shy, leave it on some-one’s car in the parking lot. On your way out, help an elderly person, or a new mother with a baby carrier, load their groceries and return their cart for them.

Dec. 8Pay a parking ticket for someone -or- If there’s room in your budget, when you pay your utilities this month, request to pay for someone else whose past due on their bill.

Dec. 9Visit a hospital and take treats or pretty poinsettias to the nurse’s station and to recov-ering patients. Or visit a children’s clinic and take helium balloons to kids in the waiting room. Tie the balloons to candy canes so they don’t escape.

Dec. 10Deliver hot chocolate to a Salvation Army bell ringer. If it’s warm out, take bottled drinks or Sonic cherry limeades. If you frequently shop at Walmart, take a Christmas card with an enclosed gift card to the door greeter.

Dec. 11Visit your local fi re station and take sandwiches and lemonade.

Dec. 12Take Christmas cards and treats to your neighbors. Take some time to chat, and get to know them better.

Dec. 13Visit Linebaugh Library and request to pay someone’s overdue fi nes. Take treats for the librarians. If you have children, be sure and take them along and read them a story while you’re there.

Dec. 14Adopt a soldier. Our soldiers need to know we appreciate them, especially during the holidays. They deserve the gifts of Christmas most of all. Visit adoptaplatoon.org to fi nd out how to adopt your very own soldier, or at least make a one-time donation.

Dec. 15Pick an angel from an angel tree and purchase gifts for a child in need. Lots of lo-cal stores have angel trees, including Walmart and Kroger.

Dec. 16Visit a local pet shelter and hang out with the homeless animals for a little while. Make a donation while you’re there if you can’t take a furry friend home with you.

Dec. 17Clean out your closet and donate toys, cloth-ing, and shoes that you no longer use to Room at the Inn or Goodwill.

Dec. 18At the drive-thru window, surprise the person in line behind you by paying for their meal. If you’re more blessed than you deserve, maybe pay for two cars.

Dec. 19Mail out Christmas cards to friends and family. Mail a special anonymous one with cash or a gas card to a friend in need.

Dec. 20Donate a blanket to the homeless. The WGNS Blanket Brigade collects blankets each year and distributes them to the needy in Mur-freesboro. Drop blankets off at the station offi ce.

Dec. 21Anonymously pay for someone’s dinner at a restaurant -or- leave a special Christmas tip for a deserving server, or both.

Dec. 22Bake Christmas treats and take them to share with your co-workers.

Dec. 23If you travel during the holidays, pass out small bags of treats to the airport workers. They work hard during the holidays to ensure that you make it safely to your destination.

Dec. 24Stop in at a gas station and leave treats for those working Christmas Eve.

Dec. 25If you’re blessed enough to have parents and grandparents still living, be sure and spend time with them on this day, even if it means going out of your way. If you have strained rela-tionships with family members, today is the day for reconciliation. Our relationships with others are the most important thing we have.

OUT & ABOUT

This year we wanted to do a countdown to Christmas that would encourage our readers to give, serve and help others. If you’re reading this, we challenge YOU to spread the love this month by sharing small acts of kindness. As you do so,

we hope you’ll experience the true meaning of this wonderful season. Get your friends and family in on the action too. If you don’t have the budget to carry out all of the challenges we’ve listed below, get creative and come up with some ideas that don’t cost anything, like returning a shopping cart for someone at the grocery store or letting a driver merge in front of you in traffi c. It’s the thought that counts.

THE

PROJECTCHRISTMAS

Perform one random act of kindness each day until Christmas to improve the lives of others and your own.


All Malco Theatres, including the location in Smyrna, are once again supporting the work of St. Jude Children’s Research

Hospital with a holiday project that also gives fi lm enthusiasts the chance to literally keep a piece of fi lm history.

The 30 Malco locations throughout Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Mississippi are cutting strips of fi lm actually used at the cin-

emas, forming them into bows, selling each one for $1 and donating the funds to St. Jude.This Wrapped with Love program, now in its fourteenth year, runs through Christmas

Day. St. Jude was founded under the premise that “no child should die in the dawn of life,” and the hospital’s researchers have made signifi cant strides in treating leukemia and other cancers in children. Most of the facility’s operating budget comes from charitable contribu-tions, and families without insurance are not asked to pay.

Some of the patients of St. Jude and their families actually participate in the handmade creation of the bows at the hospital. During the activity, reels of movie trailers were cut, stapled and sealed with a special sticker that reads “Wrapped With Love . . . To Benefi t the Kids of St. Jude.”

Approximately 500,000 bows have been sold over the Malco project’s past 14 years, rais-ing half million dollars for St. Jude, says Karen Scott, marketing director for Malco The-atres. The treatments at St. Jude can be incredibly expensive.

“We do know that $50,000 barely pays for one day of treatment for a St Jude patient,” Scott says.

The fi lm used in the bows could come from a wide variety of movies released over the past few years.

It’s believed these bows may eventually be collectors’ items as the fi lm industry progress-es into digital technology, Scott says.

Each bow is made of about 24 frames, which is about one second of a movie. The sound for each movie is encoded on the edge of the fi lm and appears green.

Malco Theater is located in Smyrna just off of Sam Ridley Parkway, near I-24.

Bows Made from Film

Raise Money for St. Jude

visit us at: 760 N. Thompson Lanephone: (615) 849-2900 e-mail: [email protected]: Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Sat. 12–3 p.m.

Computer not starting? monitor blank? need to reCover your data? We’re here to help!

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The whir and bleep of machines and hushed health talk are sounds that typically drift from hospital rooms; the strumming of guitars and warmth of singing voices is a little less common.

That’s changing at the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro with Musi-cians On Call. This fi ve-chapter organization was birthed over a decade ago in New York City and brings musicians to the bedsides of the bedridden.

Thanks to the willingness of many to sup-port a vision and the catchiness of a good idea, the feel-good is now spreading to the fringes, which include Murfreesboro.

In 1999, founders Michael Solomon and Vivek Tiwary took musician Kenli Mattus to perform in a recreation area of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. After the gig, a nurse invited Mattus back to play privately for patients too ill to leave their beds and attend the concert.

The more intimate experience was a pow-erful one, for both artist and patient.

“It was just that one-on-one connection and the power that music has to heal,” says Katy Brown Epley, program director for the Nashville branch of MOC. “Once he saw that, he decided, ‘We have to do this.’”

Musicians On Call took some time to broaden its geographic horizons. The logical choice for a second offi ce would be someplace musical, someplace with ample healthcare facilities. So, naturally, the Nashville branch opened in 2007 with absolutely nothing except some offi ce space courtesy of Vanderbilt.

Nashville’s fi rst Musicians On Call pro-grams, or weekly musician visitations, were at Vanderbilt Adult Hospital.

As program director, Epley coordinates musicians with hospitals. The organization fi rst meets with the hospital to determine if the service is a good fi t and which patients would benefi t most from a little musical visitation.

Musicians and volunteer guides who want to escort the artists sign up to play through the MOC website, specifying the hospital if they have a preference. Once the artists’ music is deemed appropriate for the hospital environment, musicians and guides learn the procedures and visit specifi c units, going door-to-door to patients’ rooms.

Since 2007, Nashville’s MOC has expand-ed to include 10 weekly programs. This means ten times each week, musicians and guides visit patients throughout Middle Tennessee.

“We’ve played for over 40,000 people in Middle Tennessee,” Epley says. “That

includes patients, family members and staff members.”

Five Nashville area hospitals are linked with Musicians On Call, and recently, the organization has extended a hand to Nash-ville’s baby sister city.

The volunteer services department staff manages both the Nashville VA and the Murfreesboro VA. Already familiar with the staff and hospital regulations, the decision to reach patients in Murfreesboro was not a diffi cult one.

Of more than 100 volunteers in the Nash-ville area, between 10 and 20 musicians vol-unteer in Murfreesboro. Some are students at MTSU, while others, like Heather Jean

Maywood, are just kicking around the area.Maywood, 27, is a Wisconsin transplant

who moved to Nashville in 2010 to be a singer/songwriter. She’s had the opportunity to perform for a variety of patients including those in hospice and surgery rehabilitation.

“I have seen the visible effects music has had on a patient,” she says. “One patient was non-verbal, but according to the nurse, had been crying all night. She asked me to sing him a lullaby. I sang a soft song for him, and he was able to stop crying and settle in for the night.”

Another patient, as it turned out, shares an interest with Maywood.

“He took out his guitar and jammed along

to one of my original songs, playing lead, and sounded amazing.

“It was probably the most special experi-ence I’ve had through Musicians On Call,” she adds.

Moreover, MOC seems to provide relief for others besides the patients, which hasn’t gone unnoticed by staff and volunteers. Seeing musicians ease the stress of ill in-dividuals lifts some of the burden from the patients’ loved ones.

Maywood once witnessed a family slip into the hallway to have a discussion as she played for a patient. A seemingly simple thing, but the singer took pride in offering a distraction and comfort for patients and their families alike.

A visitation is a highly personal experi-ence for all involved; musicians clearly get a break too.

“I think it can be easy to get caught up in trying to promote myself as a songwriter and artist and take gigs that are mostly for my personal gain,” Maywood says. “It’s great to volunteer with Musicians On Call and step away from the ‘music biz’ atmosphere, have an intimate experience and share my passion for music with others.”

Right now, the VA Medical Center is the sole Murfreesboro hospital involved with MOC, but that will possibly change in the future. The organization is hungry for help of the musical kind or otherwise. You don’t have to have decent pipes or tote an instru-ment to donate or volunteer as a guide.

The newest way to participate involves Rock A Patient’s World, a program begun in mid-September that allows a sponsor to donate $500 to a hospital room, which will then receive weekly visits for a year.

So do all patients say yes to a musical intermission in their day?

About 75 percent of them do, Epley estimates, depending on how they’re feeling that day. But those who say yes have no complaints.

“Whether they’re extremely sick or in a great mood, no matter what, they always say we’ve been the best part of their day,” Epley says. “We get that a lot, ‘You guys really brightened my day,’ or ‘You were the best part of my day.’

“That’s probably the most common phrase you hear from a patient,” she adds. “If you think about it, most people coming in are giving them shots or tests or things related to their health. We’re providing en-tertainment, so it’s a very welcomed break in the monotony of the hospital environment.”

For more information on the organiza-tion, visit musiciansoncall.org.

Organization seeks volunteer musicians to deliver soothing sounds to patients’ bedsides,

helping heal mind, body and soul.story by JESSICA PACE

THE POWER OF MUSIC

“Whether they’re extremely sick or in a great mood, no matter what, they always say we’ve

been the best part of their day.”

Chris Young is just one of many musical ambassadors who give patients a dose of music. The VA Medical Centers in Nashville and Murfreesboro work with the Musicians on Call program.

SOUNDS


Much of Forrest York’s professional life has revolved around helping others make mu-sic, including the opera-tion of his own recording

studio and the past decade spent working at Chambers Guitars. But in the summer, York displayed his own musical chops with a new LP. The record features York’s “experiment in modern recording,” for which York laid the groundwork with an acoustic tune and then asked for contributors worldwide to add a layer to the song.

The all-instrumental record is titled Rainy Season, and it changes like one from the fi rst track to the twelfth.

“Aurora Borealis” conjures desert moon-type im-agery with a Middle Eastern sort of exoticism and a tambourine’s shake. “The Light” follows with sultry, electric bar blues before the Southern rock strokes of “Smitten,” which has an expressiveness in the guitars reminiscent of Eric Clapton.

Johnny Bellar adds Dobro to “Travesty in Virginia,” in which echoes pool out from gentle guitar and en-twine with a slight percussion. The slow, dripping jam “New Grand Master” opens with Seth Timbs’ percus-sive plink (Timbs does most of the record’s drumming), then there’s the Charlie Brown jazz/blues guitar of “Somber Soul.”

Spencer Duncan adds a heavy pulse with upright bass on “Supernatural” which starts off with an earthier acoustic touch before spacing out. “Sundance” almost brings to mind Radiohead, circa Kid A, with its

alien rhythm, plunky synth and horn. Suddenly, things go ’80s night on “Little Star,” which glitters with fl am-boyant Psychedelic Furs-esque synthesizers.

But the true beauty on Rainy Season is the “experi-ment,” a.k.a. “Shepard’s Pie.” It’s the most melodic and fl uid track of the entire record, York’s Spanish sort of tune piled with eclectic layers from Casey Strength, Jon Grimson, Chris Selby, Hilary Finchum-Sung, Blake Dellinger, Steve Goodhue, Tracy Blair, Paul Niehaus and Jimmy Mansfi eld.

Each track is too distinct to gloss over and tie in with another song on the record, but in that sense Rainy Season accurately refl ects York’s style and the purpose behind his collaborative experiment. Sometimes the least cohesive components make the most powerful whole.

— JESSICA PACE

Forrest YorkRainy Season

There are probably lots of good old boys in Nashville, as well as younger folk with a cer-

tain musical preference, wishing there were more like Ian Thomas. We could use some in a day and age when pop country, though it has its place, has replaced the “old country” rather than just take a seat within the genre.

Thomas and his band recorded 14 tracks live at Knoxville’s Preser-vation Pub, an ironic venue choice as the music resurrects all the old familiars in outlaw country, as well as one particular folk icon. And they sound amazing live; all of the life and uniqueness of a live performance is there but with a polished, distinct sound as if the entire thing was cut in a studio.

Each song goes one of three

ways; when they aren’t charged with an Elvis or Waylon Jennings-like bluesy electric kick (“Ten Days Out, Two Days In” and “Ramblin River”), they chan-nel Dylan’s harmonica chops in swinging shuffl es. “Before the Sun Goes Down” is an almost bayou-fl avored jaunt with Thomas’ trilling harmonica and some pretty

sparkling electric guitar, and he lays another fantastic harmonica rhythm on “Johnson Boys.”

Finally, songs can take a cue from Hank Williams with saloon dance fl oor romanticism. Gorgeous steel (Brock Henderson) and strings (Greg Horne) on “Sweet Celeny” or the sweetheart song “Long Time to Forget” bring to mind starlit horseback rides in the desert or something like that.

These live cuts are old stuff done well. And infl uences like Hank, Way-lon and the like rarely miss.

— JESSICA PACE

Ian ThomasLive at Preservation Pub

Read more album reviews at

Bands: send your albums and promotional materials to The Murfreesboro Pulse, 116-E North Walnut St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130.

We’re working hard to promote

good music in Middle Tennessee.*

ALBUM REVIEWS

PH

OTO

BY

DAN

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Massage TherapyAnji Cruz, LMT

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Touch of Tranquility

Larry Francis615.569.9682

The occasional struggle with growing up is something twenty-somethings can easily relate to nowadays. Be-

ginning an occupation, traveling the world, or fi guring out where your head is within your relationships can take tremendous effort but some take on these tasks in good stride such as Nashville singer/songwriter Caitlin Rose, who is growing a name for herself and her off-country brand of honky tonk with her full-length debut record, Own Side Now, as a catalyst/proof of progress and recently re-released out of ATO Records earlier this autumn after a lengthy tour in Europe and the US coasts promoting it.

Vocally, she’s a voice trained by the likes of Zooey Deschannel, Feist and Kimya Dawson but with a back-ing band including, but not limited to, Jeremy Fetzer, Spencer Cullum Jr., David Vaughn and Jeff Cullum each picking, thumping, and sliding through the 10 tracks; earning the album it’s genuine Nashville credit in addi-tion to Rose’s voice. The nicely-produced country slide guitar, walking bass, and brushed drums underneath the honky-tonk piano and some mandolin, or a nicely placed string section or organ freshly mold to a Linda Rondstadt feel while all the musicians still solo turn in proper “show me what you got” barroom fashion, add-ing a nice peppiness.

Rose’s lyrics carry the takes on life’s tribulations, though, appropriately starting with “Learning to Ride,” as she whimsically sings her bumpy but optimistic tale before starting into a sick-of-love theme prevel-ant throughout Own Side Now with “For the Rabbits,”

about a beau’s addiction to staleness before “Spare Me” runs over notions of being tied-down in a relation-ship. There’s great locomotive harmonica on the last one, switching things up musically, just like “Things Change” sings that particular message accented by a thunderous fl oor tom and simplistically poignant piano. “Shanghai Cigarette,” stands as the album’s single as well as the most optimistic view on the subject compar-ing love to cigarette addiction.

But the other side to that story doesn’t go unmen-tioned as her sentiments of freedom and wonderment throughout the album are heard in the jovial traveling folk number, “New York,” as well as the previously mentioned and happily paced “Learning to Ride,” both praising the power of personal choice and free will in their own way. And that is something twenty-some-things can relate to even more nowadays.

The last leg of her tour on the bottom leg of the east coast fi nished up late November but updated infor-mation about live shows around the area as well as merchandise, and copies of Own Side Now can be found (digitally or pre-ordered vinyl press) at thecaitlinrose.com. — BRYCE HARMON

Caitlin RoseOwn Side Now

The artist(s) behind The Prophet Nathan, in the past, have changed like the guitarmonies

weaving in and out of their songs. First, TPN was a solo project of guitarist/vocalist James Oliva, then a full band version, which ultimately whittled back down to its original member plus Charlie Hareford.

This year, two recordings have come out of the band—an EP last spring titled 1.414 to 1, and a two-track summer release called Solomon. Though some form of TPN has been around for years, you don’t need to hear the entire discography to appreciate the simplicity and highly infl uenced appeal of 1.414 to 1 and Solomon, which both could be part of the same album.

There are countless guitarists who’ve built their sound on crafting ambient melodies and pushing them through a rock lens, and The Prophet Nathan’s two EPs are crawling with their infl uence—the echoings of Incubus; the distinct, airy chords of Pinback; the lacka-daisical nature of Pink Floyd; the twee, shiny melodies of Minus the Bear.

Oliva’s vocals are barely rough and soothing; he

pulls a Pink Floyd on “9 Gates and the Kingdom of Shadows.” “Watch them spin/I’ll pull you in,” he sings in the same tempting tone as Syd Barrett on “Comfort-ably Numb.”

Guitars bubble, almost aimlessly but not quite, over rolling drums. Deep notes burrow in thick ambiance, and Oliva scatters in morbid speculations and com-mands: “Dig a grave for me and you/leave plenty of room for everyone else” in “The Philosopher’s Stone.” It’s loose and methodical at the same time—both an art and a science. If you focus in on one melody and try to follow it through the entire track, it’s easy to get lost in the sound.

— JESSICA PACE

The Prophet Nathan1.414 to 1; Solomon


The Cat person in all of us needs to have a seat because Nashville psychedelic-folk trio Grandpa Egg has put

together its fi rst full-length record mostly dedicated to the life, thoughts, and every day whims of their now im-mortalized tabby named Mokey.

The “unceremoniously self-released” Songs For My Cat came out this past August as Jeb and Bart Mor-ris’ playful idea turned toy piano-driven homage that’s capable of unleashing the primal urge in listeners to dangle a string over some cat’s head be it during a nice family dinner, alone in the comfort of the living room or even driving down the road. Songs For My Cat impres-sively sets that mood regardless of location or access to cats.

The brothers Morris pull off a mid-paced clunky and childlike folk record in these 10 tracks as Jeb’s somewhat slurred, off-Donovan voice and strummed acoustic guitar accompa-nies Bart’s multiple contributions on bass, toy piano, ukulele and auxiliary shenanigans. All of this brings Jon Brion’s scores to mind, while Jeb’s imaginative and introspective lyrics take off from the very beginning in a few non-Mokey songs saved from previous projects. Though Mokey-less,

they set the musical standard for the rest of the album.Mokey’s fi rst tribute comes along in the Halloween-

ish “You’ve Got the Madness,” which was inspired by the little guy losing his marbles from time to time and showing sudden symptoms of yowling, scampering, wildly twitching and darting off in different directions for no reason, according to Jeb Morris, while further on Songs . . . , “Hairball Shimmey” deals a little more with Mokey’s spasticity brought on by wicked hairball spells instead of plain-crazy cat thoughts. The crux of the album, though, is the heroic ballad, “Mokey’s Glove-ball Quest,” which chronicles the protagonist’s journey through the in and out of doors in search of a favor-ite toy. Bart Morris supplies the background of light bongos, rattling wood blocks, and a recorder over this lengthy spoken word epic. It gets intense but leaves you back to normal by the most peaceful and fi nal song of the album, “Brain Acre,” joined by the brothers’ friend,

Inga on keyboard xylophone keys while Jeb and Bart whistle and pick a ukulele all the way out.

Grandpa Egg has been running up and down the eastern states for a year and a half, now, playing shows catch as catch can and stopping back in Nashville when it’s time for a break and a home-cooked gig. De-cember and January have them run-ning up to Ohio and Kentucky at the beginning of both months. Touring details, band information and copies of Songs For My Cat are available for your own price at grandpaegg.com, or available for a listen at reverbnation.com/grandpaegg.

— BRYCE HARMON

Grandpa EggSongs For My Cat

Andrew Adkins Troublesome, My Love

ALBUM REVIEWS

Nashville singer/songwriter/rocker Andrew Adkins released his debut solo album Troublesome, My Love earlier in Sep-tember out of Electrahead Arts & Media. This effort shows that heavily produced versatility through predictable musical

infl uences plus cheesy and ambiguous lyricism can hold together as an all right album if the song’s production value, hooks, and instrumenta-tion are just the right amount of strong.

In Adkin’s fi rst go by himself, Troublesome, My Love blends a couple of thick motorcycle blues almost sandwiching the rest of the album with the electric-Dylanesque fi rst track “Punch Drunk Commotion” and “Two of a Reckless Kind” as the bread holding together the meat of the album. The meat is acoustic songwriter-driven folk numbers like “The Blood of a Gam-bler” and “Estrelita . . . More or Less,” and “countrifi ed” ‘90s pop-rock act tunes like if Matchbox Twenty, for example, once lived in Nashville and just

couldn’t get it out of their sound. It may sound a little tacky, and it is, but the hooks sang by Adkins and played by a backing band made up of John Heinrich on pedal steel and Dobro; Daryl Dasher on bass, banjo and backing vocals; Rodney

Russell on drums; Zach Gooch on trumpet; Kim Caudell on violin and himself on the guitar, mandolin, pia-no and a Dylan-inspired harmonica keeps the 15 tracks together as a solid whole in spite of the lyricism.

The bulk of the works on Trouble-some, in any of its musical forms, consist of blowing the whistle on general life. Adkins sings poetically empathetic songs of love and loneli-ness, tales of being beaten. Then he butters you up with hope until fi -nally, there’s no conclusion or answer to the well-known feelings he sings about while hooking you in. They’re just Adkins’ astute life-observations yet to be fi nished, and they’re not a bad thing, but they come with an empty feeling afterwards.

The album isn’t hopeless, though. Songs like “A Little Bit of Mercy” and “Sister, Your Soul Shines” are calming and uplifting. The song “We Knew It All Along” stands as the strongest, single-friendly rolling narrative of a guy who ran into crazy-woman trouble. It’s reminiscent of White’s “Caro-lina Drama” during the verses. And the fi nal track, “Sun Come Shine,” is a fi ne example of the folk styling he explores.

Andrew Adkins is in Nashville playing shows at National Underground on Broadway throughout December. Band and tour updates, as well as digital and hard copies of Troublesome, My Love can be found at andrewadkinsonline.com. — BRYCE HARMON


THURS, 12/13 BROTHERS

O Youth, The Subnovas, Tetsuo

BLUESBOROLord T and Eloise

BONHOEFFER’SMirrors, Josh Gilbert

WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

The Jazz Nutcracker

FRI, 12/2BLUESBORO

Set the ControlsFANATICS

Soul PatchTHE BORO BAR & GRILLCarey MurdochWALL STREET

Pixies TributeWILLIE’S WET SPOT

Citizen RejectsWRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Jody Packer, senior trumpet recital; Lynn Rice-See, piano studio recital

SAT, 12/33 BROTHERS

Agents of AthensAURA LOUNGE

Three Simple RulesBLUESBORO

Shane and the Moneymakers

LANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

White Bay FreddieMarathon Music WorksStreetlight Manifesto, Reel Big Fish, Lionize, Rodeo Ruby Love

THE BOROSolidarity Benefit feat. Take the Power Back

WALL STREETKing Arthur, Small Reactions

WILLIE’S WET SPOTJunkyard Funk


Allison Franklin (violin), Samantha Dyvig (piano), joint senior recital;Jennifer Poore, senior guitar recital;Student String Chamber Recital I;Student String Chamber Recital II

SUN, 12/4BLUE

Avent Lane, Larry PinkertonBLUESBORO

WMTS 88.3 Benefit: Thank You Ma’ams, Technikiller, Frojan Horse


Handel’s MessiahFlute studio recital

MON, 12/5WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Handel’s Messiah

TUES, 12/6BLUESBORO

Blues Jam w/ CJ VaughnWILLIE’S WET SPOT

Freedom HillWRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

MTSU Symphonic Band

WED, 12/73 BROTHERS

Open Mic Night w/ Gavin Yates

WILLIE’S WET SPOTShane Douglas


MTSU Commercial Music Ensemble

THURS, 12/8BONHOEFFER’S

Wilmesherr, Ravenhill, Dave Armstrong

THE BORO BAR & GRILLAdam Dalton and the B-Sides


Arunesh Nadgir piano studio and accompanying recital; Student String Chamber Recital

FRI, 12/93 BROTHERS

2nd and VineFANATICS

Elle & the Fine Lines

NOBODY’SZone Status

THE BORO BAR & GRILLJason and the Punknecks

WALL STREETGreat Barrier Reefs, Eddie and the Public Speakers

WILLIE’S WET SPOTDouble Image

SAT, 12/103 BROTHERS

Austin ColeCalvary ChapelRoot Road

BLUESBOROBacklit, Risky Business

FANATICSThird Level

LANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

Laura HamptonTHE BORO BAR & GRILL

The Buddy SystemWILLIE’S WET SPOT

Shane and the Moneymakers

SUN, 12/11BLUE

Avent Lane, Larry Pinkerton

TUES, 12/13BLUESBORO


Freedom Hill

WED, 12/143 BROTHERS


CENTER FOR THE ARTSJack & Diane


FRI, 12/163 BROTHERS

Secret CommonwealthFANATICS

Monkey WrenchNOBODY’S

BacklitWALL STREET

Rhythm KitchenWILLIE’S WET SPOT

Rebel Rulz

SAT, 12/17FANATICS

The Firehouse BandLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

Shane Douglas

THE BORO BAR & GRILLIchabod and the Scrooges

WILLIE’S WET SPOTGreez Monkeez

SUN, 12/18BLUE

Avent Lane, Larry Pinkerton



Freedom Hill




FRI, 12/23AURA LOUNGE

Three Simple RulesFANATICS

Real DealWILLIE’S WET SPOT

Freedom Hill

SAT, 12/24WILLIE’S WET SPOT

Shane Douglas



Freedom Hill



GILLIGAN’SUltraviolet Hippopotamus


FRI, 12/30FANATICS

Zone StatusNOBODY’S

Strangers With CandyWILLIE’S WET SPOT

Smiley Blind Band

SAT, 12/313 BROTHERS

Jake Leg StompersNOBODY’S

Zone StatusWILLIE’S WET SPOT

Junkyard Funk

IF YOU GO:3 Brothers223 W. Main St.410-3096

Aura Lounge114 S. Maple St.396-8328

Blue810 NW Broad St. 410-3383

Bluesboro114 N. Church St. 904-7236

Bunganut Pig1602 W. Northfield Blvd. 893-7860

Campus Pub903 Gunnerson Ave.867-9893

Coach’s Grill127 SE Broad St. 962-7853

Coconut Bay Cafe210 Stones River Mall Blvd. 494-0504

Dugger’s Food & Fun1738 W. Northfield Blvd. 809-2605

Fanatic’s 1850 Old Fort Pkwy.494-3995

Gilligan’s527 W. Main St.439-6090

Lanes, Trains and Automobiles450 Butler Drive890-3999

Liquid Smoke#2 Public Square217-7822

Maple Street Grill109 N. Maple S.890-0122

MT Bottle3940 Shelbyville Hwy. 962-9872

Murfreesboro/Center for the Arts110 W. College St.904-ARTS

Nobody’s Grill & BBQ116 John R. Rice Blvd.962-8019

Temptation Club2404 Halls Hill Pike 217-0944

The Boro Bar & Grill1211 Greenland Dr.895-4800

Wall Street121 N. Maple St. 867-9090

Walnut House116 N. Walnut St. 890-5093

Willie’s Wet Spot1208 S. Lowry St., Smyrna 355-0010

CONCERT LISTINGSSend your show listings to [email protected]

O YOUTH, THE SUBNOVAS, TETSUOTHURS, 12/1 @ 3 BROTHERS

Thursday, December 1, 3 BrothersO Youth, The Subnovas, TetsuoWe don’t know too much about O Youth and The Subnovas, though we’ve heard good things. But Tetsuo alone is worth the trip out to 3 Brothers. Beneath the sparkly Christ-mas lights of the brewery, your ears can have the pleasure of hearing Murfreesboro’s scuzziest, rawest punk rock band. Every live show from them is a high-energy, fast-paced cut through tracks from These Crystals Don’t Burn, Inmates and whatever brand new stuff they just decide to debut that day.

WEMTS BENEFIT FEATURING TECHNICKLLER, THANK YOU MA’AMS, FROJAN HORSESUN. 12/4 @ BLUESBORO

88.3 WMTS radio station is good. So are benefits. Especially when they’re benefits for WMTS. That’s what’s going on tonight at Bluesboro, along with the usual Free Pizza Sunday (bring five of your buds and score a free pie). Playing in the name of “noise you can trust” are Frojan Horse, Technikiller and Thank You Ma’ams, plus additional bands that have yet to be announced. We’re definitely looking forward to rais-ing a ruckus with Thank You Ma’ams’ rowdy folk and jamming to Technikiller’s calculated instrumental experiments.

THE JAZZ NUTCRACKERTHURS. 12/1 @ WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Like your Tchaikovsky a little brassier, maybe a little more Duke Elling-ton? Tonight, Nashville jazz professionals—Matt Davich on alto sax and clarinet, Jim Williamson on trumpet and Roy Agee on trombone—join MTSU faculty for a jazzy rendition of The Nutcracker score. Among the MTSU faculty talent are Jamey Simmons on trumpet, Don Aliquo on sax, Derrek Phillips on drums and Jim Ferguson on bass. With an ID, the performance is free to MTSU students, faculty and staff.

WEMTS BENEFIT FEATURING

PULSE PICK

View Concert Listings Online:

PULSE

PICK


Ihear that old piano from down the avenue,” has grown to be such a soothing national treasure that’s passed America’s ears for almost 40 years’ worth of Saturday after-

noons. We can thank National Public Radio for conditioning listeners to expect the follow-ing two hours after the line’s broadcast to be fi lled with the most wholesome entertainment imaginable, as well as the old voice carrying the anticipatory line, renowned American author and founding host of the Opry-inspired comedy/variety show A Prairie Home Com-panion, Mr. Garrison Keillor, who, along with the Royal Academy of Radio Actors and the virtuosic All Star Shoe Band, delivers it with-out fail every week. Upon hearing the opening lyric, masses of folks have been known to blip out, mindlessly turn up their volume knobs and fl uff their seat cushions while doing whatever in their homes, cars and workplaces. It’s a phenomenon when people thoughtlessly, yet intently, are sucked into perfect harmony with so many others around the country for a couple of hours of peace at the end of a long and tiresome week, and it stangely happens only when people hear that old piano.

A Prairie Home Companion usually broad-casts every Saturday afternoon from the Fitzger-ald Theatre in St. Paul, Minn., but is as equally recognized for hitting the road, depending on what’s happening in the rest of the country or how tired they are of St. Paul. For the Nov. 5 show this year, the troupe headed south to the campus of Murray State University in Murray, Ken., to celebrate the 100th birthday of blue-grass legend, Bill Monroe, who—along with the help of around 175 musicians that made up his band, The Bluegrass Boys, over a fi fty-plus year period—molded bluegrass music into the tradi-tion it is today. Monroe’s birthday was Sept. 13, 1911, and he was born in the not-far-from-Murray town of Rosine, so why not drop in if you have the leading Americana-fueled radio program in the nation, and why not bring some of the remaining Bluegrass Boys with you since you’re down this way?

The Murray State stage was set up with a comfortably lit, real-life, blue, two-story house front, welcoming porch light and all, jutting from backstage to provide the setting for twenty-some-odd well-dressed people scattered around countless microphones, musical instruments and traveling wardrobes fi lled with sound props while a street light sat atop it’s post, stage left, with a sign underneath glowing “On Air,” when need be. It’s as if a big family fi nished dinner and came into the front yard to play for a couple

hours in front of a stadium’s worth of people that some-how collected in the street without notice.

Everything A Prairie Home has offered over the years was heard that No-vember afternoon, including tweaks the show’s locations dictate. In the Kentucky show’s case, there was less emphasis on the big-band’s clunky gospel and orches-tral powered arrangements of PHC’s guitarist Pat Donahue and pianist Rich Dworsky, giving way to another all-star lineup they tailored just for this show made up of former Bluegrass Boys, guitarists Pete Rowan and Tom Ewing, fi ddlers Bobby Hicks and Bob Black, and banjo player Blake Williams, as well as fi d-dler Stuart Duncan and singer Kathy Chiavola belting out a couple of blues numbers with Mr. Keillor later in the show.

If you’re wise to the broadcast but haven’t seen it live yet, it’s exciting to fi nd out what goes on-off air as they really start 15 minutes ‘til when Keillor gets down in the audience, greeting and serenading the fi rst rows while the band and the street lamp warm up onstage. As the hour grew closer, the street light brightened, and Keillor lankily skittered back to the stage singing that soothing line out into the world and adding for this particular show, “Hold-ing high his mandolin/to the microphone/he traveled far/ by bus and car/but Kentucky was home sweet home,” to their bluegrass version of “Tishomingo Blues” before sticking the guest Bluegrass Boys on a well-known Monroe hit, “Gold Rush,” that brought the house to their feet for yet another successful opening.

Once warmed up, Mr. Keillor took the opportunity to ask all onstage that knew Bill Monroe how it was living, traveling, loving and playing as part of such an incredible institution as The Bluegrass Boys and all of them obliged in turn with their own tales ranging from pit stops turned fully dressed concerts, to meeting Ray Charles singing “Blue Moon of Kentucky” in some hallway, to even a love-loss tale of how The Bluegrass Boys almost gained a Bluegrass girl. The girl-in-tale, Kathy Chiavola, lead everyone into Monroe’s timeless number “Old, Old House” after that story as a soft banjo and fi ddle played along from the boys beside her.

It was a beautifully sad moment, to say the

least, but they didn’t leave everyone bereft for long as the Powder Milk Biscuits jingle erupted soon thereafter, livening things back up. An insanely comedic ketchup ad spot worked similar magic in the second half, bringing the crowd back up after announcing the life and work of PHC sound effects technician, Tom Keith, unfortunately ended a week before this Kentucky appearance, but they knew all anyone needed after such a heart-felt commemoration

were the calming and mellowing agents of ketchup and more Chiavola and The Boys pick-ing through other tremendous Monroe songs like “A Beauti-ful Life,” “Kentucky Waltz” and “Uncle Pen,” with Keillor joining in on the bass harmony for the rest of the show. It worked well to cheer everyone up again and mar-veled everyone just as much at how great an emotional rollercoast-

er these Minnesotans can put on.The radio actors shone, too, particularly in

one of the more famous bits of the show. Guy Noir, Private Eye, who had an adventure in Ken-

tucky that week, too, was hired to fi nd out if a distraught father’s college-bound son was plan-ning to attend Murray State as expected or if he was, in fact, thinking about attending Murray’s neighboring basketball rival (and liberal col-lege!), Western Kentucky, to the father’s dismay.

“News from Lake Wobegon” wasn’t too bad that week, either. “It’s been gray and it’s been chilly . . . but things could’ve been worse,” Keil-lor described. Deer season has started up there, bringing his reminder of deer’s retaliatory and kamikaze nature against cars driving down the roads this time of year and his advice to drive safe when leaving the show. It’s deer season in Kentucky and Tennessee too. Other than that, all is well in Lake Wobegon, and they wished warmth to those gearing up for the confused Southern winter that may or may not have already started, before sending everyone back into the night to “Rawhide,” of all things.

After the two and a half hours of pure enter-tainment, everyone left with a deeply warm and satisfactory feeling only listeners of the show know. It’s a beautiful and inviting feeling we’re more than happy to share with you if you like. You just need to twist that dial at the right time.

A Prairie Home Companion airs on National Public Radio, 90.3 FM in Middle Tennessee, every Saturday from 5–7 p.m. and again the fol-lowing Sunday around noon. The show’s travel-ing schedule, along with podcasts of shows past and present, can be found at prairiehomecompanion.org.

Divorce/Family LawBankruptcy

Personal Injury/DisabilityCriminal

Smith & ArtripAttorneys At LAw

Smith & ArtripSmith & Artrip

718-A S. Church St., Murfreesboro

(615) 410-3827smithartriplaw.com

A Prairie Home What? America’s most culturally signifi cant, yet underrated radio program hits Kentucky just to be a good friend. story by BRYCE HARMON

ing through other tremendous Monroe songs like “A Beauti-ful Life,” “Kentucky Waltz” and “Uncle Pen,” with Keillor joining in on the bass harmony for the rest of the show. It worked well to cheer everyone up again and mar-veled everyone just as much at how great an emotional rollercoast-

“


Founded to bring a little joy, culture and color to the people of Murfreesboro, help incite social change, promote freedom and drawing great inspiration from the music and atmosphere of Pink Floyd (which also

accurately describes The Murfreesboro Pulse, in-cidentally), Enchanted Planet features a variety of goods from around the globe.

Located on Lytle Street just off of the Public Square, the shop carries artwork, stickers, shirts, concoctions to help one study for certain tests and other . . . enchanted paraphernalia.You may fi nd a colorful tapestry to decorate your space, a unique jewelry or clothing item, some Grateful Dead merch, artwork, incense burners and more. A customer could spend juts a few cents on a stick of incense, or drop thousands of dollars on elaborate art, glasswork and collectibles.

“I try and buy things that I like, so if it doesn’t sell I don’t mind being stuck with it,” store owner Shaun Berbert says.

The store originally opened just down the street, but a few years after opening an electri-cal fi re erupted and devastated the inventory.

“We lost everything,” says Berbert, but that wasn’t the end for his business. “The community came together and started buying the burnt stuff, and held a benefi t concert at the Boro Bar and Grill and raised a few thousand dollars for me.

“High Times actually covered the benefi t,” and that drew even more attention to the store and vision, he says.

Then NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) founder Keith Stroup, and author and cannabis grower Ed Rosenthal became involved and donated some signed books and art to sell to help out the Enchanted Planet cause, and the store rose from the ashes. The metal phoenix atop the entrance of the current building (crafted by local metalworker Stephen Levenhagen) is symbolic of this rebirth and coming back even stronger.

Today, Berbert is preparing to open sister Enchanted Planet stores in Atlanta and Boulder and also operates an aeriel photography com-pany, Wish You Were Here, which fl ies over and shoots major festivals, gatherings and concerts.MURFREESBORO PULSE: Why did you open your business?SHAUN BERBERT: To enlighten and broaden people’s minds by offering personal items from around the world. We’re trying to carry the things you don’t see everywhere, those

enchanted items you can’t fi nd at the mall, at Walmart.

I’ve been doing a lot of traveling to fi nd the best of the best things. We are also very much enamored with local arts and crafts.MP: What businesses/people were an inspiration for you?SB: I was out of the Marine Corps and had hard time keeping a job.

I went to the Pink Floyd show at Vanderbilt (in 1994). I got blown away by the lights, the sound, the music, enlightenment fl ooded me.

I went back to my place for an after-party, and after sitting by myself for an hour process-ing, I told everyone “I’m going to Mexico in

the morning.” I did, and I bought some goods, brought them back to Murfreesboro and started selling them.

I found inspiration along the way from Jerry at Century 21; he pulled me aside and said you need to buy this, you need to do this, and that helped me get into the brick-and-mortar store.

Lee Roberts at the Boro allowed me to set up in his parking lot for free and sell merchandise; he was supportive.

I did the fi nal year the Grateful Dead were touring. Through touring with them, I made all of the connections I would need to run this store.MP: What challenges have you overcome in starting and growing your business?SB: Employees are always a hard thing to manage and deal with. Getting on top of all of the different regulations and taxes that have to be done. Finding good products and bringing

them into sell is the easy part.MP: What’s your favorite part about your job?SB: All of the people who come in, the com-munity. The people who come in with smiles on their faces, who we are able to sell something meaningful to them.MP: What advice do you have for people starting a small business?SB: Be honest and sincere. If you’re honest and sincere with your customers, you will make it.MP: Who are your customers?SB: People within 200 miles. I have people come in from Birmingham, Kentucky, Knox-ville. All of those who are tired of the same old thing and looking for something different.MP: How are you getting the word out about your business?

SB: When you make a customer happy, they will tell someone.MP: Tell me how the aerial photography company came about.SB: Wish You Were Here happened in 2005. I went through a very heart-wrenching divorce. Someone said, “I’m tired of seeing you look down. Why don’t you learn how to fl y?” I did; I loved it. We formed a business plan, and started going to some major festivals (from Sturgis Motorcycle Rally to Bonnaroo).MP: Is there anything else you feel the people of Murfreesboro should know about you and your businesses?SB: I feel really strongly about the Goodwill Peace Treaty and encourage everyone coming into the store to take a look at it. It’s something everyone should read and understand.

NEWS

FLYING HIGHShop owner/arial photographer Shaun Berbert talks of the history of his planet. story by BRACKEN MAYO

Shawn Berbert’s Enchanted Planet on Lytle Street brings a little magic to Murfreesboro.

Murfreesboro Entrepreneurs Association

ON BUSINESSSPOTLIGHT

FEATURED BUSINESS: Enchanted Planet

OWNER: Shaun Berbert


I am asked all the time, “Patrick, what soft-ware do you run on YOUR Macs?” So this month I’m gonna tell you! I’ll run down my favorite utilities, maintenance apps, produc-tivity apps, imaging apps and anything else I can’t live without. So here we go:

Dropbox [dropbox.com] is for the person who needs access to certain fi les on some or all of their computers and mobile devices. Dropbox runs on Mac, Windows and Linux and there is a Dropbox app for iPad, iPhone and the Droid platform. It’s free for 2GB of storage, you install it and it creates a folder named “Dropbox” (clever, huh?). Put into that folder any fi les and folders that you would like to have available on all your other computers or mobile devices, and that’s it. Any time you change a fi le or add/de-lete anything, the changes are synced to all your other Dropbox computers and mobile devices.

Cloud [getcloudapp.com] is a free little app for quickly sharing fi les with others. I use it to share images or mp3Ðs with friends when I just want to do it fast and hassle free. You simply install Cloud and it adds a little cloud icon to your Mac’s menu bar. When you want to share a fi le, you simply drag it to the cloud icon and release it. Cloud uploads the fi le to their servers in seconds, you hear a chime when it’s done, and Cloud even automatically places the website address to the fi le in your Mac’s clipboard. All you do is paste it into an IM, email, etc., and send it to your friend. The friend clicks on the link and voila, they’re seeing your image fi le, listening to your mp3, or downloading your fi le.

SMC Fan Control: [eidac.de] All Macs with internal cooling fans have them set by default to a fairly slow speed. Apple did that in order to keep you from hearing the fan noise. However, some Macs can, in my opinion, run a tad too hot for my liking. And in electronics, the cooler you can make a device run, the longer it should last. To that end, someone wrote SMC Fan Control to allow us to speed up our Mac’s fans, should we want to. So you install this app, it throws an icon into your menu bar, click it, choose Preferences, and you will see a control panel with sliders for each fan. You can then adjust the speed as high as you want to, although I usually only bump mine 400-800 RPM faster than Apple’s preset minimum speed.

Cocktail: [maintain.se/cocktail, boromac.com/videos/cocktail.html] Cocktail is, to me, the equivalent to changing the oil, topping off fl uids, checking air pressure in the tires and changing air and fuel fi lters on my truck. It per-forms a myriad of disk and system maintenance

and cleanup chores on your Mac, and it keeps all of my Macs running smooth as the prover-bial baby’s bottom. It’s free to try and there are instructions on The Boro Mac Shop’s video page that show you how to set it up (it’s easy).

Perian: [perian.org] I install Perian on ev-ery Mac I setup, period. It installs all the most popular codecs (compression/decompression code) that QuickTime needs to play most videos you’re likely to download. It’s free.

Flip4Mac: [online. bit.ly/pmhlik] I also install Flip4Mac on most every Mac I setup, both for myself and my clients. It’s free software that enables your Mac to play most Windows video fi les it encounters

Vuze: [vuze.com,transmissionbt.com] I torrent a LOT. I download all my favorite TV shows and watch them on my own schedule (I’m a control freak that way). Vuze isn’t the simplest torrent app for the Mac—that dis-tinction goes to Transmission—but Vuze gives me all the extra control I crave because it has about a million preferences.

Adium [adium.im] lets you sign on to all your different Instant Messenger accounts with just one application. I use Adium for my Yahoo,

GoogleTalk, AIM, Facebook and .Mac IM accounts.

Pages: [apple.com/iwork/pages] Apple’s an-swer to Microsoft Word is Pages and I love it because it’s both a word processor AND a page layout applica-tion. No more fussing with margins or trying to get words, sentences or para-

graphs to stay where you want them. Launch Pages, choose page layout mode and drag images and text boxes anywhere you want them, and they stay put. It’s one of the most simple, yet powerful, document applications I’ve ever used.

VLC: [videolan.org/vlc], VLC will play any video fi le you can throw at it. It’s a good, free video player to keep around for those times when QuickTime Player just won’t play a fi le. It also lets you increase the volume a lot higher than QuickTime will, which is great for those videos you fi nd occasionally that suffer from low audio. And there you have it, friends, the Mac apps I use almost daily, and with most of them free, you simply cannot beat the price!

Patrick Clark, owner of The Boro Mac Shop here in Murfreesboro, has repaired Macintosh computers and Apple devices since 1996, and Boro Mac Shop is Murfreesboro’s best Macin-tosh and iPhone repair shop. Contact him at (615) 796-6154 or boromac.com.

Patrick’s Favorite Mac Apps

APPLETALK

MACINTOSH AND iPHONE

ANSWERS AND TIPS{ }MACINTOSH{ }MACINTOSHAND { }AND i{ }iPHONE{ }PHONE

ANSWERS AND TIPS{ }ANSWERS AND TIPScolumn by

PATRICK [email protected]


Kristin Demos took home the title of All-Star Celebrity Spelling Bee Champion, cor-

rectly spelling the word “foliate” in a fi nal round against 2010 Celebrity Bee Champion Gayle Ray at Pat-terson Park Community Center.

The All-Star Celebrity Bee generated $48,000 for local non-profi t Read To Succeed.

100 percent of funds raised will stay in Rutherford County and provide books, materials, train-ing supplies and promotional materials for Read To Succeed’s family literacy and adult literacy programs, as well as necessary operational expenses. For more information on the organization, visit readtosucceed.org.

The fi fth Celebrity Bee wel-comed Celebrity Speller Champi-ons from the 2007 to 2010 Bees. A mix of past winners, runners-up, mayors and a few wildcards took the stage to compete.

Below: All-Star Celebrity Bee Champion Kristin Demos (left) and Read To Succeed Di-rector Lisa Mitchell

Room by Emma Donoghue

Meet Jack. He has his favorite toys, he loves to watch television (particu-larly Dora the Explorer) and he thrives on routine. Most of all, he is excited to be turning fi ve, when he will be a “big boy.” But Jack’s similarities with the average child end there

because Jack has never seen the outside world—in fact, he does not even realize that a world exists outside his eleven-by-eleven storage shed, which he calls “Room.”

Room, by Emma Donoghue, takes us inside Jack’s world, where ordinary household items are personifi ed, and each day consists of routines and games to deal with the boredom of life in this tiny house. Jack’s mother, known to us as Ma, was kidnapped at age 19 while walking on a college campus. She has been held hostage in a storage shed in “Old Nick’s” backyard for seven years, during which time she gives birth to Jack. Told exclusively in Jack’s precocious voice, Room is a gripping novel that shows what life is like for those held captive, and perhaps more importantly, when those captives are free.

After his long-anticipated birthday, Jack quickly learns two things: there is a whole world outside of Room, and the only world he does know is no longer safe. Ma develops a plan to escape, and unlike many books that focus on captivity, Ma and Jack become free long before the novel is over. One of Room’s strengths is that it shows not only the life of a cap-tive, but what it means to reintegrate into society after having years of life taken away.

Room also shows the impact abductions have on

the families left behind. Ma’s mother is understand-ably shocked to learn that not only is her daughter alive, but she has a child. Ma’s father is unable to accept any part of the situation—Ma’s abduction, rescue, and a grandson born of rape—in part because he had a funeral for Ma years before, thinking she was dead. Ma’s reemergence into society is bitter-sweet and fraught with obstacles; she fi nally has the freedom she’s longed for, but at a high price, because life for her and Jack will never be the same.

Donoghue’s use of Jack as narrator is what makes this book so unique. His sweet, innocent approach is in striking contrast to the circumstances in which he lives. Through Jack’s eyes, it is easier to absorb the sheer horror of Ma’s situation, such as when Old Nick visits at night. While Jack is locked in the wardrobe, he “counts the squeaks of Bed” until it’s

time for Old Nick to leave again. Donoghue sometimes falters throughout the novel in using Jack’s voice, with inconsistencies and an unevenness that can be distracting. On the whole, however, Jack is a wonderful protagonist. Seeing the world through him makes the details of the novel not only bearable but riveting. It is Jack’s heartbreaking experiences

and poignant observations that will linger with you long after the novel is complete.

Read To Succeed is the community collaborative created to promote literacy in Rutherford County. The objective of this partnership between schools, area agen-cies and businesses is to support local programming and raise awareness about the importance of literacy. For more information and to fi nd out how you can make a difference in Rutherford County’s literacy rates, visit readtosucceed.org.

The opinions expressed in this book review are not necessarily representative of Read To Succeed, but sim-ply intended to promote the joy of reading.

READ TOSUCCEEDBOOK REVIEW

by MICHELLE PALMERmichellepalmersbooks

.blogspot.com

Kristin Demos Takes Read to Succeed Spelling Bee Title


RUN WITH A LIGHT IN THE NIGHT

At last month’s Anything is Possible late-night 5K, 20-year-old Ryan Wilson led the fi eld in the Murfreesboro race.The race began at 1:50 a.m., and

Wilson crossed the fi nish line at 1:08 a.m., posting a time of -41:42.9, or 18 minutes and 17.1 seconds, for all of you traditionalists.

Alexis Burchfi eld, 13 years old, led the ladies in this race with a -38:41.1 time, or 21 minutes, 18.9 seconds on the stopwatch.

These negative times were, of course, made possible by the time falling back from daylight savings to standard and similar races were held all across the country.

Coming up on Saturday, Dec. 3, is an

opportunity for local runners to support AYD Ministries and its mission of helping the vic-tims of human traffi cking, sexual exploitation and poverty.

AYD, or As You Did, draws its name from Matthew 25:40, “As you did for the least of these, you did it to me.”

A 1/4-mile kids’ loop will precede the 5K race, and Old Chicago Pizza will provide complimentary pizza and calzones for all race participants.

Proceeds will help educate and provide basic necessities for a group of rescued women and children in Bangkok.

The following week, the Frosty Fun Run will wind through the golf course at the Stones River Country Club.

This race, just under fi ve miles, will raise funds and awareness for C.A.S.A. (Court Ap-pointed Special Advocates) and Bob Parks Christmas for the Children

Run strong, Murfreesboro!

SPORTS

Though it’s getting dark and frosty, there’s still no excuse to not run. story by BRACKEN MAYO

DECEMBER RACES Light in the Night 5K & Kid’s Christmas LoopSaturday, Dec. 3 at 5 p.m.Murfreesboro Gateway, 1875 W. College St.lightinthenight5k.com

Frosty Fun Run (5-miler)Saturday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 a.m.Stones River Country Club, 1830 NW Broad St.fl eetfeetmurfreesboro.com/sidebar/frosty-fun-run

Runners across the country participated in late-night runs as daylight saving time ended.

LADY FOOTBALL AND THE HOLIDAYSH

O, HO, HO and a bottle of rum, ‘Tis the Season to be jolly and to celebrate the great Fs in the world: Football, Family, Food, Friends and Freaky Freak Women! I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was as pleasant as mine was; I enjoyed all

of the great Fs. Christmas is now just around the corner; ’tis the season for fantasy football playoff time and boiled custard!

December is a great time for family and for sports; it’s also a rough time for some. Some folks may not be as fortunate as others, some folks may struggle fi nancially during the holidays or just don’t have family to spend the holidays with. Whatever your situation, good people will get what they deserve in time. My good friend Mr. Scottie B, told me the other day that people in general suck! I would like to not believe that, but friends may let you down, family may let you down but me and Scott both agreed that Lady Football, she will never let you down!

Lady Football is not just reliable, she is also very beautiful. If Lady Football was a woman she would have the bust of Katy Perry, she would have a face as beautiful as Megan Fox, her body would be the smoking body of Jennifer Aniston, and fi nally, she would back that thing up with Rihanna’s ass. So now that we all now what Lady Football would look like in human form, it is a thing of beauty. The holiday, in all seriousness, is a time to share with friends and family and a time for giving. Like I said, some people are less fortunate and could use some love or help, and “giving” does not just mean spending money. I know that my time on this earth is short; I have realized that over the past couple years, and that is why whatever cards God deals me, I will stay positive. Through friends and family, people can over-come anything. So Merry Christmas to everyone, enjoy it!

Crazy News and Head StompersHaving some fun with all the stupid stories that still manage

to bring press attention. I’ll start with Nick Novak pissing on live TV in the fourth quarter as CBS cameras decided to keep rolling and show the world a football player pissing. It was great when the announcers joked about what kind of range Novak had; I am sure his range pissing is way better than making NFL fi eld goals. Novak had a chance to win the game, but with his misses, he let Tebow do his thing and get another ugly win late in overtime.

A Tampa Bay television station decided to take it to the locker room and do a couple interviews. Now we all know naked boys

run around in locker rooms; Penn State reminded the world of that. Well, during an interview on live TV, sure enough, the people of Tampa Bay got a load of man meat. Oh well, it is a locker room.

One of my favorite stories was the bout between 73-year-old Joe Kapp, former QB and

coach of the Cal Bears, and 73-year-old Angelo Mosca, a former defensive lineman and former wrestler, over a dispute 48 years ago during the CFL’s Grey Cup matchup. Apparently, Mosca delivered a controversial hit on Joe Kapp’s roommate and run-ning back that knocked him out of the game. Well, 48 years later during an alumni luncheon, Joe Kapp gave him a right hand to the grill after Mosca hit him with his canes. Who knows? Maybe that is justice served 48 years later. All I know is I love seeing old men knocking each other out.

And who doesn’t like making fun of a person who takes a loaded gun into a night club and puts a round in their leg? Stevie Johnson does, and I do. Stevie Johnson’s touchdown celebra-tion that has the sports world in a riot was hilarious to me. It

was one of those celebrations that you know comes with a fi ne and will cause an uproar, but it is a celebration that is going to be remembered. Just like Terrell Owens with the Dallas star, or Joe Horn with the cell phone, or Chris Johnson with the drums, or Chad Johnson with the river dances. All of these celebrations will be remembered. Stevie mocked Plaxico by doing a little club dance and acting out getting shot, and then he turned into a Jet, and the Jet had a rough landing. Brilliant!

Stevie is a young exciting player just having fun at another’s expense. Though I will say you got to back up your smack talk and dances. Plaxico got the last laugh by catching the game-winning touchdown after Stevie dropped what could have been the game winner for his team.

Titans and Tailgating BabyThere is nothing better than rolling up to a Titans game

on Sunday with your friends and throwing down with a great tailgating party prior to the football game. The Titans, as of press time, stand at 6-5 with a great victory over Tampa after getting beat down by Atlanta. It was the Train Daddy, my main man John and the beautiful LeAnn as we rolled in style that Sunday. It may have been a dreary, cold and rainy day, but in our eyes, it was beautiful; it was a great day for fun, friends and football.

SPORTS TALKcolumn by [email protected]

The Chargers ended up losing by three in a game where kicker Nick Novak missed a couple of fi eld goals, and narrowly missed public urination charges.


True Titans fans, get up to LP Field for the last few

games of the 2011 season. The AFC South is ours!

I have thrown some great tailgate parties, but Mr. Jack Daniel sure knows how to throw down. Little pork tenderloin sliders and pork sandwiches with mashed taters and turkey chili and a full bar, it was all you want and the selection was sexy. Jack Black, Gentleman Jack all the way to Single Barrel—you better believe if Jack Daniel is throwing down he is bringing his best whiskey for all of his friends, and he brought plenty of it.

It was a great start to the game, and we weren’t disappointed with the game; we got to see two Ball sacks. David Ball was a beast on defense, and Chris Johnson finally is on a roll rushing for a crazy 190 yards. It is great to see the team rolling down the stretch, and there still is a lot to do. The door is open though, with the Texans having a two-game lead and down to their third-string quarterback. That’s right, Matt Schaub went down for the year, and Matt Leinhart is out with an injury, so the Texans will start T.J. Yates. Who? The Texans did bring in Jake Delhomme, who is a veteran and played many games, but for now T.J. Yates is their man, a fifth-round pick in the 2011 draft out of North Carolina. He is fresh meat and will struggle, and I foresee Jake the Homie coming in after he struggles. Jake may get something going, but come on, he had some promise early in his career, and then showed he sucked as a starter. The Texans do have an excellent stout defense and one of the strongest running games in the NFL. They also have a healthy Andre Johnson who just needs the ball thrown his direction

and he will make a catch. The quarterback posi-tion is so important though. Maybe the defense and running game can help propel the Texans to their first playoff appearance, but I believe the quarterback situation will doom them.

This will open the door for my Titans to take the division crown. Just win, baby! Matt Hasselbeck and Johnson will get the Titans there. With players like rookie receiver Damian Williams playing well, Johnson running hard and a defense that is playing hard and full of Ball sacks, the Titans will make the Train Daddy Mafia happy; I have faith in my team.

Fantasy Mafia FootballLet’s get to some Fantasy Football—it is

playoff time and The Train Daddy Mafia 12-team league is ready to roll into the playoffs. Let me shout out to the mafia in order of the standings as of week 12: Sir Thomas, Mr. Shankle, Lady Allund, Sir Castle, John Poop Daddy, D-Feva Ward, Captain Mayo, The Train, Balls Batson, The Slobber Knock, Young Jeezy and Sir Darren. The top 8 make the play-offs and the grand prize is $400, followed by nice second- and third-place cash prizes. The Train Daddy is third in total points scored and in eighth place, but I am in the playoffs that start week 14 of the NFL. It’s okay, that’s part of fantasy; you lose some tough matches. I do know that the No. 1 seed team wants nothing to do with this No. 8 seed that has scored so much. It’s okay, it’s all in good fun, and this is the third year of the Mafia, the best group of

people and best run fantasy football league in the world led by Commissioner Train Daddy. I do know that I am in one other league, the Slobber Knocker League, where the cash prize is a little higher, and I am currently locked for the playoffs and standing in third place in a 10-man league. I am coming for that grand prize!

Some people want to hate on fantasy football. You don’t have a clue what you are miss-ing out on, and it is one of the greatest things in the world. It is fun, exciting, a way to learn about every player in the game. It is also a brag-ging right that stays with a champion for a year, all they way to the next live draft. If you have never played, you got to sign up next year. Sorry, no room in the Mafia. The Mafia is probably out of your level anyway. The 12 people in this league are the real deal baby!

Rolling Out the StationSo, what is wrong with the Tennessee Vols?

They don’t even look like a team that deserves to play in the SEC. I have heard many times every SEC game is a challenge. Well, no one (other than Vandy) had a challenge when they

matched up with UT this year. I do not doubt Dooley’s passion or fire, and you can just see it when he is on the sideline. He is scary as hell when mad and very passion-ate when things go right. The players love him, but things better change up in Rocky Top.

How do you compare a head stomp? An Albert head stomp will get you five games. Granted, the guy needed 30 stitches. A Suh kick gets you two games and known as the most hated, feared, dirtiest player in the league. I thought Suh got off lightly with a two-game sus-pension, especially with his his already dirty reputation.

All my loyal code blue bleeding Titan fans, I honestly believe that this division title for the Titans is completely up to the Titans, and it can and will be done. The Texans will falter. They deserved it and played well this season, but I have no sympathy for the Texans or the winless Colts or the small market Jaguars who have no owner and lack of fans. Here in Tennessee, the AFC South looks to be ours. So, Titans fans, get ready to cheer and rock out because we will own this division and hopefully ride on to the promised land.


Being a man of tradition, it always bums me out when things I have known since my childhood go away. Case in point, the Shoney’s on NW

Broad Street. Even though it wasn’t the original building where my grandmother took orders (that was next door, now a liquor store) and the drive-in that my dad and mom’s generation cruised on Saturday night, it still felt like part of my youth. So, I’m having a hard time getting used to not having a Shoney’s on Broad.

But, change can also be a good thing. Case in point, Gondolier Italian Restaurant and Pizza. It replaced my old Shoney’s and I must admit, it’s a good replacement.

With the winter setting in on us, a good, hearty meal that will stick to your bones is often is a perfect to finish a busy day of Christmas shopping or fight off the cold of winter. In that respect, Italian food is lot like Southern home cooking. If it’s done correctly, it’s a meal that warms the body and feeds the soul. And like those good Southern meals, it’s easy to tell if it was made fresh by people that take pride in

what they do. The food I have tried at Gon-dolier makes me believe that they take a lot pride in the way they prepare their meals.

They have a full menu of traditional Italian food, with a home-cooked touch. Everything from the stromboli to the canoli are make fresh daily. White and stuffed piz-zas, tortellinis, baked rigatoni, lasagna and dozens of traditional Italian dinners fill their large menu. Not just Italian fare, they also have Greek dishes, salads, sandwiches, pitas, subs (hot and cold) and burgers.

When you walk in Gondolier, the first thing you notice is the large dessert display. All these desserts are made in-house, daily. You can’t help but be impressed by the sophis-tication of these desserts, and the portion sizes are huge. You could make a meal just out of one dessert here. One look at that huge array of culinary treats will have you trying to figure out how to save room for dessert.

My first experience with Gondolier made me a big fan of the place. One night after catching a play, I stopped by the liquor store for some supplies, and as I left, my stomach made it clear that I needed to eat. The play was a long one, and it was around 10:45 p.m. That usually lim-its where you can eat in Murfreesboro, as most restaurants have turned off their signs and are

hurrying customers out by then. Since it was next-door, I noticed that Gondolier had the Open sign on and all the lights burning. Not only were

they open, but they welcomed us. The service was fantastic, and when general manager Ike Dalitsouris came by and asked how our meal was, I started to apologize for dining so late. He stopped me and informed me that the doors don’t close till 11 p.m. and that they were happy to have us. The waitress, Cassandra, was also happy to see us and gave us excellent service. Ike, in his really cool Italian accent, explained to us that customer service is their main concern and the doors don’t close till its closing time.

On my next visit, I sat down with Ike and owner Rita Papaionou.

“We are family owned and operated; we have created a family atmosphere. Come on in, take your time, get to know us and get great service,” Rita said. Ike added, “This menu has been refined and added to for over 30 years. Customers asked for dishes, and the best ones were added to the regular menu. We completely

remodeled the place to have an Italian family feel. We also have six TVs placed around the restaurant, if you want to catch the game, and a private party room that will accommodate about 40 people.” That sounds like a great place to throw a Christmas party.

“We serve large portions at very reasonable prices. We have everyday lunch specials like 8 inch one-topping pizza with salad for $5.79 or an 8 inch cheese pizza for $3.99,” Rita said. Ike continued, “We give a 20 percent discount to senior citizens, college students, fire, police and EMS in uniform, with a badge or proper identification.”

As we finished our chat, I asked Ike what he most wanted the readers to know. He smiled and said, “The most important thing for people to know is the value they get here in a nice, re-laxing, family atmosphere” So, go by and check them out. Tell ’um Tony sent ya.

Read more about local restaurants at:

New Italian joint offers variety of pasta, pizza, subs, stromboli, desserts.

THE DISHNAME: GondolierLOCATION: 219 NW Broad PHONE: (615) 396-8484HOURS: Sun.–Thurs., 11 a.m.–10 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m.PRICES: Chicken tortellini alfredo: $11.99; Gyro on pita: $6.79; Eggplant parmesan: $9.79; Medium Gondolier special pizza: $12.79WEB: gondolierpizza.com

The chicken Sorrentino covers a grilled chicken breast with eggplant, cheese and ham, and in-cludes a side of spaghetti.

Upon walking in the door at Gondolier, the first thing one

notices is the dessert case packed with cakes and canolis.

Baklava is an interesting cheesecake variety served at the new establishment.

story by TONY LEHEW

photos bySARAH MAYO

FOOD

BON APPETITBON APPETIT

December 2011 edition of the Murfreesboro Pulse

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Transcript of December 2011 edition of the Murfreesboro Pulse