December 2011 edition of the Murfreesboro Pulse

MURFREESBORO

Vol. 6, Issue 12 December 2011

FREE Take One! Middle Tennessee’s Source for Art, Entertainment and Culture News

MUSIC

THE

CHRISTMAS PROJECT 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

ALBUM REVIEWS: PROPHET NATHAN ANDREW ADKINS FORREST YORK GRANDPA EGG CAITLIN ROSE IAN THOMAS pg. 20

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

ART Work from Glenn Merchant at Center; more MTSU degree candidates.

pg. 14

ONLINE AT: BOROPULSE.COM

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CONTENTS

MAIL

MAIL 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.

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Phil Valentine Republicans need to do their jobs.

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COMMUNITY EVENTS

DEAR READERS:

T

here is a country where the people feel so oppressed and alienated that they take to the streets in protest of the corrupt government and financial 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.

THEATER 12

Nightly Sings the Staring Owl MLT presents famed Scottish play.

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 officials 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 find 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 government 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, find 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/financial 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

MOVIES 13

Reviews The Muppets, Tower Heist Living Room Cinema Festive Fun

ART 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.

OUT & ABOUT

On The Cover 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.

SOUNDS 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.

NEWS 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.

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

FOOD 31

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

PHOTO BY TANYA WRIGHT

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

CREW

Gagflex OWS wants overhaul of the political system, not just different politicians.

PULSE

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Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo Art Director: Sarah L. Mayo Copy Editor: Cindy Phiffer Advertising Reps: Don Clark, Ryan Noreikas Photographer: Jon Wesenberg

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

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, advertised 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

To carry The Pulse at your business, or submit letters, stories and photography: bracken@boropulse.com 116-E North Walnut St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130 (615) 796-6248

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

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DECEMBER 2011

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OPINIONS Protests Aim to Cause a Disturbance

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hiners are whining about the Occupy 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 movements don’t typically begin with a how-to playbook. It also doesn’t help that police from Oakland to New York have repeatedly 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

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for their anger is to elect politicians who in turn vote against their better interests.

There’s no doubt that the Tea Party will ultimately 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

“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.”

are already being served ment. The problem is by one of the major massive. There are too political parties? There many politicians who are isn’t a Michele Bachman influenced by lobbyists column by JASON JOHNSON tuckwopat@yahoo.com equivalent hanging out at and are mesmerized Zucotti Park or traveling by the influence of the around the protest circuit giving speeches. big banks. For many, trying to grasp the While a few politicians have voiced their demands of the OWS protestors is difsupport for the OWS protestors, most are ficult because it’s almost in indictment of steering clear. There’s a lot at stake for democracy itself. politicians. They don’t want to seem too But the truth is that our system is not fringe and they also don’t want to piss off working. Watch Republicans and Democrats the big banks who support them in favor of gridlock about the most minor of details and light regulation. tell me that this is working. Read about the Conservatives who are coming out ridiculous super committee and tell me that condemning the OWS movement just this is working. Read about regulations that because they perceive it to be a liberal are gutted in favor of big business and how movement are idiots. They’re labeling it there are massive loopholes for the wealthia liberal movement because it’s a protest est of Americans and tell me this is working. against big business mixing with politics, We have politicians who are literally signing and that’s that the bread and butter of Reoaths to lobbyists. Everything our politicians publican politics. But this is not a protest say and do is dictated by the election cycle, against Republicans. It’s a protest against which in turn is run by corporate dollars. So our whole system in which every member if the OWS movement never makes a dent of Congress is responsible. And this is in our political system it will at least have why the OWS movement will likely not been a great representation of the anger of be as successful as the Tea Party movethe 99 percent.

GAGFLEX

Our Daily Water

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s the topic of sustainability slowly the first two, but really get stuck on coffee, makes its way into the American which I am sipping as I type this. One cup consciousness it seems that one of the life-sustaining brew has a whopping key component lurks perpetually 37 gallon water footprint, 4.7 times that of below the surface: water. Even the 2007 black tea.

Tennessee drought that made international Goods and services require water, and news seems to have been largely forgotthat water eventually finds its way back into ten. The London publication The Indepenthe water cycle, so where is the problem? dent referred to Tennessee at the time as “a One cause for concern lies in the scarcity of once-lush region where the American dream freshwater, a point easily overlooked here, has been reduced to a single four-letter but inescapable in the areas of the world word: rain.” that produce much of what we find on our The challenges presented by the looming store shelves. Results from NASA satellites crisis are significant, but not insurmountalready warn of severe water shortages in able, especially given the willpower and parts of India, where nearly a quarter of the ingenuity of the Tennessee that I know. country is experiencing drought conditions The lack of interest likely has to do with and abnormal monsoon patterns. The same the apparent abundance of the scarce natuconcerns are true for China, which faced ral resource as well as the elusive nature droughts throughout the 1990s and continof the terms “water footprint” and “virtual ues to search for solutions today. India and water,” which are used to quantify its use.

China produce 10 and 25 percent of global Broadly speaking, your role as a consumer cotton, respectively. far outweighs that as an end user (although Water in numbers: Yearly rainfall acthis too is important). Consider the weekly counts for only .32% of the world’s freshlaundry: would you have guessed that a pair water reserves, which equates to a 300-year of jeans has a water footprint of roughly replacement period for the entire volume.

2,900 gallons (cotton is particularly water On top of that, around 66 percent of the intensive)? Or around world’s freshwater is 480 gallons for a quarter stored in glaciers, while pound hamburger, and another 30% lies deep 37 gallons for a cup of in geological layers not coffee? These staggering accessible to humans. numbers are hard to take Depending on the esticolumn by RYAN EGLY in until you take a look at mation, 1-4 percent is left the methodology behind a for human and ecological water footprint calculation and understand use. Another important point is that freshwhat the end result represents. water flows in a dynamic system, at about UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, .3 percent of the total volume of freshwater.

Scientific, and Cultural Organization, defines Imbalances caused to this system by overuse water footprint as “how much water is concan have dramatic effects, some of which we sumed, when and where, measured over the already see in the nightly news. whole supply chain of a product.” Virtual water An understanding of the water footprint is a more narrow concept as it refers only to concept sheds light on the hidden water volumes, rather than the type of water (green, footprint of everyday goods and actions and blue, grey). Water footprint figures allow for a serves as one of many indicators of how more accurate estimation of a country’s water interconnected we are with the world—both usage by accounting for the consumption of with its fruits and its problems. If we work goods or services that have their origins outside together we can make sure that world’s 7 of the country in question. billionth person, who is expected soon, will For the example above of jeans, the facalso have a world worth living in. tors involved in a water footprint calculation include the resource intensive practice Below are a few ways to reduce your of mono-crop cotton agriculture, cotton personal water footprint: seed processing into lint for a 3:1 loss, Keep things longer and think hard carding, spinning, and weaving into gray about new purchases. fabric, bleaching, dying and transportation Buy used (yard sale, thrift store), or (of raw materials throughout the agricultrade with friends. tural/industrial cycle as well as to the end Clothes swap with friends for a market). The hamburger example follows change of pace rather than buying new. similar logic. The bulk of the water footprint Reduce or eliminate the use of meat of beef comes from the grain used to feed and animal products. the animals. In the industrial food system, Carpool/mass transit/plan to avoid which supplies the vast majority of US beef, multiple trips/buy a small car—or even roughly 7 pounds of grain are required for better: bike. one pound of meat. I can easily do without Be part of the discussion!

Plant now for a burst of spring growth!

LIVING GREEN

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OPINIONS

Bah, Humbug

I

by ERNIE CHASE

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.

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Support Your Local Community While Shopping This Year IN ENGLISH:

opinion at home and abroad, even to the Every year, the intensity of commerextent of influencing the outcome of armed cial advertising reaches an overwhelming conflicts by manipulating the perceptions crescendo during the holidays as businesses of parties on both sides. The use of propalaunch carefully crafted holiday messages ganda to persuade and deceive populations designed to drive consumption of specific to achieve military and political objectives products and services. Nonprofits with big is a continually evolving science that asadvertising budgets do likewise to comsumes more sophisticated forms with every pete for your dollars in order to fund their decade. It’s a thrilling topic that we will charitable activities. Last night on the eve of have to leave behind for now and return to “Black Friday,” I passed our original purpose. by our local Target and This article isn’t a Kohl’s to see the mobs of slam against big busipeople anxiously waiting ness, large charities or Una columna del idioma español por CAMERON PARRISH for the doors to open so even against marketing they could take advantage campaigns. Rather this of bargains. Next, I couldn’t help but notice season we should snap out of our trance a stark contrast between this scene and and do our best to positively impact those what I saw in areas where smaller businessclosest to us. We should expand our goals es are located. There were no long lines of to include not only buying the right gifts, people, no extra security necessary to hold but buying and donating to places which back the shoppers responding to the previcontribute to the overall strength of the ous weeks of mass media advertisement. local community! Have a Merry Christmas Is it possible that with all of the advertisand a Happy Holiday Season. I’ll see you ing we see from the “big guys” we might all in 2012! overlook opportunities to support smaller, IN SPANISH: locally owned businesses? Might it then also be the case that our local charities and El apoyo de su Comunidad nonprofits may also go overlooked? It’s true Local Mientras que las Compras that companies of all sizes need to maintain Este Año profit levels to stay in business. Charitable organizations also have goals they set to Cada año, la intensidad de la publicidad continue serving those in need. However, culmina fuertemente durante la tempoin light of America’s dire economic circumrada navideña y las empresas lanzan sus stances, I want to challenge readers this mensajes especialmente diseñados para Holiday Season to consider shopping with impulsar el consumo de productos y servilocally owned businesses and donating to cios específicos. Organizaciones Sin fines local organizations whenever possible. This de lucro Sin fines de lucro con grandes way we are supporting those within arm’s presupuestos de publicidad también hagan reach and impacting our own community lo mismo para competir por los dólares con instead of primarily those with the power to el fin de financiar sus actividades benéficas. reach us via the web or massive TV and radio Ayer por la noche (en la víspera del “Vicampaigns. Local charity organizations aren’t ernes Negro”) fuimos del paseo a cerca de hard to find. Journey Home and Greenhouse Kohl’s y Target para ver las multitudes de Ministries come to mind as well as the Food personas esperando afuera ansiosamente el Bank of Rutherford County. All of these are momento que abrirían las puertas para que in great need this year and welcome your dopudieran aprovechar las gangas. nations of food, clothing or even your time.

Después, no pude dejar de notar un Unless you are a student of mass comfuerte contraste entre esta escena y lo que munication, you’ve probably never recogvi en las zonas donde las empresas más nized how easily advertising can control pequeñas se ubican. No hubo filas de peryour thoughts and even promote behaviors sonas, no hubo seguridad adicionales para which aren’t in the best interest of your detener a los compradores que respondiown community. You may find it interesteron a la publicidad los medios de comuniing to know that those who would later cación de las semanas anteriores. write the textbooks on advertising tech¿Es posible que con toda la publicidad niques gained their experience by applying que vemos desde los “grandes” podríamos these principals during the 1930s as geopoperder oportunidades para apoyar pequeñas litical forces jockeyed for position prior to empresas de propiedad local? ¿Entonces World War II. Psychological warfare (psytambién sería el caso para nuestras orwar) or weltanschauungskrieg (worldview ganizaciones sin fines de lucro? Es cierto warfare) as it was called in Nazi Germany, que las empresas de todos los tamaños is valued for its potential in shaping public necesitan mantener los niveles de ganancia

La PALABRA

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 Estados 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, organizaciones locales de caridad no son difíciles de encontrar. Journey Home y Greenhouse Ministries son ejemplos, así como Food Bank of Rutherford tambien. Todos necesitan 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 probablemente 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 oweltanschauungskrieg (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 percepciones de los partidos en ambos lados. El uso de la propaganda para persuadir y engañar a la población para alcanzar objetivos 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!

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OPINIONS

Read more columns by Phil Valentine at:

Republicans Are Not Stopping the Tax and Debt Increases

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he so-called “Super Comfacts via the Internet that were heremittee” failed to come to tofore closely guarded by the ruling a consensus. Big surprise, elite. The peasants have stormed the eh? I mean, when you put Bastille, technologically speaking. six Republicans and six Democrats Knowledge truly is power, and more in a room together in the midst of and more people are using it. a presidential election cycle and The only wild card is the Retask them with compromising on a publicans blowing this golden budget, what could go wrong? opportunity . . . again. The fact that I must admit that I was fearwe even had this debt reduction ful the Republicans would cave. super committee is the result of the Thankfully, they colossal failure didn’t. So let’s of the House VIEWS OF A rewind the clock CONSERVATIVE Republicans back to August. We’ve in August during column by gotten absothe debt ceiling PHIL VALENTINE philvalentine.com lutely nowhere, debate. The stanwhich is about dard excuse given where we thought we’d be. for their lack of boldness was, “We’re It basically boils down to this. only one half of one third of the President Obama and the Demoprocess.” That was bovine scatology. crats believe that raising taxes is the In reality they were much more. way to solve our debt and deficit The simple fact is this. There was problems. The Republicans believe going to be no increase in the debt raising taxes will only damage the ceiling without the House Repubeconomy 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 licans going along. Period. This on giving tax breaks to their rich was their chance to jam their foot constituents so they could cut serin the proverbial revolving door of vices to the poor and take away your compounding debt. In order for our Social Security and Medicare.” federal government to increase our I believe the Democrats have misnational debt by even one dime, it calculated the sophistication of the was going to take the permission of electorate. Medicare used to work John Boehner and the Republicans before the availability of so much in the House. information. Now people can access 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 Democrats 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 jobcreating tax cuts to the American people, or will they be content just to run out the clock?

Somebody needs to yell “scoreboard” at the Republican bench.

“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.”

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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 nationally syndicated radio talk show host with Westwood One. For more of his commentary and articles, visit philvalentine.com.

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DEC.

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COMMUNITY

EVENTS Students Learn to Grow, Give Students in Hobgood El2 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 Community 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.

DEC.

Golf Event Benefits Angel Tree Program 2–3 The Rutherford County Salvation Army has more than doubled the participants in the Angel Tree Program for 2011 and asks for the community’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-

DEC.

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wrapped new toy.

For more information, call (615) 4248210 or e-mail tabitha.foote@gmail.com.

Annual UFO Conference to be Held in Murfreesboro Murfreesboro’s Baymont Inn 3 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 coverage of these events and an increased interest 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 occurrences 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 stories of UFO sightings and extraterrestrial encounters.

For more information, visit tnmufon.com or e-mail tnmufon@gmail.com.

DEC.

The Season for “Messiah” The MTSU Concert Chorale 4–5 and Middle Tennessee Chorale Society will partner once again to create the memorable music of Handel’s “Messiah.”

DEC.

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 support 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) 8982493 or visit mtsumusic.com.

Music of Les Miserables Benefits YEAH 7–8 On Wednesday and Thursday, 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 Music City, the concert interprets the music of Les Mis for rock music and musical theater lovers alike. This production does not hinge on Broadway traditions, but instead, illuminates the emotionally potent content of the story and score. Costumes, professional lighting design and a full orchestra make this an event more ambitious, powerful and memorable than any rock show the cast members have presented individually.

DEC.

Candlelight Tour of Homes The annual Oaklands 3 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 distinctive church and the graceful Oaklands Historic House Museum.

In the late 1860s, the Maneys subdivided 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 intersects 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 evergreens, 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. Interpreters 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 info@oaklandsmuseum.org.

DEC.

Performers include: members of The Protomen, Ponychase, By Lightning, Little Bandit, Uncle Skeleton, My SoCalled Band, Mayhem, Cheer Up Charlie Daniels, Shoot the Mountain, The Non-Commissioned Officers, Forget Cassettes, Umbrella Tree, The Privates, De Novo Dahl, Poly, Korean is Asian, Paris, Ontario, Blue Heart Hour, Happy Little Trees and Kindercastle.

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 8 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 Homeschool 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) 8930022 or e-mail mb@oaklandsmuseum.org.

DEC.

Spread the Christmas Cheer 9 Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity asks those who have a new Christmas tree or unwanted holiday decorations to donate them so others may use them.

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

Please only bring artificial trees or decorations that are in good condition.

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

DEC.

Market Features Late DEC. Season 18 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 jbecker8@utk.edu or call (615) 898-7710.

A New Direction The Murfreesboro/Rutherford County Center for the Arts is taking applications from the community for directors for its 2012 productions. Directors are being sought for: Cabaret, February Beauty and the Beast Jr., March Godspell, April The Color Purple, May Steel Magnolias, June 13 The Musical, July Evita, August Willy Wonka Jr., September On Golden Pond, October A Chorus Line, November It’s A Wonderful Life December The center plans to collect director applicants 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 unable to complete a show.

Interested individuals should contact tony@boroarts.org or tim@boroarts. org to discuss the application process.

this month

Movies on the Square Murfreesboro Parks and Rec 16 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) 8932141 or e-mail msewell@murfreesborotn.gov.

DEC.

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THEATER Nightly Sings the Staring Owl

T

he Murfreesboro Little Theatre was last month home to the Shakespearean classic Macbeth. Directed

by Dalton Reeves, the show was haunting, surreal and visceral. The combination 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 performed. The result was an intense, characterdriven experience that highlighted well the pathos of the tragedy.

Andy Ford led the cast as the titular Scottish nobleman. His dominating presence filled the venue as he, with aid of Amy McManus’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 excessively 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 particular, delivered a most passionate and memorable turn; this was without doubt the most impressive 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 Wayman Price as the Porter; his villainous ruffian 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

12 * DECEMBER 2011 * BOROPULSE.COM

(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.

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 often 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 production, however, the void in which the play was rendered specifically failed in that purpose as it provided to specific 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 Center In an apparently continuing effort to force me to revisit my childhood of 1980s films, 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 performances 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, Adcock and her fellow actors convinced the audience 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 performances. 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 counterparts, 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 musical’s less well-known numbers, when Chris’s beautiful voice and deeply emotive performance wowed the packed house. Further, his performance melded nicely with that of Donna Driver, who played Warbucks’s secretary Grace Farrell. It was regretful, however, that the subplot of this couple’s burgeoning 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 beneficent 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 Hannigan. 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 engaging, and when these three actors combined for “Easy Street,” the audience was swept up with their contagious abandon.

PHOTO BY KENN STILGER

The Scottish play chills the boards at the Little Theatre. column by MARCUS LUCHE

DECEMBER PERFORMANCES A Christmas Carol 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9–10 and 16–17, 4:30 p.m. Dec. 11 and 18 Lamplighters Theatre 14119 Old Nashville Highway, Smyrna (615) 852-8499 Christmas Belles 7 p.m. Dec. 9–10 and 16–17, 2 p.m. Dec. 18 Murfreesboro Little Theatre 702 Ewing Ave. 893-9825 The Wizard of Oz 7 p.m. Dec. 1–5; 2 p.m. Dec. 4 Siegel High School 355 W. Thompson Lane (615) 904-3800 Dead Man’s Cell Phone 7:30 p.m. Dec. 1–4, 8-11 Out Front on Main Nuncrackers 7:30 Dec. 2–3, 8–10 and 16–17; 2 p.m.

Dec. 4, 11 and 18 The Center for the Arts 110 W. College St. 615-904-2787 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 insufficient 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 understandable decision in terms of community participation and ticket sales—did not allow sufficient 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.

LIVING ROOM CINEMA

MOVIES REVIEWS

column by NORBERT THIEMANN

cinespire@gmail.com

Festive Fun

THE MUPPETS

F

or 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 satisfied with their timelessness.

Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper Directed by James Bobin

Rated PG 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 Henson’s classic characters back to life.

If you’re a Muppet fan, you’ll find 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 flux of gags.

Needless to say, a host of cameos show up in the film, 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 building 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 dilapidated 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 togetherness 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.

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 bythe-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 bellhop, 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

— SPENCER BLAKE

TOWER HEIST

Duck Soup (1933) is thought by many to be the Marx Brothers finest film. 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 fire.

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

Starring: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Alan Alda Directed by Brett Ratner

Rated PG-13

With a title like Tower Heist, the basic plot and setting are literally spelled out and handfed to you. A bare-bones moniker like this could be trying to acknowledge the loaf upfront 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 amazingly 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 employees 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 RATINGS:

A CLASSIC

OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

Some Like It Hot (1959) is directed

by Billy Wilder, and stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon.

Two disenfranchised gangsters save their necks by posing as traveling musicians 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 cinespire@gmail.com.

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ART  painting by Kallie Jackson

 by print-making major Emily Luke

MTSU Degree Candidates to Show Work

 by print-making major Cori Snider

T

he 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 paintings,” says painting major Kallie Jackson. “I suffer a lot on a daily basis from my seven different severe illnesses and I wanted to find a way to incorporate this into my artwork.

I experimented with different ways on how to express my pain and suffering, but still allowed 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.”

M

iddle Tennessee State University 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 Liberal 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 marketing effort, MTSU Arts. It will be used in marketing of events by schools and departments within the College of Liberal Arts.

The announcement coincided with the release of Angels in the Architecture, a CD by the MTSU Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Reed Thomas. The recording is the first and only by a Tennessee collegiate ensemble on the world’s largest classicalmusic label, Franklin, Tenn.-based Naxos, and its Wind Band Classics subsidiary.

“We are fortunate to have excellent fine 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, 14 * DECEMBER 2011 * BOROPULSE.COM

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 community interaction and participation and sees stronger promotion of the arts as an opportunity to bring more people to campus. “We hope to build our audience—and awareness of the fine 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

PHOTO BY ANDY HEIDT

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 unveiling of the new MTSU Arts logo. MTSU Arts will organize and promote the visual and performance art offerings on campus.

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

- creation of strategic community partnerships 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 transformation for Murfreesboro and Middle Tennessee,” he said. “Our hope is MTSU Arts will help our community be more aware of the richness of these experiences.”

Traditional Methods Used to Photograph Colonial Buildings

Photographer Paul Wainwright uses an old-style camera and techniques to capture Colonial-era meetings houses.

T

he 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 film, 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 history, 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 first book of photographs.

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

For more information about the photographer, visit paulwainwrightphotography .com.

Merchant’s Landscapes on Display for December

T

he 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-filled landscape images hover between being incomplete sketches and fully realized paintings. The work explores the psychological tension 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.

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OUT & ABOUT Dec. 6

THE

CHRISTMAS PROJECT

Visit 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. 7

Purchase a grocery gift card and give it to the person standing in line behind you, or if you’re too shy, leave it on someone’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. 8

T

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

Dec. 2

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

Dec. 3

Donate 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 film bows (proceeds go to St. Jude). Give the bows out to friends. Read more about this on page 17.

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Dec. 4

Leave 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. 5

Tape 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 find them.

Dec. 16

Visit 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. 17

Clean out your closet and donate toys, clothing, and shoes that you no longer use to Room at the Inn or Goodwill.

Dec. 18

Visit a hospital and take treats or pretty poinsettias to the nurse’s station and to recovering 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. 19

Dec. 10

Deliver 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. 11 Dec. 1

Pick an angel from an angel tree and purchase gifts for a child in need. Lots of local stores have angel trees, including Walmart and Kroger.

Pay a parking ticket for someone -orIf 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.

Perform one random act of kindness each day until Christmas to improve the lives of others and your own. Dec. 9 his 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 traffic. It’s the thought that counts.

Dec. 15

Visit your local fire station and take sandwiches and lemonade.

Dec. 12

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

Dec. 13

Visit Linebaugh Library and request to pay someone’s overdue fines. 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. 14

Adopt 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 find out how to adopt your very own soldier, or at least make a one-time donation.

At 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.

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

Dec. 20

Donate a blanket to the homeless. The WGNS Blanket Brigade collects blankets each year and distributes them to the needy in Murfreesboro. Drop blankets off at the station office.

Dec. 21

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

Dec. 22

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

Dec. 23

If 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. 24

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

Dec. 25

If 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 relationships with family members, today is the day for reconciliation. Our relationships with others are the most important thing we have.

Bows Made from Film Raise Money for St. Jude

A

ll 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 film enthusiasts the chance to literally keep a piece of film history.

The 30 Malco locations throughout Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and Mississippi are cutting strips of film actually used at the cinemas, 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 significant strides in treating leukemia and other cancers in children. Most of the facility’s operating budget comes from charitable contributions, 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 Benefit the Kids of St. Jude.”

Approximately 500,000 bows have been sold over the Malco project’s past 14 years, raising half million dollars for St. Jude, says Karen Scott, marketing director for Malco Theatres. 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 film 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 film industry progresses 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 film and appears green.

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

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SOUNDS

T

he 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 Musicians On Call. This five-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 support 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 powerful 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 office would be someplace musical, someplace with ample healthcare facilities. So, naturally, the Nashville branch opened in 2007 with absolutely nothing except some office space courtesy of Vanderbilt.

Nashville’s first Musicians On Call programs, or weekly musician visitations, were at Vanderbilt Adult Hospital.

As program director, Epley coordinates musicians with hospitals. The organization first meets with the hospital to determine if the service is a good fit and which patients would benefit 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 specific units, going door-to-door to patients’ rooms.

Since 2007, Nashville’s MOC has expanded 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 18 * DECEMBER 2011 * BOROPULSE.COM

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.

THE POWER OF MUSIC Organization seeks volunteer musicians to deliver soothing sounds to patients’ bedsides, helping heal mind, body and soul. story by JESSICA PACE

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 Nashville’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 difficult one.

Of more than 100 volunteers in the Nashville area, between 10 and 20 musicians volunteer 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

“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.”

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

“It was probably the most special experience 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 individuals 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 experience 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 instrument 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 entertainment, so it’s a very welcomed break in the monotony of the hospital environment.”

For more information on the organization, visit musiciansoncall.org.

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ALBUM REVIEWS

Read more album reviews at

Forrest York Rainy Season Much of Forrest York’s professional life has revolved around helping others make music, including the operation 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 first track to the twelfth.

“Aurora Borealis” conjures desert moon-type imagery 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 entwine with a slight percussion. The slow, dripping jam “New Grand Master” opens with Seth Timbs’ percussive 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

Ian Thomas Live at Preservation Pub

PHOTO BY DANIEL COSTON

There are probably lots of good old boys in Nashville, as well as younger folk with a certain 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 Preservation 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 20 * DECEMBER 2011 * BOROPULSE.COM

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

But the true beauty on Rainy Season is the “experiment,” a.k.a. “Shepard’s Pie.” It’s the most melodic and fluid 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 Mansfield.

Each track is too distinct to gloss over and tie in with another song on the record, but in that sense Rainy Season accurately reflects York’s style and the purpose behind his collaborative experiment.

Sometimes the least cohesive components make the most powerful whole.

— JESSICA PACE

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ways; when they aren’t We’re working charged with an Elvis hard to promote or Waylon Jenningsgood music in like bluesy electric kick Middle Tennessee. (“Ten Days Out, Two Bands: send your albums Days In” and “Ramblin and promotional materials to River”), they chanThe Murfreesboro Pulse, nel Dylan’s harmonica 116-E North Walnut St., chops in swinging Murfreesboro, TN 37130. shuffles. “Before the Sun Goes Down” is an almost bayou-flavored 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 floor 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 influences like Hank, Waylon and the like rarely miss.

— JESSICA PACE

Caitlin Rose Own Side Now

The occasional struggle with growing up is something twentysomethings can easily relate to nowadays. Beginning an occupation, traveling the world, or figuring 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 offcountry 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 backing 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 addition 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, adding 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 prevelant throughout Own Side Now with “For the Rabbits,”

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615.569.9682 about a beau’s addiction to staleness before “Spare Me” runs over notions of being tied-down in a relationship. 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 floor tom and simplistically poignant piano.

“Shanghai Cigarette,” stands as the album’s single as well as the most optimistic view on the subject comparing love to cigarette addiction.

But the other side to that story doesn’t go unmentioned 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-somethings can relate to even more nowadays.

The last leg of her tour on the bottom leg of the east coast finished up late November but updated information 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

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The Prophet Nathan

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1.414 to 1; Solomon

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 twotrack 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 influenced 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 influence—the echoings of Incubus; the distinct, airy chords of Pinback; the lackadaisical nature of Pink Floyd; the twee, shiny melodies of Minus the Bear.

Oliva’s vocals are barely rough and soothing; he

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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 “Comfortably Numb.”

Guitars bubble, almost aimlessly but not quite, over rolling drums. Deep notes burrow in thick ambiance, and Oliva scatters in morbid speculations and commands: “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 BOROPULSE.COM

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ALBUM REVIEWS Andrew Adkins Troublesome, My Love Nashville singer/songwriter/rocker Andrew Adkins released his debut solo album Troublesome, My Love earlier in September out of Electrahead Arts & Media.

This effort shows that heavily produced versatility through predictable musical influences plus cheesy and ambiguous lyricism can hold together as an all right album if the song’s production value, hooks, and instrumentation are just the right amount of strong.

In Adkin’s first go by himself, Troublesome, My Love blends a couple of thick motorcycle blues almost sandwiching the rest of the album with the electric-Dylanesque first 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 Gambler” and “Estrelita . . . More or Less,” and “countrified” ‘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, piano 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 Troublesome, in any of its musical forms, consist of blowing the whistle on general life. Adkins sings poetically empathetic songs of love and loneliness, tales of being beaten. Then he butters you up with hope until finally, 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 finished, 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 “Carolina Drama” during the verses. And the final track, “Sun Come Shine,” is a fine 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

Grandpa Egg Songs For My Cat The Cat person in all of us needs to have a seat because Nashville psychedelic-folk trio Grandpa Egg has put together its first full-length record mostly dedicated to the life, thoughts, and every day whims of their now immortalized tabby named Mokey.

The “unceremoniously self-released” Songs For My Cat came out this past August as Jeb and Bart Morris’ 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 impressively sets that mood regardless of location or access to cats.

The brothers Morris pull off a midpaced clunky and childlike folk record in these 10 tracks as Jeb’s somewhat slurred, off-Donovan voice and strummed acoustic guitar accompanies 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, 22 * DECEMBER 2011 * BOROPULSE.COM

they set the musical standard for the rest of the album.

Mokey’s first tribute comes along in the Halloweenish “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 Gloveball Quest,” which chronicles the protagonist’s journey through the in and out of doors in search of a favorite 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 final 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. December and January have them running 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

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CONCERT LISTINGS Send your show listings to listings@boropulse.com

THE JAZZ NUTCRACKER THURS. 12/1 @ WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

Like your Tchaikovsky a little brassier, maybe a little more Duke Ellington? 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.

THURS, 12/1 3 BROTHERS O Youth, The Subnovas, Tetsuo BLUESBORO Lord T and Eloise BONHOEFFER’S Mirrors, Josh Gilbert WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING The Jazz Nutcracker

FRI, 12/2 BLUESBORO Set the Controls FANATICS Soul Patch THE BORO BAR & GRILL Carey Murdoch WALL STREET Pixies Tribute WILLIE’S WET SPOT Citizen Rejects WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Jody Packer, senior trumpet recital; Lynn Rice-See, piano studio recital

SAT, 12/3 3 BROTHERS Agents of Athens AURA LOUNGE Three Simple Rules BLUESBORO Shane and the Moneymakers LANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES White Bay Freddie Marathon Music Works Streetlight Manifesto, Reel Big Fish, Lionize, Rodeo Ruby Love

THE BORO Solidarity Benefit feat.

Take the Power Back WALL STREET King Arthur, Small Reactions WILLIE’S WET SPOT Junkyard Funk WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING 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, 12/4 BLUE Avent Lane, Larry Pinkerton BLUESBORO WMTS 88.3 Benefit: Thank You Ma’ams, Technikiller, Frojan Horse WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Handel’s Messiah Flute studio recital

MON, 12/5 WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Handel’s Messiah

TUES, 12/6 BLUESBORO Blues Jam w/ CJ Vaughn WILLIE’S WET SPOT Freedom Hill WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MTSU Symphonic Band

WED, 12/7 3 BROTHERS Open Mic Night w/ Gavin Yates WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane Douglas WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING MTSU Commercial Music Ensemble

THURS, 12/8 BONHOEFFER’S Wilmesherr, Ravenhill, Dave Armstrong THE BORO BAR & GRILL Adam Dalton and the B-Sides WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING Arunesh Nadgir piano studio and accompanying recital; Student String Chamber Recital

FRI, 12/9 3 BROTHERS 2nd and Vine FANATICS Elle & the Fine Lines

View Concert Listings Online: 24 * DECEMBER 2011 * BOROPULSE.COM

IF YOU GO:

NOBODY’S Zone Status THE BORO BAR & GRILL Jason and the Punknecks WALL STREET Great Barrier Reefs, Eddie and the Public Speakers WILLIE’S WET SPOT Double Image

3 Brothers 223 W. Main St. 410-3096 Aura Lounge 114 S. Maple St. 396-8328

SAT, 12/10 3 BROTHERS Austin Cole Calvary Chapel Root Road BLUESBORO Backlit, Risky Business FANATICS Third Level LANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES Laura Hampton THE BORO BAR & GRILL The Buddy System WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane and the Moneymakers

SUN, 12/11 BLUE Avent Lane, Larry Pinkerton

TUES, 12/13 BLUESBORO Blues Jam w/ CJ Vaughn WILLIE’S WET SPOT Freedom Hill

PULS PICKE WEMTS BENEFIT FEATURING TECHNICKLLER, THANK YOU MA’AMS, FROJAN HORSE SUN. 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 raising a ruckus with Thank You Ma’ams’ rowdy folk and jamming to Technikiller’s calculated instrumental experiments.

THE BORO BAR & GRILL Ichabod and the Scrooges WILLIE’S WET SPOT Greez Monkeez

SUN, 12/18

WED, 12/14 3 BROTHERS Open Mic Night w/ Gavin Yates CENTER FOR THE ARTS Jack & Diane WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane Douglas

FRI, 12/16 3 BROTHERS Secret Commonwealth FANATICS Monkey Wrench NOBODY’S Backlit WALL STREET Rhythm Kitchen WILLIE’S WET SPOT Rebel Rulz

SAT, 12/17 FANATICS The Firehouse Band LANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES Shane Douglas

SE PULCK I P

BLUE Avent Lane, Larry Pinkerton

Shane Douglas

TUES, 12/27 BLUESBORO Blues Jam w/ CJ Vaughn WILLIE’S WET SPOT Freedom Hill

WED, 12/28

TUES, 12/20 BLUESBORO Blues Jam w/ CJ Vaughn WILLIE’S WET SPOT Freedom Hill

WED, 12/21 3 BROTHERS Open Mic Night w/ Gavin Yates WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane Douglas

FRI, 12/23 AURA LOUNGE Three Simple Rules FANATICS Real Deal WILLIE’S WET SPOT Freedom Hill

SAT, 12/24 WILLIE’S WET SPOT

3 BROTHERS Open Mic Night w/ Gavin Yates GILLIGAN’S Ultraviolet Hippopotamus WILLIE’S WET SPOT Shane Douglas

FRI, 12/30 FANATICS Zone Status NOBODY’S Strangers With Candy WILLIE’S WET SPOT Smiley Blind Band

SAT, 12/31 3 BROTHERS Jake Leg Stompers NOBODY’S Zone Status WILLIE’S WET SPOT Junkyard Funk

O YOUTH, THE SUBNOVAS, TETSUO THURS, 12/1 @ 3 BROTHERS

Thursday, December 1, 3 Brothers O Youth, The Subnovas, Tetsuo We 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 Christmas 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.

Blue 810 NW Broad St. 410-3383 Bluesboro 114 N. Church St. 904-7236 Bunganut Pig 1602 W. Northfield Blvd.

893-7860 Campus Pub 903 Gunnerson Ave. 867-9893 Coach’s Grill 127 SE Broad St. 962-7853 Coconut Bay Cafe 210 Stones River Mall Blvd. 494-0504 Dugger’s Food & Fun 1738 W. Northfield Blvd.

809-2605 Fanatic’s 1850 Old Fort Pkwy.

494-3995 Gilligan’s 527 W. Main St. 439-6090 Lanes, Trains and Automobiles 450 Butler Drive 890-3999 Liquid Smoke #2 Public Square 217-7822 Maple Street Grill 109 N. Maple S. 890-0122 MT Bottle 3940 Shelbyville Hwy. 962-9872 Murfreesboro/ Center for the Arts 110 W. College St. 904-ARTS Nobody’s Grill & BBQ 116 John R. Rice Blvd.

962-8019 Temptation Club 2404 Halls Hill Pike 217-0944 The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 895-4800 Wall Street 121 N. Maple St. 867-9090 Walnut House 116 N. Walnut St. 890-5093 Willie’s Wet Spot 1208 S. Lowry St., Smyrna 355-0010

A Prairie Home What?

America’s most culturally significant, yet underrated radio program hits Kentucky just to be a good friend. story by BRYCE HARMON “

I

hear 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 afternoons. We can thank National Public Radio for conditioning listeners to expect the following two hours after the line’s broadcast to be filled 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 Companion, Mr. Garrison Keillor, who, along with the Royal Academy of Radio Actors and the virtuosic All Star Shoe Band, delivers it without fail every week. Upon hearing the opening lyric, masses of folks have been known to blip out, mindlessly turn up their volume knobs and fluff 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 broadcasts every Saturday afternoon from the Fitzgerald 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 bluegrass legend, Bill Monroe, who—along with the help of around 175 musicians that made up his band, The Bluegrass Boys, over a fifty-plus year period—molded bluegrass music into the tradition it is today. Monroe’s birthday was Sept.

13, 1911, and he was born in the not-far-fromMurray 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 twentysome-odd well-dressed people scattered around countless microphones, musical instruments and traveling wardrobes filled 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 finished dinner and came into the front yard to play for a couple

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

Everything A Prairie Home has offered over the years was heard that November 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 orchestral 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, fiddlers Bobby Hicks and Bob Black, and banjo player Blake Williams, as well as fiddler 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 find out what goes on-off air as they really start 15 minutes ‘til when Keillor gets down in the audience, greeting and serenading the first 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, “Holding 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 fiddle 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 picking through other tremendous Monroe songs like “A Beautiful 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 marveled everyone just as much at how great an emotional rollercoaster 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 find out if a distraught father’s college-bound son was planning to attend Murray State as expected or if he was, in fact, thinking about attending Murray’s neighboring basketball rival (and liberal college!), 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,” Keillor 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 entertainment, 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 following Sunday around noon. The show’s traveling schedule, along with podcasts of shows past and present, can be found at prairiehome companion.org.

Smith & Artrip Attorneys At LAw Divorce/Family Law Bankruptcy Personal Injury/Disability Criminal 718-A S. Church St., Murfreesboro

(615) 410-3827

smithartriplaw.com BOROPULSE.COM

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NEWS

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

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ounded 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, incidentally), 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 find 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,” enchanted items you can’t find at the mall, at store owner Shaun Berbert says.

Walmart.

The store originally opened just down the I’ve been doing a lot of traveling to find the street, but a few years after opening an electribest of the best things. We are also very much cal fire erupted and devastated the inventory. enamored with local arts and crafts.

“We lost everything,” says Berbert, but that MP: What businesses/people were an wasn’t the end for his business. “The community inspiration for you? came together and started buying the burnt stuff, SB: I was out of the Marine Corps and had and held a benefit concert at the Boro Bar and hard time keeping a job.

Grill and raised a few thousand dollars for me.

I went to the Pink Floyd show at Vanderbilt “High Times actually covered the benefit,” (in 1994). I got blown away by the lights, the and that drew even more attention to the store sound, the music, enlightenment flooded me. and vision, he says.

I went back to my place for an after-party, Then NORML (National Organization and after sitting by myself for an hour processfor the Reform of Marijuana Laws) founder ing, I told everyone “I’m going to Mexico in Keith Stroup, and author the morning.” I did, and and cannabis grower Ed I bought some goods, Rosenthal became involved brought them back to Murfreesboro and donated some signed Murfreesboro and started Entrepreneurs Association books and art to sell to selling them. help out the Enchanted I found inspiration Planet cause, and the store along the way from Jerry rose from the ashes. The at Century 21; he pulled metal phoenix atop the me aside and said you FEATURED BUSINESS: entrance of the current need to buy this, you need Enchanted Planet building (crafted by local to do this, and that helped OWNER: metalworker Stephen me get into the brick-andShaun Berbert Levenhagen) is symbolic mortar store. of this rebirth and coming Lee Roberts at the back even stronger.

Boro allowed me to set up in his parking lot for Today, Berbert is preparing to open sister free and sell merchandise; he was supportive.

Enchanted Planet stores in Atlanta and Boulder I did the final year the Grateful Dead were and also operates an aeriel photography comtouring. Through touring with them, I made pany, Wish You Were Here, which flies over and all of the connections I would need to run this shoots major festivals, gatherings and concerts. store.

MURFREESBORO PULSE: Why did you MP: What challenges have you overcome open your business? in starting and growing your business?

SHAUN BERBERT: To enlighten and SB: Employees are always a hard thing to broaden people’s minds by offering personal manage and deal with. Getting on top of all of items from around the world. We’re trying to the different regulations and taxes that have to carry the things you don’t see everywhere, those be done. Finding good products and bringing

FLYING HIGH

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

SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS

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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 community. 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, Knoxville. 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 fly?” 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.

Patrick’s Favorite Mac Apps I am asked all the time, “Patrick, what software do you run on YOUR Macs?” So this month I’m gonna tell you! I’ll run down my favorite utilities, maintenance apps, productivity 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 files 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 files 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 file or add/delete anything, the changes are synced to all your other Dropbox computers and mobile devices.

and cleanup chores on your Mac, and it keeps all of my Macs running smooth as the proverbial 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 every 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 files 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 distinction goes to Transmission—but Vuze gives me all the extra control I crave because it has about a million preferences.

Cloud [getcloudapp.com] is a free little app for quickly sharing files 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 Adium [adium.im] lets you sign on to all to share a file, you simply drag it to the cloud your different Instant Messenger accounts with icon and release it. Cloud uploads the file to just one application. I use Adium for my Yahoo, their servers in seconds, you hear a chime GoogleTalk, AIM, Facebook when it’s done, and Cloud and .Mac IM accounts. even automatically places the website address to the Pages: [apple.com/ file in your Mac’s clipboard. iwork/pages] Apple’s anAll you do is paste it into an swer to Microsoft Word is IM, email, etc., and send it MACINTOSH Pages and I love it because to your friend. The friend AND iPHONE iPHONE it’s both a word processor clicks on the link and voila, ANSWERS AND TIPS AND a page layout applicathey’re seeing your image column by tion. No more fussing with file, listening to your mp3, or PATRICK CLARK patrick@boromac.com margins or trying to get downloading your file. words, sentences or paragraphs to stay where you want them. Launch SMC Fan Control: [eidac.de] All Macs Pages, choose page layout mode and drag with internal cooling fans have them set images and text boxes anywhere you want by default to a fairly slow speed. Apple did them, and they stay put. It’s one of the most that in order to keep you from hearing the simple, yet powerful, document applications fan noise. However, some Macs can, in my I’ve ever used. opinion, run a tad too hot for my liking. And in electronics, the cooler you can make a VLC: [videolan.org/vlc], VLC will play any device run, the longer it should last. To that video file you can throw at it. It’s a good, free end, someone wrote SMC Fan Control to video player to keep around for those times allow us to speed up our Mac’s fans, should when QuickTime Player just won’t play a file. we want to. So you install this app, it throws It also lets you increase the volume a lot higher an icon into your menu bar, click it, choose than QuickTime will, which is great for those Preferences, and you will see a control panel videos you find occasionally that suffer from low with sliders for each fan. You can then adjust audio. And there you have it, friends, the Mac the speed as high as you want to, although I apps I use almost daily, and with most of them usually only bump mine 400-800 RPM faster free, you simply cannot beat the price! than Apple’s preset minimum speed.

APPLE

{

TALK

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

}

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 Macintosh and iPhone repair shop. Contact him at (615) 796-6154 or boromac.com.

BOROPULSE.COM

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Room

by Emma Donoghue

the families left behind. Ma’s mother is understandably 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, Meet Jack. He has his rescue, and a grandson born of rape—in part because favorite toys, he loves to he had a funeral for Ma years before, thinking she watch television (particuwas dead. Ma’s reemergence into society is bitterlarly Dora the Explorer) sweet and fraught with obstacles; she finally has the and he thrives on routine. freedom she’s longed for, but at a high price, because Most of all, he is excited life for her and Jack will never be the same. to be turning five, when Donoghue’s use of Jack as narrator is what makes he will be a “big boy.” But this book so unique. His sweet, innocent approach Jack’s similarities with the is in striking contrast to the circumstances in which average child end there because Jack has never seen the outside world—in fact, he lives. Through Jack’s eyes, it is easier to absorb the sheer horror of Ma’s situation, such as when he does not even realize that a world exists outside his Old Nick visits at night. While Jack is locked in the eleven-by-eleven storage shed, which he calls “Room.” wardrobe, he “counts the squeaks of Bed” until it’s Room, by Emma Donoghue, takes us inside Jack’s time for Old Nick to leave again. world, where ordinary household Donoghue sometimes falters items are personified, and each day throughout the novel in using consists of routines and games to Jack’s voice, with inconsistencies deal with the boredom of life in this and an unevenness that can be tiny house. Jack’s mother, known distracting. On the whole, however, to us as Ma, was kidnapped at Jack is a wonderful protagonist. age 19 while walking on a college Seeing the world through him campus. She has been held hostage

by MICHELLE PALMER makes the details of the novel not in a storage shed in “Old Nick’s” michellepalmersbooks .blogspot.com only bearable but riveting. It is backyard for seven years, during Jack’s heartbreaking experiences which time she gives birth to Jack. and poignant observations that will linger with you Told exclusively in Jack’s precocious voice, Room is a long after the novel is complete. gripping novel that shows what life is like for those held captive, and perhaps more importantly, when Read To Succeed is the community collaborative those captives are free. created to promote literacy in Rutherford County. The After his long-anticipated birthday, Jack quickly objective of this partnership between schools, area agenlearns two things: there is a whole world outside of cies and businesses is to support local programming Room, and the only world he does know is no longer and raise awareness about the importance of literacy. safe. Ma develops a plan to escape, and unlike many For more information and to find out how you can books that focus on captivity, Ma and Jack become make a difference in Rutherford County’s literacy rates, free long before the novel is over. One of Room’s visit readtosucceed.org. strengths is that it shows not only the life of a capThe opinions expressed in this book review are not tive, but what it means to reintegrate into society necessarily representative of Read To Succeed, but simafter having years of life taken away. ply intended to promote the joy of reading.

Room also shows the impact abductions have on

READ TO SUCCEED

BOOK REVIEW

Kristin Demos Takes Read to Succeed Spelling Bee Title

K

ristin Demos took home the title of All-Star Celebrity Spelling Bee Champion, correctly spelling the word “foliate” in a final round against 2010 Celebrity Bee Champion Gayle Ray at Patterson Park Community Center.

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

28 * DECEMBER 2011 * BOROPULSE.COM

100 percent of funds raised will stay in Rutherford County and provide books, materials, training 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 fifth Celebrity Bee welcomed Celebrity Speller Champions 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 Director Lisa Mitchell

SPORTS LADY FOOTBALL AND THE HOLIDAYS

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Crazy News and Head Stompers O, HO, HO and a bottle of rum, ‘Tis the Season to be jolly Having some fun with all the stupid stories that still manage and to celebrate the great Fs in the world: Football, Family, to bring press attention. I’ll start with Nick Novak pissing on live Food, Friends and Freaky Freak Women! I hope everyone’s TV in the fourth quarter as CBS cameras decided to keep rolling Thanksgiving was as pleasant as mine was; I enjoyed all and show the world a football player pissing. It was great when of the great Fs. Christmas is now just around the corner; ’tis the the announcers joked about what kind of range Novak had; I am season for fantasy football playoff time and boiled custard! sure his range pissing is way better than making NFL field goals.

December is a great time for family and for sports; it’s also Novak had a chance to win the game, but with his misses, he let a rough time for some. Some folks may not be as fortunate as Tebow do his thing and get another ugly win late in overtime. others, some folks may struggle financially during the holidays A Tampa Bay television station decided to take it to the locker or just don’t have family to spend the holidays with. Whatever room and do a couple interviews. Now we all know naked boys your situation, good people will get what they deserve in time. run around in locker rooms; Penn State My good friend Mr. Scottie B, told me the reminded the world of that. Well, during an other day that people in general suck! I would SPORTS interview on live TV, sure enough, the people like to not believe that, but friends may let you TALK down, family may let you down but me and column by Z-TRAIN of Tampa Bay got a load of man meat. Oh well, it is a locker room.

Scott both agreed that Lady Football, she will titanman1984@ yahoo.com One of my favorite stories was the bout never let you down! between 73-year-old Joe Kapp, former QB and Lady Football is not just reliable, she is also coach of the Cal Bears, and 73-year-old Angelo Mosca, a former very beautiful. If Lady Football was a woman she would have the defensive lineman and former wrestler, over a dispute 48 years bust of Katy Perry, she would have a face as beautiful as Megan ago during the CFL’s Grey Cup matchup. Apparently, Mosca Fox, her body would be the smoking body of Jennifer Aniston, delivered a controversial hit on Joe Kapp’s roommate and runand finally, she would back that thing up with Rihanna’s ass. So ning back that knocked him out of the game. Well, 48 years later now that we all now what Lady Football would look like in human during an alumni luncheon, Joe Kapp gave him a right hand to form, it is a thing of beauty. The holiday, in all seriousness, is a the grill after Mosca hit him with his canes. Who knows? Maybe time to share with friends and family and a time for giving. Like that is justice served 48 years later. All I know is I love seeing old I said, some people are less fortunate and could use some love or men knocking each other out. help, and “giving” does not just mean spending money. I know And who doesn’t like making fun of a person who takes a that my time on this earth is short; I have realized that over the loaded gun into a night club and puts a round in their leg? Stevie past couple years, and that is why whatever cards God deals me, Johnson does, and I do. Stevie Johnson’s touchdown celebraI will stay positive. Through friends and family, people can overtion that has the sports world in a riot was hilarious to me. It come anything. So Merry Christmas to everyone, enjoy it!

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

was one of those celebrations that you know comes with a fine 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 gamewinning touchdown after Stevie dropped what could have been the game winner for his team.

Titans and Tailgating Baby There 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.

RUN WITH A LIGHT IN THE NIGHT Though it’s getting dark and frosty, there’s still no excuse to not run. story by BRACKEN MAYO

A

t last month’s Anything is Possible latenight 5K, 20-year-old Ryan Wilson led the field in the Murfreesboro race.

The race began at 1:50 a.m., and Wilson crossed the finish 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 Burchfield, 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 victims of human trafficking, 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 five miles, will raise funds and awareness for C.A.S.A. (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and Bob Parks Christmas for the Children Run strong, Murfreesboro!

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

DECEMBER RACES  Light in the Night 5K & Kid’s Christmas Loop Saturday, 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. fleetfeetmurfreesboro.com/sidebar/ frosty-fun-run BOROPULSE.COM

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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

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and he will make a catch. The quarterback position 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 Football Let’s get to some Fantasy Football—it is playoff time and The Train Daddy Mafia 12team 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 playoffs 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 matched up with UT this football league in the world year. I do not doubt Dooley’s led by Commissioner Train passion or fire, and you can Daddy. I do know that I am in just see it when he is on the one other league, the Slobber sideline. He is scary as hell Knocker League, where the when mad and very passioncash prize is a little higher, ate when things go right. and I am currently locked The players love him, but for the playoffs and standing things better change up in in third place in a 10-man Rocky Top. league. I am coming for that How do you compare grand prize! a head stomp? An Albert Some people want to hate head stomp will get you five on fantasy football. You don’t games. Granted, the guy have a clue what you are missneeded 30 stitches. A Suh ing out on, and it is one of the kick gets you two games and greatest things in the world. known as the most hated, It is fun, exciting, a way to feared, dirtiest player in the learn about every player in league. I thought Suh got off True Titans fans, get up to the game. It is also a braglightly with a two-game susLP Field for the last few ging right that stays with a pension, especially with his games of the 2011 season. champion for a year, all they his already dirty reputation.

The AFC South is ours! way to the next live draft. If All my loyal code blue you have never played, you got to sign up next bleeding Titan fans, I honestly believe that this year. Sorry, no room in the Mafia. The Mafia division title for the Titans is completely up is probably out of your level anyway. The 12 to the Titans, and it can and will be done. The people in this league are the real deal baby!

Texans will falter. They deserved it and played well this season, but I have no sympathy for Rolling Out the Station the Texans or the winless Colts or the small So, what is wrong with the Tennessee Vols? market Jaguars who have no owner and lack of They don’t even look like a team that deserves fans. Here in Tennessee, the AFC South looks to play in the SEC. I have heard many times to be ours. So, Titans fans, get ready to cheer every SEC game is a challenge. Well, no one and rock out because we will own this division (other than Vandy) had a challenge when they and hopefully ride on to the promised land.

FOOD

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

Upon walking in the door at Gondolier, the first thing one notices is the dessert case packed with cakes and canolis.

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

story by TONY LEHEW photos by SARAH MAYO

BON APPETIT

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

B

eing 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

Read more about local restaurants at:

what they do. The food I have tried at Gondolier 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 pizzas, 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 sophistication 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 limits 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

THE DISH NAME: Gondolier LOCATION: 219 NW Broad PHONE: (615) 396-8484 HOURS: 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: $12.79 WEB: gondolierpizza.com

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, relaxing, family atmosphere” So, go by and check them out. Tell ’um Tony sent ya.

BOROPULSE.COM

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DECEMBER 2011

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