The Pulse 12.40 » October 1, 2015

OCTOBER 1, 2015

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2 • The Pulse • october 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

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EDITORIAL

Managing Editor Gary Poole Contributing Editor Janis Hashe

Contents

October 1, 2015 Volume 12, Issue 40

Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors Rob Brezsny • Matt Jones • Sandra Kurtz Louis Lee • Mike McJunkin • Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib • Ward Raymond Terry Stulce • Alex Teach Editorial Interns Brooke Dorn • Sam Hilling Cartoonists Max Cannon • Rob Rogers Jen Sorenson • Tom Tomorrow

Features

Cover Photo rSnapshotPhotos

4 BEGINNINGS: The continuing consequences of Citizens United.

Founded 2003 by Zachary Cooper & Michael Kull

ADVERTISING

10 SCREEN: Shyamalan's “The Visit” might be worth a visit for horror fans.

Director of Sales Mike Baskin Account Executives Chee Chee Brown • Linda Hisey Travis Jones • Angela Lanham • Rick Leavell Kyle Richard • Stacey Tyler

CONTACT

Offices 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Website chattanoogapulse.com Email info@chattanoogapulse.com BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher & President Jim Brewer II THE FINE PRINT: The Pulse is published weekly by Brewer Media and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on music, the arts, entertainment, culture and local news. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publisher may take more than one copy per weekly issue.

The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors.

Contents Copyright © 2015 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.

6

Gay Pride: Then and Now

Here we are, 2015, undoubtedly one of the most powerful and meaningful years in the history of human rights, especially for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) rights.

14

Rocking With Rachmaninoff

At the age of 20, Man-Ling Bai is an emerging superstar in a highly competitive field—virtuoso piano solo performance.

Your chance to hear her in an intimate setting, the showroom of Summitt Pianos on Lee Highway, comes this Sunday in a free concert that is part of the “Sunday with Steinway” promotion.

22

Delights of a Perfect Duo

It’s noon but the sky is gray, the window is streaked with rain and there is a chill in the late September air. It’s the kind of weather that isn’t to everyone’s taste, but I like it. I like that the line of demarcation between the seasons is so clear.

12 SHADES OF GREEN: Our greenways are beautiful—and amazingly useful.

16 ARTS CALENDAR 19 DIVERSIONS 20 SUSHI & BISCUITS: The secret of perfect home-cooked stir-fry meat.

24 MUSIC CALENDAR 27 REVIEWS: Herbcraft entrances with throwback vibe, Alexander amazes at 11.

28 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY 29 JONESIN’ CROSSWORD 30 on the beat: Alex ruminates on how his feelings about rain have evolved.

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news • views • rants • raves

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Op-Ed: Our Elections Are For Sale The continuing consequences of the Citizens United SCOTUS ruling While alternating between xenophobia and misogyny, Donald Trump stumbled into the truth.

He found that his fellow presidential candidates were nothing more than puppets for the super-rich. terry Jimmy Carter observed that America is a “new oligarchy with unlimited political bribery being the essence of getting the nomination for president.” America’s super-rich are lavishing megabucks on their favorite puppets.

Ted Cruz has collected $46.1 million from just four donors. Farris and Dan Wilks (fracking moguls) gave him $15 million and hedge fund manager and alleged tax cheat Robert Mercer chipped stulce in $11.1 million.

Engineering company owner and big-game hunter Toby Neugebauer shelled out $10 million. Who do you think will have the most influence with Cruz—Joe the Plumber or one of the aforementioned billionaires?

Views

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Marco Rubio is working hard to become the face of American plutocracy. His PAC has raised $16.1 million, 71 percent of which comes from just four donors. Billionaires Laurence Ellison (Oracle) gave $3 million, Laura Pearlmutter (Marvel Entertainment) gave $2 million, Benjamin Leon (Besilu Stables) gave $2.5 million, but Rubio’s big “sugar daddy” is Norman Braman, who has already given $5 million. Braman was a huge contributor to Jeb Bush when he ran for governor. When Bush was elected, he attempted to micromanage Bush on line items in the Florida budget.

Then there is Jeb Bush. He has 24 donors that have given a million or more. His donor base is so rich, he has asked them to reduce the size of their gifts.

If we want to see the future of corporate kleptocracy, we should visit Wisconsin.

Some refer to it as “Wississippi” because Scott Walker has turned the state and its revered university into a “failed state” on par with Mississippi. The state debt is exploding, working-class income is dropping, and the university is struggling to stay afloat financially—but Walker’s political donors are doing very well.

Walker has essentially stolen money from the working class and given it to billionaires who supported his election. He created the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation in 2011 to funnel money to his donors,

60 percent of the $1.14 billion went to donors who had contributed more than $2.1 million to his campaign. Billionaires Marc Lasry, Wes Edens, Jamie Dinans, and Jon Hannes received $250 million in taxpayer money to build an arena for their NBA team.

These Walker supporters’ combined net worth is more than $8 billion. This outrageous tax expenditure was in a city (Milwaukee) where black poverty is highest in the nation (38 percent), a rate is even higher than that of Detroit.

So when you hear Bob Corker say that money is “speech” in support of the outrageous Supreme Court decision in Citizens United, feel free to laugh out loud. You can be secure in the knowledge that money is an instrument of the plutocracy to oppress the American working class.

It is hard to hear the cries of ordinary Americans over the deafening roar of Big Money and their political puppets.

Sorry, Bob, but your strings are showing.

EdiToon

by Rob Rogers

A Decade of German Heritage—and Polka

IN THIS ISSUE

Just as the weather transforms from summer to fall, Rock City is performing its own transition for the tenth annual Rocktoberfest. Explore the German heritage of Rock City and its founder Frieda Utermoehlen Carter through a guided tour of the Rock City gardens. During the tour, participants will learn the history behind the gardens as well as the history behind Frieda’s

heritage and her love of folklore and fairytales.

Kids will have lots to occupy their time, tales of gnomes and other creatures as they head out on their own fairytale adventure to find where the Fall Fairy lives, to pumpkin painting, Fairyland Forest makeovers, panning for gems, and more.

Rock City Square will be con-

verted “for a celebration of harvests and fall foliage.” Of course this includes live German music and, for those of you who can’t help but move to the accordion, polka lessons. (Lederhosen not provided.) To really get the German heritage feel, enjoy some authentic German food and wash it down with one of the specialty beers.

Rocktoberfest is all about embracing Rock City’s German heritage, but it’ll be November before you know it, so plan your Rocktoberfest weekend while you can.

— Brooke Dorn

Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib

Sandra Kurtz

“Shrink Rap” columnist Dr. Richard L. PimentalHabib, Ph.D., C.C.H., better known as “Dr. Rick”, is an author, psychotherapist, educator and minister, and holds a doctorate in clinical hypnotherapy with an emphasis in mind/body wellness. He

“Green” columnist Sandra Kurtz has long been active in environmental education and activism. She founded Tennessee Environmental Education Association, created the first educational programs at Chattanooga Nature Center and TVA Energy Center Museum, and started

developed practices in Los Angeles, the Florida Keys, and now in Chattanooga, with specializations in individual and relationship counseling.

Upon settling here, Dr. Rick created Well Nest, his mind/ body/spirit wellness center offering alternative healing services—from meditation classes and yoga to wellness workshops and retreats.

Visit DrRPH.com, WellNestChattanooga.com, or follow @DrRickWellNest

Bellefonte Efficiency & Sustainability Team. She has consulted with National Environmental Trust, Clear the Air, Global Action Plan, and Sierra Club. Currently she is Urban Century Institute director, South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance cochairman, TN Environmental Council boardmember, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League Vice- President and TN Greenways & Trails Council member.

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chattanoogapulse.com • october 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 5

COVER STORY

Chattanooga Gay Pride: Then and Now Growth, Challenge and Hope in Chattanooga’s LGBTQ Community

By Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., Pulse contributor

“

The reality regarding LGBTQ rights is that celebratory steps forward toward freedom and equality are inevitably met with opposition, as progress in one sector of society gives rise to resistance in another.”

H

ere we are, 2015, undoubtedly one of the most powerful and meaningful years in the history of human rights, especially for LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) rights. On June 26, in a victory for gay people across the nation, the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples have a right to marry in every state, joining 21 other countries, beginning with the Netherlands back in 2001.

And let’s just call it “marriage” now.

These recent years have seen big changes. Bruce Jenner became Caitlyn Jenner, who, while courageously and publicly sharing each step of her transition, has devoted herself to, among other causes, the health and safety of transgender youth.

And, joining almost three dozen other LGBT professional athletes, NFL player Michael Sam came out, and became engaged to his beau.

The Obama administration has overhauled federal policies for same-sex benefits, and recently nominated Eric Fanning to lead the Army, which would make him the first openly gay civilian secretary in the military services.

Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton said, “Gay people belong to every society in the world. They are all ages, races and faiths. They are doctors and teachers, farmers and bankers, soldiers and athletes. They are our family, friends, and our neighbors. Being gay is a human reality.”

Pope Francis famously showed compassion toward the gay community, asking, “Who am I to judge?”

Yet, as we all know, the reality regarding LGBTQ rights is that celebratory steps forward toward freedom and equality are inevitably met with opposition, as progress in one sector of society gives rise to resistance in another.

Here in Chattanooga, in a move leaving many in the legal community scratching their heads, Hamilton County Judge Jeffrey Atherton refused to grant a straight couple a divorce because the U.S. Supreme Court allowed gay marriage.

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In an attention-grabbing display of what some would call grandstanding for his Tea Party beliefs, he denied several divorce petitions, citing the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage as essentially removing Tennesseans’ right to decide what constitutes marriage, and therefore what constitutes divorce.

The Washington Post called his tactic, “The judicial equivalent of a high school student tearing up his term paper because he got a bad grade.” AboveTheLaw.com condemned the judge’s homo-snide comment about our government’s “iron fist and limp wrist.”

And in a stunning example of blurring the lines between church and state, Rowan County, Kentucky clerk Kim Davis refused to give marriage licenses to same-sex couples, because “it conflicts with her religious beliefs.” Fortunately the Kentucky governor didn’t support that position, and assured the public that “All [KY] marriage licenses will be recognized as valid.”

All this reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw recently proclaiming, “If homosexuals can’t get married because it goes against your religion, then you can’t have cookies because I’m on a diet.”

How can the legalization of gay marriage justifiably disrupt straight divorce proceedings? How can a clerk simply decide not do the job the taxpayers pay her to do?

How does gay marriage threaten anything about heterosexual marriage? I asked friends of mine, a straight married couple, if gay marriage had interrupted, changed or threat-

“For the second year, Pride will be held on the riverfront in arguably one of the most scenic cities in America.

I think Harvey would be proud.”

ened their union in any way. They looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “Of course not,” they replied. “Except that now our gay friends can finally have the same rights we have, which delights us!”

Having a gay child doesn’t mean you failed as a parent.

Disowning your child means you failed as a parent.

I’ve been fortunate to travel the country on two book tours, and one of the true delights for me was speaking at PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) meetings. Some small and struggling, some quite large and well-established, these gatherings help me stay in touch with what’s most challenging to parents when their son or daughter comes out as lesbian, gay, bi or trans. This international group was humbly started as a resource for support and education for parents trying to navigate the sometimes murky and troubling waters of such a family event, with the guidance of other parents who’ve learned to accept their adult children’s sexual orientation.

Many parents were accepting, loving and supportive from the get-go; many others had genuine motivation to learn more about “the gay thing.” But of course some were confused, hurt, angry and didn’t know how to cope.

It felt to them like they didn’t know their child any more.

Almost always, their biggest hurdle was their conservative theology. Our discussions would inevitably include, “Is being gay a choice?” (No); “Did they [the parents] do anything ‘wrong’ to cause it?” (No); and “How can they grow to accept their child’s orientation and, someday, spouse?”

I encouraged these folks to see that first of all, their child is the same person on Tuesday, after the big disclosure, that he or she was on Monday, before the big disclosure. What’s changed is the information the parents now know. Information, by the way, that is often gutwrenching to disclose. When you realize the vast numbers of youth who are banished from their homes and families in the name of religious beliefs (and believe me, the young gay person is acutely aware that that same possibility exists for himself), then you begin to appreciate the amount of courage it takes for a person to come out to

family.

Second, remember that what parents have really wanted for their children all along is happiness. The challenge they experience regarding the “same-sex relationship” occurs when they put all the emphasis on the “same-sex” part instead of on the “relationship” part. Parents want to see their children in loving, successful relationships. If they can begin by being supportive of that piece, then perhaps acceptance and understanding around sexual identity may follow.

If you think being gay is a choice, why don’t you try being gay for a while to simply see. Oh…you can’t?

New York City and San Francisco are our civil rights grandfathers. It was a fed-up drag queen at the Stonewall Inn, a Greenwich Village bar, who threw the first fateful punch on the night of Judy Garland’s death in June of 1969.

Judy was an icon. Community grief was palpable.

And the police had organized yet another raid on gay bars in the city. Enough was enough. Police stormed in, batons swinging, and were met with an angry, grieving group. Thus began the “Stonewall riots” and the modern gay rights movement.

San Francisco saw the election of Harvey Milk, a visionary civil and human rights leader who became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. His commitment to authenticity gave never-before-experienced hope to LGBT people everywhere at a time when the community was encountering widespread hostility and discrimination. >> Continued on page 9 chattanoogapulse.com • october 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 7

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Say It Loud: I’m LGBT and Proud October is Pride Month in Chattanooga, and this week’s Pride Week events are already underway! If you haven’t been attending, there’s still time to catch up with the remaining events before the big festival and parade on Sunday.

Thursday, Oct. 1: Community Conversation Night 7p.m., St. Mark’s Church, 701 Mississippi Ave. Join members of the community to have a conversation about LGBTQ issues in Chattanooga and how we can respond.

His career was cut short when he was assassinated a year after taking office by fellow supervisor (and noted homophobe) Dan White (who also murdered Mayor George Moscone that same day).

White was acquitted of murder charges and given a mild sentence for manslaughter, in what became known as the “Twinkie defense”—eating too much junk food that day. But Harvey Milk’s legacy survives.

I remember the 1980s in Los Angeles, when HIV/AIDS was in its early stages of both our collective consciousness, and what would become ongoing devastation. Legions of young men, creative and full of promise, were dying, and the world was topsyturvy: Sons dying before parents.

Medical science was confounded.

Blame and judgment were rampant. Everyone was scared.

Our current generation wasn’t around for this part. They know HIV as a manageable illness.

But for the first two decades or so, it most assuredly was not.

As bereavement director for the nation’s first AIDS hospice, I regularly met with parents from near and far who, all at once, had

to be told that their son was gay, ill, and dying.

Gay Pride was not born of a need to celebrate being gay, but from our right to exist without persecution. So instead of wondering why there isn’t a Straight Pride movement, be thankful you don’t need one.

In 1982 San Francisco, I saw my first Pride parade, filled with every eye-popping organization one could imagine, from “Dykes on Bikes” to the “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.” Let me tell you, until you’ve seen dozens of topless lesbians on Harleys proudly leading a several-milelong parade; or ten bearded roller-skaters wearing full Catholic nun garb, in choreographed formation, habits flowing…you just haven’t lived.

Fast forward to the present, when Chattanooga will add a parade of its own to this year’s Pride festivities. It will be the first such parade here in— what?—25 years. When I first moved here 10 years, ago I talked with a few of the local GLBT leaders and encouraged moving Pride from a tiny gathering in the far-off, wooded outskirts of

town to front and center downtown Chattanooga (“Pride has to come out of the closet!”) where it thrived at Miller Plaza. And now, for the second year, Pride will be held on the riverfront in arguably one of the most scenic cities in America. I think Harvey would be proud.

So, yes, it’s 2015 and we’re seeing myriad human rights advances globally, nationally, and locally, despite the attempts of some to thwart the natural, inevitable progression of humankind… one global pandemic, countless decades of religious persecution, and a winning case for marriage equality later. You know, given our history, one testy judge is nothing.

I don’t know if we’ll have Harley-riding lesbians or rollerskating nuns, but I invite all of you—the LGBTQ community, allies, parents, friends, and the curious—to join in the fun, to learn more about gay rights struggles and successes, and about how, as a nation, a city, and a community, we’ve still got a long way to go. See you there.

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” — Oscar Wilde

Friday, Oct. 2: The Floor is YOURS and Kickoff Party 7:30p.m., Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave. and 10 p.m., Images Nightclub, 6005 Lee Hwy. The Floor is YOURS at Barking Legs Theater will donate a portion of the proceeds to Chattanooga Pride’s Kids Zone.

Then head over to Images Nightclub for drinks, dancing, and drag.

Saturday, Oct. 3: NDC Movie Night & Party Late with Pride Sundown, Aretha Frankensteins, 518 Tremont St.; 8 p.m., The Big Chill & Grill, 103 Cherokee Blvd.; and 10 p.m., Alan Gold’s, 1100 McCallie Ave. It’s “Rocky Horror Picture Show” night at Aretha Frankensteins, complete with a costume contest and donation collections for NDC, PFLAG, and TVP. Move on to The Big Chill for food and drinks and later to Alan Gold’s for another fabulous drag show.

Sunday, Oct. 4: Pride Parade, Festival, & After Party Noon, Riverfront Parkway and E. Aquarium Way; 1p.m., Ross’s Landing on Riverfront Parkway; 8 p.m, Chuck’s, 27 W. Main St.; 11p.m., Images, 6005 Lee Hwy. Chattanooga’s first Pride Parade in 20 years starts at Riverfront Parkway and Aquarium Way and will travel down to Ross’s Landing for the Pride Festival. Afterwards, head to Chuck’s for hotdogs and drinks and then to Images for the final drag show of the week.

— Sam Hilling

chattanoogapulse.com • october 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 9

SCREEN SCENE

What Big Teeth You Have, Grandma M. Night Shyamalan's “The Visit” might be worth a visit for horror fans

The Met Comes To Chattanooga The Metropolitan Opera's Il Trovatore on the big screen Celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Metropolitan Opera’s Peabody and Emmy Award-winning series The Met: Live in HD. The broadcast of Verdi’s Il Trovatore will be presented live on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Camrike’s East Ridge 18 Theaters in big-screen high definition.

Soprano Anna Netrebko’s dramatic and vocal skills are on full display in her next new role at the Met—Leonora, the Verdi heroine who sacrifices her own life for the love of the gypsy troubadour.

✴✴✴✴

Tenor Yonghoon Lee sings the illfated Manrico, baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky is his rival, and mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick is the mysterious gypsy with the troubled past. Marco Armiliato conducts Sir David McVicar’s Goya-inspired production.

The Metropolitan Opera: "Il Trovatore" Saturday, 12:55 p.m.

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NEW IN THEATERS

The Martian During a mission to Mars, astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet.

Director: Ridley Scott Stars: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain

✴✴✴✴

The Walk In 1974, high-wire artist Philippe Petit recruits a team of people to help him realize his dream: to walk the the immense void between the World Trade Center towers.

Director: Robert Zemeckis Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon, Ben Kingsley

10 • The Pulse • october 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

I

was never blessed with grandparents. I have vague memories of my grandfather on my father’s side, but I was very young when he passed. I did not get a chance to meet my mother’s parents. Still, I spent an enormous amount of time a Baptist church while I was growing up, where the elderly were found in nearly every corner.

Screen john devore

“

Most of us will agree that at a certain point everyone would drop the camera and run, and rarely do we narrate our thoughts in such a plotenhancing manner. ”

It seems like older people tend to congregate in houses of worship, likely trying to buddy up to their creator before shuffling off this mortal coil. So I can say with some certainty that retirees can be creepy to young people.

Even those with grandparents, who probably ease this generational fear somewhat, may eventually be forced to deal with shuffling feet, awkward smells and the slow, creeping, end of life behaviors that occupy the halls of nursing homes and hospitals.

Maybe it’s just a natural understanding of mortality and the path everyone takes that causes the hair on the back of our necks to stand up.

Maybe it’s just the distance between generations that makes them appear so foreign. But almost everyone has at some point experienced a moderate fear of the elderly.

M. Night Shyamalan, for the first time in a decade or so, has tapped into this universal menace and created a film around it. “The Visit” is by no means a great movie—some critics have described it as mostly unremarkable.

And while it plays to some very tired themes and uses some very tired devices, Shyamalan is still a competent director and is capable of deliver-

ing an entertaining film experience.

As with all Shyamalan movies, “The Visit” hinges on a twist that is telegraphed for miles, and because of that, spoilers may lurk elsewhere in this review. If you are dead set on not having a mediocre horror film ruined for you, it’s best to stop reading now.

One of the tired devices Shymalan uses to tell his story is the foundfootage technique. This style of filmmaking got its start with “The Blair Witch Project” and has been used almost exclusively in horror films like “Paranormal Activity” and “V/H/S,” with the supposed intention of adding a layer of reality to the supernatural events taking place.

It works to a modest degree, although most of us will agree that at a certain point everyone would drop the camera and run, and rarely do we narrate our thoughts in such a plotenhancing manner.

However, all films require us to suspend our disbelief, and Shymalan

“There is a lot to be taken on faith in 'The Visit,' but if the audience is willing to relax their inquisitive minds for an hour or so, the film is mostly enjoyable and very often hysterical.” uses the found-footage trope well enough that the audience may forget that it’s clichéd. The story follows a pair of siblings who are shipped off to spend a week with grandparents they have never met due to their mother having an intense falling out with them sometime before the kids were born.

We are also to believe that they are never shown pictures or home movies and very literally know nothing about their mother’s family at all.

There is a lot to be taken on faith in “The Visit,” but if the audience is willing to relax their inquisitive minds for an hour or so, the film is

mostly enjoyable and very often hysterical.

The other tired device is one that can be found across the horror genre.

It’s worth discussing, even though the twist of the film hinges on its revelation. The escaped mental patient is one common horror element that will likely never go away. No matter how much awareness is raised, no matter how many times people are told that those who suffer from mental illness are more likely be victims of violence than the perpetrators, the mentally ill will always be fodder for scary stories.

As much as we may be afraid of dy-

ing, worse still is losing control of our minds. Humans are unpredictable enough without adding a hereditary mental disease that causes irrational, psychotic behavior. And thus, mental illness works well as a plot device for horror films.

In this regard, however, “The Visit” is surprisingly tame. I worked in mental health for a time and I can say without exaggeration that I experienced far stranger things working in a psychosocial rehabilitation center than anything found in this film.

At no time was it threatening, as it is in the film, but mental health is a challenging and difficult field, one that makes films like “The Visit” seem somewhat exploitative. For this reason, it failed to elicit its intended reaction in me.

However, “The Visit” is for the most part a simplistic and tame horror film, one that many audiences will enjoy. It might not be worth a trip to the theater, but it wouldn’t make for a bad Netflix Friday night.

chattanoogapulse.com • october 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 11

Celebrating and Protecting Our Scenic Greenways They’re beautiful—and amazingly useful in many ways

“

Greenways serve as a permanent refuge for wildlife and plant diversity, both along the edges and in its wetlands and the floodplains vital for flood control.”

ways.

With leaves turning and Early on, members of cooling temperatures, it’s Mayor Roberts’ appointthe perfect time to take ed greenway committee a walk or bike ride. What asked, “What is it that good fortune to have an makes Chatever-growing tanooga look number of like Chatgreenways in Shades tanooga?”

C h at t ano o g a of Green The answer: for your pleastream corsure and soul SANDRA KURTZ ridors and rejuvenation! steep ridges. Then, with Greenway efforts continhelp from National Park’s ue to be spurred by Trust River, Trails & Conservafor Public Land (TPL), tion Assistance and public but before that citizens in input, a greenway system Hixson championed the was envisioned. Today idea of a North Chickamthe Tennessee Riverwalk auga Creek Greenway and serves as the spine of the those walking Brainerd greenway system stretchLevee saw opportunities ing from Chickamauga for South Chickamauga Dam to the Aquarium.

Creek. With construction Simultaneously, the of the Tennessee RiverSouth Chickamauga Creek walk beginning, the city Greenway Alliance (SChired TPL to build green-

CGA), a citizens advocacy group, was formed in 1994 to protect and enhance South Chickamauga Creek watershed. Much of Chattanooga’s drinking water comes from South Chickamauga Creek as it empties into the Tennessee River just upstream from the Tennessee American Water Company intake.

With the Brainerd Levee already in place, this creek corridor was a natural starting place for a greenway project. Today, this 14mile greenway is almost complete from the river to Camp Jordan. In time, it may extend into Georgia, reaching the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park.

A greenway is more valuable than just recreation. Noel Durant, TPL’s Chattanooga Program Director says, “Greenways are not just for recreation,

but have excellent multiple benefits. They can be used for alternative transportation corridors, conservation, education, and more.” These linear parks help with obesity and health issues, connecting people from different neighborhoods to engage in outdoor activities, while enabling nearby access to nature. Twenty-five thousand people live within one mile of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway.

Greenways benefit the economy, too. We have seen the North Chattanooga revitalization brought on by the Walnut Street Bridge. Yes, the Walnut Street Bridge is a greenway, despite being blue.

It connects people and neighborhoods.

Greenways raise property values and allow for alternative transportation.

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12 • The Pulse • october 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

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SCCGA, however, sees a greenway as more. It’s a tool to protect the native environment, enhancing the creek’s aquatic ecosystem and its many cultural amenities. Because South Chickamauga Creek served as an early transportation route, many historical sites are protected on land along greenway corridors.

Most importantly, a greenway preserves water quality. It also serves as a permanent refuge for wildlife and plant diversity, both along the edges and in its wetlands and the floodplains vital for flood control.

That edge, adjacent wetlands (nature’s nurseries), and floodplains reduce the impact of flooding and stormwater runoff while keeping sediment out of the water through filtering and slowing of flow. The water is shaded, moderating water temperatures for aquatic species.

A greenway provides a corridor for safe movement of species, impor-

tant for a robust genetic pool and species survival. These valuable services are all free.

Unfortunately, there are waterquality threats. Every creek in Chattanooga is on the Tennessee Threatened and Impaired Streams list, mostly due to sediment from irresponsible development and agricultural practices and habitat alteration. South Chickamauga Creek harbors the endangered snail darter and South Chickamauga crayfish.

We must resist the efforts of some to fill in all the floodplains, destroy wetlands, and throw trash and poisons in the water. Join the annual River Rescue on October 3 to help clean up.

Love your greenways for the common good!

Sandra Kurtz is an environmental community activist and is presently working through the Urban Century Institute. Visit her website at enviroedu.net chattanoogapulse.com • october 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 13

ARTS SCENE

Rocking With Rachmaninoff Emerging piano superstar headlines at Summitt Pianos this Sunday Uptown Big Band

Tap Your Toes For A Good Cause Give that rhythm everything you’ve got at The Camp House If you missed the harvest moon eclipse this past Sunday, never fear—you’ve still got a chance to celebrate.

This Friday at The Camp House, join Michael Smith and the Uptown Big Band for a musical event benefiting Home Harvest St. Elmo, an upcoming project by Widows Harvest Home Restoration.

Widows Harvest is a local charity organization whose goal is to help widows and their families in the Chattanooga area by repairing and remodeling their homes.

They’re currently preparing for the restoration of a house in St. Elmo, and all of the proceeds from the concert will go toward paying

for the costs of the remodeling.

The event will be a swing concert that will also feature special guest Esther Ellis, and it’s sure to be a dancin’, prancin’, toe-tapping good time.

The music starts at 7 p.m. at The Camp House, 149 E. MLK Blvd., and tickets can be purchased for $10 at widows.org — Sam Hilling Widow's Harvest Fundraiser: Uptown Big Band, Michael Smith, Esther Ellis Friday, 7 p.m.

The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com

Thu10.1

fri10.2

sat9.26

earth art

looking out

theater classic

“Trees & Skies” Opening Reception

FACES UnMasked Preview Reception

“Our Town”

Come out to see a unique collection of works that highlight the natural beauty of trees, foliage and sky scapes.

4 p.m.

Reflections Gallery 6922 Lee Hwy. (423) 892-3072 reflectionsgallerytn.com

Help support a fantastic cause and enjoy some of the city's finest artists as they showcase a widely varied look at the face in paint, sculpture and more.

5:30 p.m.

HART Gallery 110 E. Main St. (423) 521-4707

The UTC Theatre Co. brings Thornton Wilder's classic play to life, showcasing the ongoing myth of Grover’s Corners.

2, 7:30 p.m.

UTC’s Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre 599 Palmetto St. (423) 425-4269 utc.edu/fine-arts

14 • The Pulse • october 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

A

t the age of 20, Man-Ling Bai is an emerging superstar in a highly competitive field—virtuoso piano solo performance. Your chance to hear her in an intimate setting, the showroom of Summitt Pianos on Lee Highway, comes this Sunday, Oct. 4, in a free concert that is part of the “Sunday with Steinway” promotion.

Arts ward raymond

“

This performance marks Ms. Bai’s return due to popular demand. She wowed us all in April 2014, and everyone asked to bring her back.”

“I’m going to perform baroque music as the opening piece,” Bai says.

“After that comes the Beethoven piano concerto, and then one of my favorite composers, Rachmaninoff.”

She certainly has the “chops” for the Russian composer, as she played Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 2” with her school’s symphony orchestra in a special performance in the National Concert Hall of her native Taipei, Taiwan. Finishing up Sunday’s concert, she says, will be “jazzy music composed by the Russian composer, Nikolai Kapustin.”

From baroque to classical, from the “last romantic” (Rachmaninoff) to 21st century music, Bai brings a virtuosity to her repertoire that was fostered at an early age.

She began playing at age 6, and within a few years was flourishing in competitions. In 2003, she finished second in a national piano contest sponsored by a major piano manufacturer, and the same year, she gained first prize in the renowned Kevin Kern Piano Contest. (Kern is an internationally recognized Steinway Artist pianist and composer—and another prodigy at an early

age—who uses assistive technology to compensate for being legally blind since birth.)

“This performance marks Ms. Bai’s return due to popular demand,” says Buddy Shirk, store manager of Summitt Pianos. “She wowed us all in April 2014, and everyone asked to bring her back.

She is sure to thrill the audience with her technically difficult but masterfully played pieces.”

Bai’s been a busy little virtuoso in the past few years. In 2011, she took first place in the piano solo division of the Taipei Music Contest, and recently won both the Southern Adventist Concerto Competition and the Lee University Concerto Competition.

Currently a piano student at Lee University, she expresses her gratitude to family, schools, and teachers for the opportunities that she has made so much of. “First of all, I’m so thankful for my family,” Bai says. “They are always there to support me, even thought they’re in Taiwan, which is 12,000 miles away from America.

“Secondly, I give thanks for my school for giving me so many opportunities to perform and letting me learn many things. And lastly, I greatly appreciate my piano professor, Ning An. He seems like a father to me, always taking care of me, giving me so much to learn and encouraging me.”

As she shares her artistic gift, one that transcends cultural and language differences, Bai tries to “convey the thoughts of composers and my own feelings to the audience. I let my music speak for me, to let my friends understand what I am thinking.”

While the performance on Oct. 4 is free and open to the public,

CHATTANOOGA’S ONLY INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLER IN THE CL ARKE CENTRE

1467 MARKET STREET, SUITE 106 AT MARKET & MAIN

MONDAY–SATURDAY 10 am–7 pm Shirk asks that everyone reserve a spot by calling him at (423) 4990600. “We break down one side of the store and put the pianos into circles—we jokingly call them ‘florettes’—in order to accommodate about 110 people,” Shirk says. “She’ll be performing on a nine-foot Steinway concert grand, which takes a year to build. Out of 24 manufacturers of nine-foot concert grands in the world, Steinway is the choice of 98 percent of the world’s concert pianists and or-

chestras.

“We have a reception with coffee and cookies, and sometimes people sit on benches, so people should absolutely RSVP for our head count. You get to meet the artist who’s performing and interact one-on-one with her, and that’s always fun.”

“Sunday with Steinway,” 3 p.m.

Oct. 4. Summitt Pianos, 6209 Lee Hwy. (423) 0600, summittpianos. com. Free, but reservations required.

‘LIKE’ US ON FACEBOOK & FOLLOW US ON TWITTER & INSTAGR AM @STARLINEBOOKS

STARLINEBOOKS.COM 423.777.5629

chattanoogapulse.com • october 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 15

-World Reviewer

423.821.2544 RubyFalls.com Open Saturdays and Sundays!

423.821.2544

RubyFallsZip.com

ARTS CALENDAR

Named “One of the Ten Most Incredible Cave Waterfalls on Earth”

Minecraft Lab @ A.I.R. Labs

thursday10.1 Homeschool Science Club 1 p.m.

Creative Discovery Museum 321 Chestnut St. (423) 756-2738 cdmfun.org Ooltewah Farmers Market 3 p.m.

Ooltewah Nursery 5829 Main St. (423) 238-9775 ooltewahnursery.com Highland Commons Farmers Market 4 p.m.

2000 Union Ave. (423) 838-8904 Minecraft Lab 4 p.m.

A.I.R. Labs 2601 Broad St., Ste. B weareairlabs.com Red Bank Farmers Market 4 p.m.

Red Bank United Methodist Church 3800 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 838-9804 “Trees & Skies” Opening Reception 4 p.m.

Reflections Gallery 6922 Lee Hwy. (423) 892-3072 reflectionsgallerytn.com Ambi Artists at Heritage House 6 p.m.

Heritage House 1428 Jenkins Rd. (423) 855-9474

16 • The Pulse • october 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

Eve Plumb Opening Reception 6 p.m.

Gallery 1401 1478 Market St. (423) 265-0015 “Sister Act: A Divine Musical” 7 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Pride Week: Community Conversation Night 7 p.m.

St. Mark’s Church, 701 Mississippi Ave. tennesseevalleypride.com Chattanooga Dances!

7 p.m.

Center for Creative Arts Auditorium 1301 Dallas Rd.

Pulse Pick: native sounds Annual Native American Music and Cultural Festival dedicated to raising the necessary funds to erect the Cherokee Heritage and Cultural Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary.

Native Sounds Raccoon Mt. Caverns 319 Hills Dr. (423) 821-9403 raccoonmountain.com

(423) 209-5942 “Our Town” 7:30 p.m.

UTC’s Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre 599 Palmetto St. (423) 425-4269 utc.edu/fine-arts

friday10.2 Rock/Creek StumpJump 50K Vendor Fair Noon Coolidge Park riverrockschattanooga.com St. Elmo Farmers Market 4 p.m.

Incline Railway 3917 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 838-9804 “The Woven Wrap” Opening Reception

5 p.m.

In-Town Gallery 26A Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214 intowngallery.com FACES UnMasked Preview Reception 5:30 p.m.

HART Gallery 110 E. Main St. (423) 521-4707 “The Electric Dancer” Exhibit

by Devon Kronenberg 5:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Workspace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 Chattanooga Dances!

7 p.m.

Center for Creative Arts Auditorium 1301 Dallas Rd. (423) 209-5942 “Mystery of Flight 138” 7 p.m.

Vaudeville Café 200 Market St. (423) 266-6202 funnydinner.com “Under the Harvest Moon” Swing Concert 7 p.m.

The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 702-8081 thecamphouse.com Don Friesen 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com “Our Town” 7:30 p.m.

ARTS CALENDAR

Thursdays through Sundays

"Sister Act: A Divine Musical" UTC’s Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre 599 Palmetto St. (423) 425-4269 utc.edu/fine-arts The Floor is YOURS 7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org “Sister Act: A Divine Musical” 8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Pride Week: Kickoff Party 10 p.m.

Images, 6005 Lee Hwy. tennesseevalleypride.com

saturday10.3 Rocktoberfest 8:30 a.m.

Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd. (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com Citizen Forester Classes 9 a.m.

Audubon Acres 900 N. Sanctuary Rd. (423) 634-6839 McKay’s 25th Anniversary 9 a.m.

McKay Used Books and CDs 7734 Lee Hwy. (423) 892-0067 mckaysbooks.com Founders Weekend

Celebration 9 a.m.

Lula Lake Land Trust 5000 Lula Lake Rd., Lookout Mountain, GA lulalake.org Make It and Take It Superhero Costume Workshop 9:30 a.m.

Creative Discovery Museum 321 Chestnut St. (423) 756-2738 cdmfun.org Autumn Children’s Festival 10 a.m.

Tennessee Riverpark 4301 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 842-0177 Brainerd Farmers Market 10 a.m.

Grace Episcopal Church 20 Belvoir Ave. (423) 698-0330 saygrace.net Chattanooga River Market 10 a.m.

Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (423) 267-3474 chattanoogarivermarket.com The Great Punkin Chase 5K 10 a.m.

North Park 150 Depot St. (423) 718-2708 Impact Your Health Chattanooga Health Clinic 10 a.m.

Convention Center 1100 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 Native Sounds Native American Music And

Cultural Festival 10 a.m.

Raccoon Mountain Caverns 319 Hills Dr. (423) 821-9403 raccoonmountain.com Northside Farmers Market 10 a.m.

Northside Presbyterian Church 923 Mississippi Ave. (423) 266-7497 Portrait Drawing Workshop with Timur Akhriev 10 a.m.

Townsend Atelier 201 W. Main St. (423) 266-2712 St. Alban’s Farmers Market 10 a.m.

St. Alban’s Church 7514 Hixson Pike (423) 842-1342 Chattanooga Market: CultureFest 11 a.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Reggie White Blvd.

(423) 266-4041 Georgia Winery’s Annual Grape Stomp Noon Georgia Winery 6469 Battlefield Pkwy.

(709) 937-9463 georgiawines.com Oktoberfest in Ooltewah Noon Cambridge Square 9453 Bradmore Ln. (423) 883-5633 Civil War Cruise: Sharpshooters at the Siege 12:30 p.m.

River Gorge Explorer 1 Broad St. (423) 267-3474 tnaqua.org The Metropolitan Opera: “Il Trovatore” 12:55 p.m.

Carmike East Ridge 18 5080 S. Terrace (423) 855-9652 carmike.com “Our Town” 2, 7:30 p.m.

UTC’s Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre 599 Palmetto St. (423) 425-4269 utc.edu/fine-arts Wine Over Water 5 p.m.

Walnut Street Bridge Walnut St. (423) 265-2825 Pride Week: “Rocky Horror Picture Show” Night Sundown Aretha Frankensteins 518 Tremont St. tennesseevalleypride.com Don Friesen 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Live and Let Die: A Symphony Tribute to the Music of Paul McCartney 7:30 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 701 Broad St. (423) 267-6520 “Sister Act: A Divine Musical”

NOW till - Nov 1

Visit: BlowingSpringsFarm.com for hours and activity times. ...and on Fri & Sat nights in October, Blowing Springs Farm becomes Blowing SCREAMS Farm!

Weekends in October

For more info call: 1.800.854.0675 or visit:

See RockCity .com

chattanoogapulse.com • october 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 17

over 40 years & counting!

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Chattanooga’s Greatest Hits

ARTS CALENDAR

Paying you the most...

Rocktoberfest

8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Pride Week: Party On! 8 p.m.

The Big Chill & Grill 103 Cherokee Blvd. tennesseevalleypride.com “Mystery of the Redneck Italian Wedding” 8 p.m.

Vaudeville Café 200 Market St. (423) 266-6202 funnydinner.com Pride Week: Party and Drag Show 10 p.m.

Alan Gold’s 1100 McCallie Ave. tennesseevalleypride.com

sunday10.4 Impact Your Health Chattanooga Health Clinic 8 a.m.

Convention Center 1100 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 Rocktoberfest 8:30 a.m.

Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd. (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com Portrait Drawing Workshop with Timur Akhriev 10 a.m.

Townsend Atelier 201 W. Main St.

18 • The Pulse • october 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

(423) 266-2712 Chattanooga Market 11 a.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Reggie White Blvd.

(423) 266-4041 chattanoogamarket.com Founders Weekend Celebration Noon Lula Lake Land Trust 5000 Lula Lake Rd., Lookout Mountain, GA lulalake.org Pride Week: Pride Parade Noon Riverfront Pkwy. tennesseevalleypride.com Autumn Children’s Festival 1 p.m.

Tennessee Riverpark 4301 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 842-0177 Free First Sunday 1 p.m.

Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 Pride Week: Pride Festival 1 p.m.

Ross’s Landing tennesseevalleypride.com “Sister Act: A Divine Musical” 2:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Jerry Harvey and Friends 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233

thecomedycatch.com Pride Festival: After-Party 8 p.m.

Chuck’s 27 W. Main St. tennesseevalleypride.com Pride Festival: After-AfterParty and Drag Show 11 p.m.

Images, 6005 Lee Hwy. tennesseevalleypride.com

monday10.5 Vintage Swing Dance 7 p.m.

Clear Spring Yoga 17 N. Market St. (931) 982-1678 clearspringyoga.com

tuesday10.6 East Brainerd Farmers Market 4 p.m.

Audubon Acres 900 N.Sanctuary Rd. (423) 838-9804 Aging: Life’s Most Dangerous Game 7 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org

wednesday10.7 Middle East Dance 10:30 a.m.

Jewish Cultural Center

5461 N. Terrace (423) 493-0270 jewishchattanooga.com Main Street Farmers Market 4 p.m.

325 E. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Chattanooga Fashion Week 5 p.m.

Lindsay Street Hall 906 Lindsay St. (423) 755-9111 chattanoogafashionweek.com Christopher A. Brooks: Book Signing and Lecture 5:30 p.m.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658 bessiesmithcc.org Wednesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m.

Downtown Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5310 The Metropolitan Opera: “Il Trovatore” encore 6:30 p.m.

Carmike East Ridge 18 5080 S. Terrace (423) 855-9652 carmike.com Renee Fleming Gala Event 7:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Symphony Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 267-8583 Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

Diversions

Consider This with Dr. Rick

by Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D. “Ordinary riches can be stolen; real riches cannot. In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.” — Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde, Irish poet and dramatist, was arguably one of the greatest wits the world has known. His words were often snarky yet insightful, such as: “Always forgive your enemies—nothing annoys them so much.”

And, “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.”

But one thing ol’ Oscar knew about was the high price we sometimes pay for being exactly, unapologetically who we are. It takes courage to be that genuine.

So, who are you? “I am a parent, daughter, student, businessman”…we all have our outer identifying labels. But what defines you deep in your heart and soul? These are the identities that can never be taken away. A true friend. An honest person. Someone who cares generously and loves deeply.

Oscar was a flamboyant, outrageous, brilliant wit. But I believe he knew that what matters most—the real riches—lies within. chattanoogapulse.com • october 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 19

Meat in a Velvet Glove Chef Mike reveals the secret of perfect homecooked stir-fry meat

“

Velveting involves coating and marinating thinly sliced pieces of beef, chicken, pork or whole shrimp in a mixture of of egg white, salt, cornstarch and an acid.”

Trying to reproduce your silky and succulent while favorite Chinese restauyour home-cooked version rant’s stir-fry in the comusually has the texture of a fort of your home kitchen dog’s chew toy. Personally, can often reI have tried sult in a big pounding, pile of fail. slicing, and Even if even buyyou maning highage to round quality cuts MIKE McJUNKIN up all the of meat—all necessary of which reingredients, ditch your sulted in varying degrees “cute” Rachael Ray pasof chewy, dry or mushy tel-handled wok for a good proteins that barely rise carbon-steel version, and above the quality of Panfind a way to crank your da Express take-out. The stove to the recommended secret behind the tender heat-of-a-thousand-suns and juicy beef, chicken or temperature, your homeshrimp in good Chinese cooked beef and broccoli stir-fry is not really a sealways falls a bit short of cret at all. It’s a technique the restaurant dish, espethat’s common in Chinese cially when it comes to the cooking, but is virtually meat. unheard of in U.S. kitchSomehow, the meat in ens: velveting. a good Chinese restaurant Learning how to velvet stir-fry turns out tender, meat is as important to

Sushi & Biscuits

Chinese cooking as Van Gogh is to David Lynch.

Velveting involves coating and marinating thinly sliced pieces of beef, chicken, pork or whole shrimp in a mixture of egg white, salt, cornstarch and an acid for about 30-45 minutes.

The meat is then immersed in barely simmering water or warm oil for 30-45 seconds until it is almost cooked through before being added to a screaming hot wok to finish.

It’s widely believed that velveting meat somehow tenderizes it. Science, however, begs to differ.

While the vinegar or other acid will slightly denature the proteins in the meat (making them softer), the heavy lifting is done by the coating. The marinade (or velvet) clings to the outer surfaces of the meat, creating a layer of hydrated starch that lubricates it, much like the fats in a nicely marbled steak

or the gelatins in a braised pork shoulder. This tricks our palate into thinking there is moisture present, even when the actual meat may be a bit dry or overcooked.

To help with tenderness, the coating also serves as insulation, protecting the meat from the direct heat of the wok. This keeps the outer layer of proteins from turning into chewy, microscopic rubber bands, like you get whenever you stir-fry meat without such a coating.

One other advantage to this layer of insulation is that it lowers the rate of heat transfer to the meat itself. This allows the coating to brown very quickly without exposing the meat to as much heat as it takes to achieve browning without the velvet. If the starches brown, the meat is protected by a Federationstyle heat shield, keeping it nice and moist, while the surface turns to a delicious Maillard-browned crust.

Where the BIG Hits live!

Chattanooga’s Greatest Hits 20 • The Pulse • october 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

Sunday with Steinway Featuring Man-Ling Bai Born in Taipei, Man-Ling Bai, age 20, began studying piano at the age of six. In 2003, she won the first place in a National Piano Contest. The same year, she joined Steinway Artist Kevin Kern, for the Kevin Kern Piano Contest, where she won first prize. In 2011, she ranked first for piano solo in the Taipei Music Contest. She is now studying with Steinway Artist Ning An at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. Recently, she won the Southern Adventist Concerto Competition.

October 4th 3pm until 4:30pm Including Reception Limited Seating — RSVP Required Contact Buddy Shirk at 423-499-0600 Additionally, when the starches gelatinize, they form a moistureresistant barrier around the outside of the meat that may help prevent moisture from escaping as it gets squeezed out of the cells during denaturing.

Without the velvet coating, all of that moisture may leach out into your wok and you’ll end up with tough, off-color, boiled meat that will have all the flavor of a piece of old duct tape.

When you’re ready to make your next stir-fry, refer to the recipe below. In fact, tape it to your fridge and never make the mistake of cooking another Chinese stir-fry without velveting your meat first!

Velvet Pork, Chicken, Beef or Shrimp • 1 lb. very thinly sliced pork, chicken, beef, or whole shrimp, patted dry • 4 tsp. cornstarch • 1 tbsp. soy sauce • 1 tbsp. rice vinegar • 1 egg white

• 1 tbsp. coarse salt • 1 tbsp. sesame oil Whisk together cornstarch, soy sauce, and rice vinegar until no lumps remain. Add egg white and whisk until combined but not frothy.

Pour the egg white mixture over the meat and toss together with your hands until the meat is thoroughly coated. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to one hour.

Meanwhile, bring four cups of water, salt and sesame oil to a boil in a saucepan. Working in batches, poach the meat for about 30 seconds, then remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and place into a colander. Be sure to let the water come back to a boil between batches.

You can either refrigerate the meat for another use, or use it immediately.

Summitt Pianos & Organs 6209 Lee Highway • Chattanooga, TN • (423) 499-0600

Longtime food writer and professional chef Mike McJunkin is a native Chattanoogan who has trained chefs, owned and operated restaurants, and singlehandedly increased Chattanooga’s meat consumption statistics for three consecutive years. Join him on Facebook at facebook.com/SushiAndBiscuits chattanoogapulse.com • october 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 21

MUSIC SCENE

Delights of a Perfect Duo The Road Runners showcase simplicity and grace together

I

Roast A Marshmallow to Bluegrass Randy Steele and Friends kick off “Fireside at the Greenway” Gone are the days of pool parties and sunbathing, and here come the bonfires and haunts that go hand in hand with the cool, crisp autumn we know and love. There are haunted houses/caverns/barns cropping up all around Chattanooga, putting out a ghoulish vibe across the city.

For those of you who would prefer an alternative to heart-stopping events and are in need of a little relaxation, marshmallow roasting, and live music, you’re looking for the laid-back and family-friendly event that’ll be going on at Greenway Farm this October.

For first four Thursdays in October, Outdoor Chattanooga will be featuring live music at 7 p.m. as part of the “Fireside at the Greenway” Outdoor Music Series. Cozy up with

a nice warm blanket and drink in the sounds of a new musical act each week with the woodsy scent of a roaring campfire swirling in the air.

Attendees are advised to bring blankets, fold-up chairs for a more comfy sit, roasting supplies (be it marshmallows or weenies), and perhaps even a picnic dinner to share with family and friends.

Enjoy those gooey s’mores with some hometown bluegrass pickin’ in the background.

— Brooke Dorn "Fireside at the Greenwy" with Randy Steele and Friends Thursday, 7 p.m.

Greenway Farm 5051 Gann Store Rd. outdoorchattanooga.com

thu10.1

fri10.2

SAT10.3

pedal steeling

girls rule!

bluegrassing

Susan Alcorn

Alanna Royale, Smooth Dialects, Hank and Cupcakes

3 Sisters Music Festival:

Alcorn's unique pedal steel style will keep you entertained with her virtuosity. With Evan Lipson and Bob Stagner.

7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org

The Revelry Room celebrates the power of women in music with a trio of powerhouses.

9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. revelryroom.co

An eclectic lineup of bluegrass and more takes over the riverfront for two days of fine pickin' (starts Friday).

Noon Ross’s Landing Riverfront Pkwy.

3sistersbluegrass.com

22 • The Pulse • october 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

t’s noon but the sky is gray, the window is streaked with rain and there is a chill in the late September air.

It’s the kind of weather that isn’t to everyone’s taste, but I like it.

I like that the line of demarcation between the seasons is so clear.

We may have more warm, sunny days yet (I hope we do) but they will be warm, sunny autumn days from here on out. It was the perfect backdrop for sitting and listening to the Road Runners for the first time, at least the couple of tunes I have on hand.

Music MARC T. MICHAEL

“

They could work as a band, very well, but the duo’s chemistry is something that genuinely sets them apart from so many other acts.”

The Road Runners are James Lowery and Tara Danielle. Occasionally it’s some other people too, but the duo of James and Tara has been the one unchanging element of the band and, for the moment, the sum total of it. James is a Chattanooga native who grew up watching his father play guitar, inspiring him to take up the instrument himself. He wrote his first original song at 15.

Tara grew up in Dawsonville, GA where she spent her childhood singing in school and church choirs and winning numerous local talent contests. The two met in 2013 while busking. Their musical connection was instant, and the Road Runners were formed soon after.

Although the Road Runners have a fairly healthy array of recorded tunes, I chose to focus on two in particular, feeling that these two showcase a great deal of what makes this duo work.

The first song, “A Short Journey,” is a philosophical work, a three-minuteand-forty-eight-second meditation on life that, as singer/songwriter tunes go, is pretty close to perfect. It is sparse, just two guitars and a voice, and yet the duo uses this simple configuration to maximum effect.

Sideways in Time Is A Smooth, Mellow Listen

An acoustic guitar strums out interestingly voiced chords while a muted electric jumps in and out with finger-picked chords and dreamlike lead runs. Lowery’s voice is both powerful and vulnerable and the effect overall is moody and haunting.

There are hints of Mark Lanegan and Leo Cohen, but as much as anything it makes me think of how it would be if Roger Waters and David Gilmour were just two guys with guitars.

The second tune, “Jamie’s Song,” is Tara’s turn to showcase her golden throat, easily the equal of any of today’s pop stars.

The song also explores the duo’s expansion into a band, with the addition of bass, drums and some absolutely angelic harmonies.

They could work as a band, very well, but the duo’s chemistry is something that genuinely sets them apart from so many other

acts.

I have to think that even with the addition of two, three, four or more other members it would still be “James, Tara and the band.”

If there’s a specific name for their style of music, I don’t know it, but I can think of plenty of examples of artists whose style is similar. Mary Gauthier and Catie Curtis (“Sugarcane”) come to mind: contemporary folk/ Americana with just enough pop thrown in to get it on the radio.

Whatever label one might try to affix to them, one thing is certain: They are absolutely devoted to their craft. While they certainly enjoy playing larger venues, they are equally at home playing in front of gas stations and restaurants, frequently earning the disapproval of those sorts of people who, lacking any real success of their own, are quick

to educate other people on “how things are done.”

Water off a duck’s back to this pair, who will do whatever it takes to get their music heard.

Moments before a gig, Tara broke her pinky finger when a car trunk was unexpectedly slammed shut.

The plucky songstress fashioned a makeshift splint out of matchsticks and tape and the show went on as scheduled.

The next opportunity to catch these up-and-comers live will be Oct.10 at Phibb’s Bar and Grill in Rock Springs, GA. They will also be appearing at Mayo’s here in Chattanooga in November and at World of Beer downtown in January.

More information about the band, their music and upcoming gigs can be found at theroadrunnersmusic.rocks as well as “roadrunnersmusic” on the Reverbnation website.

The indefatigable Jesse Jungkurth, man of a thousand side projects, has just finished his latest and possibly greatest. Sideways in Time is a project five years in the making and in Jungkurth’s own words, “is basically an odd collection of all the songs that never fit in any of the groups I played in.”

The man is selling himself and his new album short, though. In reality, it’s a peek into the brain of one of Chattanooga’s more prolific and betterknown songwriters, a slice of his personal development over the years that ranges from, “Wiser,” which was written in high school with long time friend James Lowery, to “The Tower,” a collaborative effort with local recording wizard Brett Nolan that showcases the broad range of both men’s abilities. A lot of ground/time is covered in between.

A full feature may be in store for this remarkable collection of songs, all of which carry a signature Jungkurth sound without sounding like anything else he’s ever released. For now, be appeased with this humble sidebar whose only purpose is to make you aware that a) this album exists, b) it is about to be released for general consumption and c) it is worth your time to hear it.

I’m hard pressed to give it a genre designation, particularly since it covers such a broad range of Jungkurth’s development as a songwriter, but it is universally smooth and mellow and if it were for sale on television, the commercial would be shot with a fireplace, dead animal skin rug and glasses of wine in soft focus in the background. If nothing else, it is a testament to the fact that if Jesse should ever decide to retire from the stage, he could make a good living as a professional songwriter.

The album is Sideways in Time and the release is scheduled for Oct. 9 at Chevelle’s 66 in Murphy, NC with the whole band in tow, while a smaller, more intimate release is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 11 at Ray Ray’s (L2) here in town.

— MTM

chattanoogapulse.com • october 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 23

New Planet · Liferoot

Friday • October 2

Green Jello · Hatestomp · Mudsex

Saturday • October 3 The Roast of Nate

Sunday • October 5

A Faux Ferocious · Mumzees

Monday • October 5 Avers

Tuesday • October 6

Okinawa · Mike Coykendall

Wednesday • October 7 Chrome Pony · Left and Right

JJ’s Bohemia • 231Blvd.

E MLK Blvd.

JJ’s Bohemia • 231 E MLK 423.266.1400 • jjsbohemia.com 423.266.1400 • jjsbohemia.com

happy

h o u r 4-7

$3 drafts - $2.5 wells - $1 off btl. beer

seasonally inspired and fusion cocktails

Shrimp & grits - Chicken & waffles $1 Mimosa - $2.5 Bloody Mary's

MUSIC CALENDAR

Thursday • October 1

Emancipator Ensemble

thursday10.1 Prime Country Band 6:30 p.m.

Ringgold Nutrition Center 144 Circle Dr., Ringgold (706) 935-2541 James Crumble Trio 6 p.m.

St. John's Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Live Bluegrass 6:30 p.m.

Whole Foods Market 301 Manufacturers Rd. wholefoodsmarket.com Jimmy Harris 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Jesse James & Tim Neal 7 p.m.

Mexi Wings VII 5773 Brainerd Rd. (423) 296-1073 Randy Steele and Friends 7 p.m.

Greenway Farm 5051 Gann Store Rd. outdoorchattanooga.com Susan Alcorn, Evan Lipson, Bob Stagner 7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Courtney Daly Band 8 p.m.

Applebee's 2219 Battlefield Pkwy, Fort Oglethorpe, GA

24 • The Pulse • october 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

(706) 858-6654 Open Mic with Mark Andrew 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Emancipator Ensemble 9 p.m.

Track 29 1400 Market St. track29.co Gold Party 3: Mike Dillon Band, Opposite Box, Nick Lutsko and the Puppet People 9:30 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. revelryroom.co New Planet, Liferoot 10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

Pulse Pick: Courtney Daly Head on up to Cambridge Square in Ooltewah this Saturday to see one of the hardestworking bands in the city, fronted by the inimitable vocal powerhouse Courtney Daly.

Courtney Daly Band Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Cambridge Square 9453 Bradmore Ln. cambridgesquaretn.com

friday10.2 Jason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats 5 p.m.

Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. choochoo.com Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m.

El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Dismembered Tennesseans, The Railsplitters, Della Mae, Hot Rize 6 p.m.

Ross’s Landing Riverfront Pkwy.

3sistersbluegrass.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican

Restaurant & Lounge 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 Uptown Big Band, Michael Smith, Esther Ellis 7 p.m.

The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com Jimmy Harris 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com The Floor is YOURS 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Rik Palieri & Rick Nestler 8 p.m.

Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960 christunity.org Roughwork 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Girls Rule: Alanna Royale, Smooth Dialects, Hank and Cupcakes 9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. revelryroom.co Joe Moorehead Band

MUSIC CALENDAR

A Tribute to Paul McCartney 9 p.m.

Clyde's On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Joel Clyde 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Green Jello, Hatestomp, Mudsex 10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

saturday10.3 Rocktoberfest 8:30 a.m.

Rock City 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com Hamilton County Ramblers, Bluetastic Fangrass, Lone Mountain Band, Berkley College of Music Fiddlers, Michael Cleveland, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Front Country, Travelin' McCourys Noon Ross’s Landing Riverfront Pkwy.

3sistersbluegrass.com One Night Stand Band Noon Georgia Winery 6469 Battlefield Pkwy georgiawines.com Butch Ross 12:30 p.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza

1 Broad St. chattanoogarivermarket.com Courtney Daly Band 3:30 p.m.

Cambridge Square 9453 Bradmore Ln. cambridgesquaretn.com Jason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats 5 p.m.

Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. choochoo.com Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m.

El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican Restaurant & Lounge 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com Jimmy Harris 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Live and Let Die: A Tribute to Paul McCartney 7:30 p.m.

Tivoli Theater 709 Broad St. chattanoogaonstage.com Laurie McLain 8 p.m.

Charles and Myrtle’s 105 McBrien Rd.

christunity.org Andrea Zonn 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Gaslight Street 9 p.m.

Clyde's On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Kara-Ory-Oke 10 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com The Roast of Nate 10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

sunday10.4 Rocktoberfest 8:30 a.m.

Rock City 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com Terry Fugate Memorial Orchestra & PopUp Record Store Noon Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Warm Needles, Onetimers, Snarky, Throbbing Lobster 6 p.m.

Sluggo's North Vegetarian Cafe 501 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 752-5224

Open Mic with Jeff Daniels 6 p.m.

Long Haul Saloon 2536 Cummings Hwy. (423) 822-9775 Seether, Saint Asonia 7:30 p.m.

Track 29 1400 Market St. track29.co Faux Ferocious, Mumzees 10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

901 Carter St. Inside City Café (423) 634-9191

Thursday, October 1: 9pm Open Mic with Mark Andrew Friday, October 2: 9pm Joel Clyde Saturday, October 3: 10pm Kara-Ory-Oke Tuesday, October 6: 7pm Server/Hotel Appreciation Night $5 Pitchers $2 Wells $1.50 Domestics ●

●

Wednesday, October 7: 8pm Blues Night feat. Yattie Westfield

#1 Desserts!

Voted “Best of the Best” 901 Carter Street

citycafemenu.com/the-office

monday10.5 Courtney Daly Band 6 p.m.

Mellow Mushroom 2318 Lifestyle Way mellowmushroom.com Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Godsmack 7:30 p.m.

Track 29 1400 Market St. track29.co Very Open Mic 8 p.m.

The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. # 8 wellonthesouthside.com Nothing More 8 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. revelryroom.co

DON’T CHANCE IT YOUR NEXT DRINK COULD BE YOUR LAST STAY ALIVE DON’T DRINK & DRIVE

chattanoogapulse.com • october 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 25

MUSIC CALENDAR Avers 10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

tuesday10.6 Bill McCallie & In Cahoots 6:30 p.m.

Southern Belle Riverboat 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com Community Jam 7 p.m.

Folk School of Chattanooga 1200 Mountain Creek Rd. chattanoogafolk.com Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m.

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Rhiannon Giddens 9 p.m.

Track 29 1400 Market St. track29.co Okinawa, Mike Coykendall 10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

wednesday10.7 Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonrestaurant.com Old Tim Jam

26 • The Pulse • october 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

Rhiannon Giddens 6 p.m.

Slick’s Burgers 309 E. Main St. chattanoogafolk.com The Other Guys 6 p.m.

SpringHill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy.

(423) 834-9300 Courtney Daly Band 7 p.m.

End Zone 3658 Ringgold Rd. (423) 661-8020 Renee Fleming 7:30 p.m.

Tivoli Theater 709 Broad St. chattanoogaonstage.com Dan Sheffield 7:30 p.m.

Sugar’s Downtown 507 Broad St. sugarschattanooga.com Wednesday Night Jazz 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Blues Night with Yattie Westfield 8 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Chrome Pony, Left and Right 10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

Map these locations on chattanoogapulse. com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

Record Reviews

ernie paik

Mainely Psychedelic Rock, Jazz From A Prodigy Herbcraft entrances with throwback vibe, Joey Alexander amazes at 11

Herbcraft Wot Oz (Woodsist)

I

f there is a band today that digs psychedelic music more than the Portland, Maine outfit Herbcraft, well, this writer hasn’t heard it. Herbcraft was formed by Matt Lajoie as a solo recording project and later augmented with various members first for live incarnations and eventually for studio releases; it’s a group that hearkens back to the late ’60s/early ’70s, hitting psychedelic rock from just about every angle imaginable.

The first three albums from Herbcraft have oozed styles/ genres like the underground American acoustic-guitar hippie jam, the Indian raga and heavy

Joey Alexander My Favorite Things (Motéma) Japanese psych (think Flower Travellin’ Band). The band’s fourth album, Wot Oz, released on Woodsist, pushes further in the trajectory marked by the previous album, The Astral Body Electric, with loose Krautrock jams.

The German influence on “Fit Ür-Head” is more than apparent (even without the umlaut), with Can’s Tago Mago and, more specifically, the minimalbass-line style of Can’s bassist Holger Czukay coming to mind immediately. It’s loud and entrancing, with the guitar wahwah pedal effect being stomped and wiggled pretty hard and ani-

malistic yelps echoing through the proceedings.

Toward the end, there’s some disorienting primitive studio sorcery in the form of slicing and dicing and reversed delayprocessed sounds. Still on what seems to be a Can kick, “Push Thru the Veil” beats out an irresistible funk-inflected rhythm that evokes Can’s “Mushroom” and hammers out one riff for the entire five minutes, capturing a deeply felt groove.

At times, Wot Oz can teeter in and out of subconscious absorption for the listener, especially on the 12-minute amorphous “No More Doors,” with the only sonic glue being a two-note bass line holding the track together on a largely untethered Kosmische spacewalk.

Herbcraft seems to be a band that is honest about its appropriation and is at peace with it; the relentless use of delay/echo effects and the wah-wah pedal may make some listeners think, “OK, we get it, you like psychedelic rock,” but it does an excellent job with transmitting its entrancing throwback vibe.

T

he backstory of Joey Alexander may make some mu-

sicians throw up their hands and say, “I give up”: originally from Indonesia, the self-taught jazz pianist began playing when he was six years old, and he recorded his debut album My Favorite Things at the age of 11, having already earned fans including Herbie Hancock and Wynton Marsalis.

However, the story also could serve as inspiration for aspiring musicians of all ages; on the other end of the age spectrum, for example, this writer knows a woman who started to play the drums in her 90s.

Malcolm Gladwell’s oft-cited “10,000 Hour Rule” ascribes a figure for the amount of deliberate practice before a person can typically be an expert at something, so for Alexander’s five years of playing, that’s the equivalent of five years at a fulltime job.

Obviously, Alexander has some innate traits that facilitated his musical learning; listening to My Favorite Things, it is clear that he knows his ways around jazz chords and scales, and this writer and would-be nit-picker has listened carefully for flaws or any evidence of faking it and has emerged empty-

handed.

The album is full of jazz standards of the “beaten path” ilk, including Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” and Thelonious Monk’s “’Round Midnight,” plus one original composition, “Ma Blues”; among the solo tracks are numbers with bass and drums accompaniment and an occasional trumpet.

Fair questions to ask are, “Should this album even exist? Would people care if he wasn’t so young?” Classical pianist Glenn Gould harshly questioned musicians who recorded oft-visited pieces without bringing some kind of new perspective to them.

The good news here is that, even at such a young age, Alexander has revealed his own style, with a few trademarks: a crisp but gentle playing method, often with a low bustle and scurry that’s articulated but not mushy, and a tendency to tap out the same melody on both hands on dexterous runs.

Alexander’s story is remarkable, absolutely; what’s more remarkable is performing wellworn jazz standards with a freshness that justifies their existence.

Brand New Home Same Great Music brewer media everywhere. every day.

chattanoogapulse.com • october 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 27

Free Will Astrology

“ Homework: Send testimonies about how you’ve redeemed the dark side to: Sex Laugh, uaregod@ comcast.net.

Rob Brezsny is an aspiring master of curiosity, perpetrator of sacred uproar, and founder of the Beauty and Truth Lab. He brings a literate, myth-savvy perspective to his work. It’s all in the stars.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The 20th century’s most influential artist may have been Pablo Picasso. He created thousands of paintings, and was still churning them out when he was 91 years old. A journalist asked him which one was his favorite. “The next one,” he said. I suggest you adopt a similar attitude in the coming weeks, Libra. What you did in the past is irrelevant. You should neither depend on nor be weighed down by anything that has come before. For now, all that matters are the accomplishments and adventures that lie ahead of you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A windbreak is a line of stout trees or thick bushes that provides shelter from the wind. I think you need a metaphorical version: someone or something to shield you from a relentless force that has been putting pressure on you; a buffer zone or protected haven where you can take refuge from a stressful barrage that has been hampering your ability to act with clarity and grace. Do you know what you will have to do to get it? Here’s your battle cry: “I need sanctuary! I deserve sanctuary!”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your fellow Sagittarian Walt Disney accomplished a lot.

He was a pioneer in the art of animation and made movies that won numerous Academy Awards. He built theme parks, created an entertainment empire, and amassed fantastic wealth. Why was he so successful? In part because he had high standards, worked hard, and harbored an obsessive devotion to his quirky vision.

If you aspire to cultivate any of those qualities, now is a favorable time to raise your mastery to the next level. Disney had one other trait you might consider working on: He liked to play the game of life by his own rules. For example, his favorite breakfast was doughnuts dipped in Scotch whisky. What would be your equivalent?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): October is Fix the Fundamentals Month. It will be

28 • The Pulse • october 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

rob brezsny

a favorable time to substitute good habits for bad habits. You will attract lucky breaks and practical blessings as you work to transform overwrought compulsions into rigorous passions.

You will thrive as you seek to discover the holy yearning that’s hidden at the root of devitalizing addictions. To get started, instigate free-wheeling experiments that will propel you out of your sticky rut and in the direction of a percolating groove.

areas of your psyche; demanding perfection from those you care about; and trying to fulfill questionable desires that have led you astray in the past. Now I’ll name some positive actions you’d be wise to consider: hunting for skillful healers who can relieve your angst and aches; favoring the companionship of people who are empathetic and emotionally intelligent; and getting educated about how to build the kind of intimacy you can thrive on.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Have you made your travel plans yet?

Have you plotted your escape? I hope you will hightail it to a festive playground where some of your inhibitions will shrink, or else journey to a holy spot where your spiritual yearnings will ripen. What would be even better is if you made a pilgrimage to a place that satisfied both of those agendas—filled up your senses with novel enticements and fed your hunger for transcendent insights. Off you go, Aquarius!

Why aren’t you already on your way? If you can’t manage a real getaway in the near future, please at least stage a jailbreak for your imagination.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You may have seen websites that offer practical tips on how to improve your mastery of life’s little details. They tell you how to de-clutter your home, or how to keep baked goods from going stale, or why you should shop for shoes at night to get the best fit. I recently come across a humorous site that provides the opposite: bad life tips. For instance, it suggests that you make job interviews less stressful by only applying for jobs you don’t want. Put your laptop in cold water to prevent overheating.

To save time, brush your teeth while you eat. In the two sets of examples I’ve just given, it’s easy to tell the difference between which tips are trustworthy and which aren’t. But in the coming days, you might find it more challenging to distinguish between the good advice and bad advice you’ll receive. Be very discerning.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Pablo Neruda’s Book of Questions consists entirely of 316 questions. It’s one of those rare texts that makes no assertions and draws no conclusions. In this spirit, and in honor of the sphinx-like phase you’re now passing through, I offer you six pertinent riddles: 1. What is the most important thing you have never done? 2. How could you play a joke on your fears?

3. Identify the people in your life who have made you real to yourself. 4. Name a good old thing you would have to give up in order to get a great new thing. 5. What’s the one feeling you want to feel more than any other in the next three years?. 6.

What inspires you to love?

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The next seven weeks will NOT be a favorable time to fool around with psychic vampires and charismatic jerks. I recommend you avoid the following mistakes, as well: failing to protect the wounded

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): On a windy afternoon last spring I was walking through a quiet neighborhood in Berkeley. In one yard there was a garden plot filled with the young green stems of as-yet unidentifiable plants.

Anchored in their midst was a small handwritten sign. Its message seemed to be directed not at passers-by like me but at the sprouts themselves. “Grow faster, you little bastards!” the sign said—as if the blooming things might be bullied into ripening. I hope you’re smart enough not to make similar demands on yourself and those you care about, Gemini. It’s not even necessary. I suspect that everything in your life will just naturally grow with vigor in the coming weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “I am rooted, but I flow,” wrote Virginia Woolf in her novel The Waves. That paradoxical image reminds me of you right now. You are as grounded as a tree and as fluid as a river. Your foundation is deep and strong, even as you are resilient in your ability to adapt to changing circumstances. This is your birthright as a Cancerian! Enjoy and use the blessings it confers. (P.S. If for some strange reason you’re not experiencing an exquisite version of what I’ve described, there must be some obstacle you are mistakenly tolerating.

Get rid of it.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Should I offer my congratulations? You have corralled a gorgeous mess of problems that are more interesting and provocative than everyone else’s. It’s unclear how long this odd good fortune will last, however. So I suggest you act decisively to take maximum advantage of the opportunities that your dilemmas have cracked open. If anyone can turn the heartache of misplaced energy into practical wisdom, you can.

If anyone can harness chaos to drum up new assets, it’s you. Is it possible to be both cunning and conscientious, both strategic and ethical? For you right now, I think it is.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Let’s say you have walked along the same path or driven down the same road a thousand times. Then, one day, as you repeat your familiar route, a certain object or scene snags your attention for the first time. Maybe it’s a small fountain or a statue of the Buddhist goddess Guanyin or a wall with graffiti that says “Crap happens, but so does magic.” It has always been there. You’ve been subconsciously aware of it. But at this moment, for unknown reasons, it finally arrives in your conscious mind. I believe this is an apt metaphor for your life in the next week. More than once, you will suddenly tune in to facts, situations, or influences that had previously been invisible to you. That’s a good thing! But it might initially bring a jolt.

Jonesin’ Crossword

matt jones

23 Years of Local Foods & Certified Green Practices / Solar & Bicycle Friendly Business 423.265.1212 • www.212MARKET.com

“Bill and/or Ted’s Excellent Adventure”—fellow travelers.

ACROSS 1 Pot money 5 Granola bit 8 “Harold & ___ Go to White Castle” 13 Transaction of interest 14 “___ oughta...”

15 “Fur ___” (Beethoven piece) 16 Credit card figure 17 “___ silly question... “ 18 Arrest 19 Person using a certain wrench?

(Ted/Ted) 22 Celebratory poem 23 “Before” to poets of old 24 Linger in the tub 25 Ballooned 26 +, on a battery 28 “King Kong” actress Fay 30 “Baudolino” author Umberto 32 Beer menu option 33 Dispatches 35 All-out 39 With 41-Across, what happens when a train worker puts in

overtime? (Bill/Bill) 41 See 39-Across 43 First name in perfumery 44 Anxious feeling 46 Movie studio locale 47 “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” director Lee 49 “Believe ___ Not” 50 Baton Rouge campus, briefly 51 Artificial grass 54 In ___ (harmonized) 56 “What can Brown do for you?” sloganeer 58 “Kill Bill” actress Thurman 59 Castle entrances reserved only for horsemen? (Ted/Bill) 63 Flower’s friend 65 “Blazing Saddles” actress Madeline 66 “A Shot at Love” reality star ___ Tequila 67 Add to your site, as a YouTube video 68 Emanate 69 2015 award for Viola Davis 70 Hilarious people

71 Board + pieces 72 A majority of August births DOWN 1 “Scientific American Frontiers” host Alan 2 Mr. Coward 3 Shaker contents 4 “C’mon in!”

5 Folk song that mentions “with a banjo on my knee” 6 Murray’s “Ghostbusters” costar 7 “The Princess and the Frog” princess 8 “An Affair to Remember” costar 9 “The Subject Was Roses” director Grosbard 10 Not important 11 In a separate place 12 Keep the issues coming 14 Angkor ___ (Cambodian landmark) 20 Stephanopoulos and Brokaw 21 ___ out an existence 25 Subculture known for wearing black

26 Subject of a Magritte painting (or is it?)

27 “Bloom County 2015” character 29 Stephen of “The Crying Game” 31 Dance 34 Be flexible, in a way 36 Does some face recognition?

37 Love, deified 38 Q followers 40 Piece of lettuce 42 Lance of the bench 45 1978 Cronyn/ Tandy play, with “The” 48 “Press Your Luck” network 51 Edible root 52 Taste whose name means “savoriness” in Japanese 53 “First Blood” mercenary 55 “Uh-oh!”

57 “Slumdog Millionaire” actor Dev 59 Part of DINK 60 Big bang beginner 61 Fuzzy red monster 62 Recites 64 Venture capital?

Copyright © 2015 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 0747

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Teach and the Weatherman Officer Alex ruminates on how his feelings about rain have evolved over time

“

It meant summer and warmth and the fascination of seeing steam rise from the asphalt as the sun began to cook off the water, but now?

Now it had an association with premature death.”

Photo by Oshin Beveridge When officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center.

“Oh, yeah, the lack of again. skid marks was a clue, As a teenager, I remembut the clincher was the ber it meaning my books open cell phone there.” and anything outside of I squinted my eyes and my Trapper Keeper was looked around, and was going to get ruined, riskcorrected with a pointed ing a re-write of somefinger. “No, there, right in thing I dreaded doing her hand,” in the first the old place.

On The Beat traffic cop Later on said. “It’s it meant I ALEX TEACH a clue.” A had to slow digital camera made a down to avoid a crash…a simulated clicking sound lesson that wouldn’t have from somewhere behind been wasted on today’s me and he walked on, customer, I believe, her shaking his head. pale hand now protruding The smell of rain on from her Toyota Avalon’s wet asphalt is a pungent driver-side window, fixed one, and one that’s had in a pale claw around an a strange evolution in old clamshell-style phone my life. I remember that I hadn’t seen in years. scent as a young boy and It was a happy smell how it reminded me of that meant summer and the summers in Califorwarmth and the fascinania that were perpetution of seeing steam rise ally warm and most often from the asphalt as the sunny. sun began to cook off the That smell meant the water, but now? Now it sun was going to disaphad an association with pear for a moment and premature death. PreI could run around slapventable trauma that had ping the soles of my kinan irreversible effect on dergarten-age feet on the both the victim and their pavement, trying desperfamilies, and after a few ately to make a puddle a years of this? On my famquarter of an inch deep ily, too, I suppose. splash over my head beI looked down and saw fore the sun took it away a trickle of what most

30 • The Pulse • october 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

people would have assumed was blood moving towards the tip of my boot like a thin and jagged red spear, but this was too dark, of course. Blood from a fatal crash is still oxygenated, it’s bright red; no, this was dark and odorous. Transmission fluid, something that would make the Nozzle Heads working the scene even less pleased than they already were since it would require additional hazardous materials clean up.

I simply took a step back and let the rivulet pass, and again drank in the scene, the smell, the direction of the wind as made clear by the drizzle that had a role in this event. The lead vehicle had stopped for another wreck ahead caused by inclement conditions, and this one almost cer-

tainly was caused by a young mother staring at her cell phone instead of her windshield, physics having neither concern nor sympathy for either.

I eased towards my cruiser, my shift having ended and responsibilities handed off to my replacements, and as I sat behind the wheel I dislodged a now all-toofamiliar bulge in my shirt pocket and stared at my cell phone for just a moment, then tossed it into the passenger-side floorboard.

I was going to go home, as so many others assume they will get to do, and unlike the unfortunate few that don’t always make it there, I was going to take my time doing so.

It was raining after all…and I used to love the rain a very, very long time ago.

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