The Pulse - Vol. 7, Issue 4

BIG RED BOOK • ANOTHER JAM BAND? • CITIZEN WELLES

Opera-tunity in Chattanooga The ABCs of an Aesthetic Endeavor

by Stephanie Smith

FREE • News, Views, Arts & Entertainment • January 28, 2010 • Vol. 7 - Issue 4 • www.chattanoogapulse.com • pulse news 95.3 WPLZ

2010

Publisher Zachary Cooper Contributing Editor Janis Hashe News Editor Gary Poole Calendar Editor Kathryn Dunn Advertising Manager Rhonda Rollins Advertising Sales Rick Leavell, Leif Sawyer, Townes Webb Art Director Kelly Lockhart Graphic Design Jennifer Grelier Staff Photographer Louis Lee Contributing Writers Gustavo Arellano, Rob Brezsny Chuck Crowder, Michael Crumb Hellcat, Joshua Hurley Victoria Hurst, Matt Jones Phillip Johnston, Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D. Stephanie Smith, Alex Teach Colleen Wade Editorial Cartoonist Rick Baldwin Editorial Intern Jonathan Selby Copy Assistant Bryanna Burns Online Services Sharon Chambers Contact Info: Phone (423) 648-7857 Fax (423) 648-7860 info@chattanoogapulse.com Calendar Submissions calendar@chattanoogapulse.com Advertising advertising@chattanoogapulse.com The Pulse is published weekly and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publishers may take more than one copy per weekly issue. The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors.

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ontents

11 OPERA-TUNITY IN CHATTANOOGA

By Stephanie Smith Opera was a powerful awakening to me. Se tu m’ami was the first aria I ever sang and perfectly suited to the dreams of a naïve, romantic 16-year-old girl. And though my Italian was horrible and I breathed in all the wrong places, my grandmother cried when she heard me.

feature stories 16 NOT JUST ANOTHER JAM BAND

By Hellcat I know I am stepping all over the toes of the Chattanooga yuppie by expressing my disgust in Phish, Widespread Panic, and any other band that inspires some poor schmuck to wear a visor.

20 CITIZEN WELLES

By Phillip Johnston In 1940, RKO Pictures occupied the bottom rung of the top tier of American movie studios, producing schmaltzy, assembly-line musicals and B-grade horror films by the bucket load.

The Pulse is published by

24 JUNG'S BIG RED BOOK 1305 Carter Street Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 Letters to the editor must include name, address and daytime phone number for verification. The Pulse reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. Please keep letters within 500 words in length.

The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on culture, the arts, entertainment and local news.

Member

By Michael Crumb 2009 saw the publication of the book containing the artistic vision that influenced Carl Jung’s later work. Titled The Red Book—Liber Novus, it was originally a red, leather-bound folio-sized volume on which Jung worked for 16 years.

24 PIZZA MY HEART

By Colleen Wade Eight years ago, a little slice of heaven opened its doors downtown Chattanooga. Well, actually—it’s where you can get a few slices of heaven. Mellow Mushroom, downtown in the old Coca-Cola building, is celebrating its eighth anniversary on February 22.

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR PULSE BEATS BEYOND THE HEADLINES SHRINK RAP LIFE IN THE NOOG ON THE BEAT SHADES OF GREEN ASK A MEXICAN

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EDITOON CITY COUNCILSCOPE THE LIST POLICE BLOTTER A&E CALENDAR MUSIC CALENDAR NEW IN THEATERS NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SPIRITS WITHIN JONESIN’ CROSSWORD FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Cover layout by Kelly Lockhart

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President Jim Brewer, II

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A L e NU A EY uls U AN N RV e P h AN SU in T X k

JANUARY

Editoon

by Rick Baldwin

Letters to the Editor The recent news about Memorial Hospital’s decision to no longer hire smokers generated a lot of commentary on our web site and e-mails to our editorial staff.

The problem here is overreaching of the hospital to intrude into people’s life outside of work. Smoking, drinking, eating are legal. The hospital is in effect saying you cannot engage in a legal activity outside of work, like skydiving or motorcycle riding, smoking, drinking, eating etc. This does cross the line into personal freedom.

Thomas Quaranto It’s nice that someone is finally willing to risk the lawsuits in order to push this issue to the forefront.

I can’t recall how many places I’ve worked at where productivity is highly affected by smokers who need more then the allowed breaks to satisfy their cravings. Thankfully there’s no law that makes it illegal to not hire someone because of their drug cravings.

Peter Leroo Smokers are already the lepers of the 21st century. Yeah, let’s find another

way to screw with them. Sure, those usurious sin taxes are making piles of money, but we’re spending most of that on good stuff like bombs and prisons and other pork. And, after all, this is just about busting humps—and we can’t ever have too many ways of doing that!

G. W. Hayduke Smoking may be their own business outside of work, but I can tell you a sick person cannot stand the smell of cigarette smoke on nurses clothing, hair etc. And those who are allergic to these type smells, including perfumes, it can make that sick person even sicker….keep chemical smells out of a hospital. I pass by people in markets, etc. and hurry out of the way from the horrible smells, old ladies who cover up body odor with baby powder and stinky perfumes, mixed with filthy bodies it’s an unbearable smell.

Ali Osborne And our List last week about the Top Ten Best-Selling American Beers generated one of our favorite responses of all time.

I do not like Bud or Bud Light.

Please do not place them in my sight.

I will not sip upon a Coors.

It’s not my preference. It’s for curs.

Nor Miller Lite, High Life, or Genuine Would I serve to friend, foe or anyone.

Nor Busch in any variety.

Change the spelling and we’ll see.

And bring me not a Michelob.

I much prefer an old Latrobe.

Or better yet, serve me my Guinness.

For among all beers, it is the Empress.

I do not like this choice of beer.

I hope I’ve made my preference clear.

I do not like your beery list.

I do not like it, get my gist?

“Homebrew” Dave Martin

Send all letters to the editor and questions to info@chattanoogapulse.com We reserve the right to edit letters for content and space. Please include your full name, city and contact information.

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Pulse Beats

Quote Of The Week: A rundown of the newsy, the notable, and the notorious...

“I think it is open to a lot of abuse, especially when it gets down to these local levels.”

—Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Beck, questioning a request to purchase phone surveillance equipment by the sheriff’s office. The request was tabled by the Commission for two weeks to review procedures.

Chattanooga Red Cross Continues Haitian Earthquake Relief The Chattanooga-area Red Cross has been receiving donations to the international relief effort taking place in Haiti since January 13, and to date has received donations from individuals, churches, schools, businesses and community groups in the amount of $46,571. Add in another $26,000 worth of pledges, and the area total rises to $72,571. And that doesn’t include ongoing collection of donations at area businesses, upcoming events and church fund drives.

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity of the community,” said Barbara Alexander, Executive Director for the Greater Chattanooga Area American Red Cross. “When it comes to times of need people count on the Red Cross to be there, but we can’t carry out our mission without the support of the American people. With so much to be done we are stunned by the outpouring of support for Haiti and encourage people to do what they can do support the efforts of the relief workers.”

The infrastructure of Haiti is severely damaged—airports are clogged, roads are treacherous, and there is no large seaport available. This is causing bottlenecks and making it very difficult to get aid into the hands of survivors.

Despite those problems, aid is starting to slowly make its way to those who need help.

“We want aid to move faster, too,” says Claudia Moore, Marketing Director for the Chattanooga Red Cross.

“But it’s going to take government and

relief agencies working together quickly to establish security and expand and repair, airports, roads and seaports to get the relief supplies moving.

“We know this relief effort will take place in two phases: The short-term relief effort is underway now and will continue for many weeks.

We are starting to plan for a long-term recovery effort that will continue for months, if not years. In just the first week of the short-term relief operation we’ve committed and spent funds in three basic areas: food and water, relief supplies and logistical and support services.”

The American Red Cross is just one part of the international relief operation in Haiti. Moore explains, “While many of these items are being distributed by our own workers on the ground, we are also providing supplies, food and logistical items to other Red Cross societies and groups, such as the World Food Program to assist in their efforts.”

This is only the beginning of the American Red Cross relief and recovery effort for Haiti. Over the next several days and weeks, as the international relief effort will grow, so will the monetary commitment of the

Here is one of the more interesting agenda items set to be discussed at the February 2 meeting of the Chattanooga City Council.

5. Ordinances - Final Reading:

American Red Cross. “Right now, it’s important to get relief there as quickly as possible, but also be thoughtful and responsible in how we spend the funds the American people have entrusted to us,” Moore continues.

“We want to ensure that we manage our money wisely so we can ensure that long-term relief is available as well. We are already looking at how the American Red Cross can help meet longer term needs, such as providing reliable shelter, water and sanitation systems.

This is an enormous relief operation now, but we also know it will be a massive long-term recovery effort and the Red Cross will be there throughout,” Moore concluded.

Donations can be made online at www.redcross.org, by calling (800) RED-CROSS, or by dropping off or mailing checks, made out to the Red Cross International Relief Fund, to the chapter at 801 McCallie Ave, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37403.

a) An ordinance adopting a Plan of Services and extending the corporate limits of the City of Chattanooga, Tennessee, by annexing certain territory contiguous to the present corporate limits of said city, being Tax Parcel No. 131-074 in Hamilton County, Tennessee, owned by C. Larry Armour, being more fully described herein.

(Public Hearing.)

This ordinance, and another similar one for a parcel of land located on Aetna Mountain Road, owned by Black Creek Farms, Inc., have been delayed a bit, but are finally coming before the council for a final reading (if the first reading passes, of course).

And while the word “annexation” has not been the most popular phrase used in city government during the past several months, in this case the owners of both parcels came to the city asking to be annexed.

The Chattanooga City Council meets each Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the City Council Building at 1000 Lindsay St. For more information on the agendas, visit www.Chattanooga.gov/City_ Council/110_Agenda.asp

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Beyond The Headlines

By Stuart James

Making the (Party) Switch Four years ago, I was involved in a local county commission race between the current incumbent, Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Beck (D), and his Republican opponent Bernie Miller. Both men are black, and both are from a predominantly black district in Hamilton County. Beck won the election by about 70 percent of the vote.

Four years ago, Miller attended the annual Hamilton County Democratic Party fundraiser before announcing his intentions to run for Hamilton County Commissioner. Miller’s presence gave the impression to those attending the fundraiser that he was a Democrat; he sat with prominent Democrats, including Ward Crutchfield. After attending this dinner, Miller announced his intentions to run against Beck as a Republican.

In 2006, WDEF News described this election as follows: “Democratic incumbent Greg Beck hopes to win his first election...Challenger Bernie Miller seeks to become the first elected African American Republican in county history.”

Miller is now back in local politics, running in the Democratic primary against Beck. According to a local news report, “Dr. Miller, who described himself as a “fiscal conservative and a social moderate,” said many Republicans in the construction business, where he worked, befriended him soon after he ar-

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rived in Chattanooga in 1990. He said he decided to run as a Republican [in 2006] because he had gotten help and candidate training from the GOP when Democrats wouldn’t return his phone calls...”

Switching political parties is difficult. When someone makes the switch, one party feels betrayed and the other has doubts, believing the switch is for one reason—winning. Miller will have to overcome the perception that he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, changing his party label for personal gain and political power. Moreover, many Democrats will believe Republicans are trying to infiltrate Democratic districts by having Republicans switch parties to win elections. Regardless of whether this belief is true, it can be an issue in voters’ minds.

Yet, party switching is nothing new. People such as United States Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama made the switch, but he did so after realizing that the state was becoming more Republican—he made the switch to win. In this case, Miller certainly realizes the district is Democratic, so he may be thinking he can pull a “Richard Shelby”. Miller probably hopes his switch will prevent history from repeating itself.

Miller has a long road to travel in convincing voters in this district that he is now a Democrat. Voters will doubt Miller’s party switch because actions speak louder than words—he associated with key

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Republicans in his community and in Washington for many years. Miller’s party change lacks real explanation. He must offer more substantive reasons for his change.

The only way voters will know if Miller is a wolf in sheep’s clothing is to see how he behaves after his election—or, better yet, to see what he does if he loses. Win or lose, if Miller stays with the Democrats he has a bright future. If he switches again, or bows out of the political scene, the wolf is revealed.

The truth about this election is simple—voters will not know Miller’s true intent until after this election.

A weekly roundup of the newsworthy, notable and often head-scratching stories gleaned from police reports from the Chattanooga Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department and the Dalton Police Department.

• The “Geek Squad” folks are more than happy to help you fix your computer, provided it actually IS your computer. They, however, do not help you fix a stolen computer. Which is good, since the computer experts helped authorities to catch a pair of men who allegedly broke into Normal Park Lower School last week and stole a number of computers. The geeks became suspicious when the two men brought a pair of computers into Best Buy and asked a staff person to change the passwords. A school teacher recognized the screen savers on the computers, which led to the arrest of the two. And in an unrelated, but somewhat amusing note, when officers went to the hotel where the men were staying to see if they could find other stolen equipment, they found a meth lab operating in a nearby room.

• If you are young, fairly stupid, and have a very fast car, you probably think street racing is a cool way to spend a Friday night.

However, it is generally not a good idea to video your races and post them to the Internet, at least if you don’t want to get caught.

Chattanooga traffic investigators saw the video and posted unmarked vehicles and video cameras in the area of 153 and I-75 in anticipation of another Friday race. The result was the arrest of four men driving heavily modified cars at speeds in excess of 100 mph from 153 up

Top Ten Movies Adjusted For Inflation

towards the Hamilton Place Mall exit on I-75. If you are the owner of a fast car, remember to leave the street racing to the movies—and off the Internet.

• Having a neighbor move away and leave their beaten-up old van in the driveway of their vacant home can be seen as an annoying neighborhood eyesore. However, that does not make it OK to have the van towed, crushed and sold for scrap. Which is unfortunate, as much to the annoyance of the former neighbor and owner of the van, that is just what one Chattanooga man did. After an investigation, the man, a senior firefighter with the Chattanooga Fire Department, was arrested, charged with theft and fraudulently transferring a motor vehicle. He is currently on personal leave from the fire department.

• And a lot of people hold grudges against former employers.

Many of them even want to do something to get even. Some of them go as far as committing an illegal act in their quest for revenge against wrongs both real and perceived. However, it is quite rare to hear about a former employee who talks her 11-year-old son into committing an armed robbery as part of that revenge. Which is what an East Tennessee woman is accused of doing, after the son used a pellet gun to steal $80 from a finance company that had once employed the mother. Officers say the boy claimed he was given $20 of the ill-gotten gains as payment, and that his mother drove the getaway car. She’s facing a laundry list of charges, while juvenile authorities are considering what exactly to do with the pre-teen John Dillinger.

1. Gone with the Wind (1939) $1,485,028,000 2. Star Wars (1977) $1,309,179,000 3. The Sound of Music (1965) $1,046,753,000 4. E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) - $1,042,629,400 5. The Ten Commandments (1956) - $962,850,000 6. Titanic (1997) - $943,342,300 7. Jaws (1975) - $941,379,300 8. Doctor Zhivago (1965) $912,395,600 9. The Exorcist (1973) $812,679,700 10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - $801,150,000 By the time you read this, James Cameron’s Avatar will have taken the top spot in the alltime list for highest grossing films, having finished this past weekend just $2,000,000 behind Titanic. But when inflation is taken into account, Avatar is only 26th, just behind Grease.

However, Cameron shouldn’t feel too bad. Not only does his Titanic still sit in the top ten, considering that Avatar has only been in theaters for less than 50 days and is still number one at the box office, it appears that it will continue to money handover-CGI-fist for many weeks and months to come.

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Shrink Rap

By Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D

A Positive Attitude W

e have kicked off the year with discussions about wellness—trusting our “internal healer” and putting ourselves in the driver’s seat for our psychological and physical health; understanding how thoughts lead to words lead to actions lead to one’s reality; the power and energy of intentions, meditation, and prayer; and the importance of mind, body, and spiritual balance in one’s life.

(Check out the past few columns of “Shrink Rap” if you missed any of this.)

Now I want to round out this wellness month with a discussion about the power of a positive attitude. Have you ever noticed that people with a positive attitude tend to hang out together and people with a negative attitude also hang out together? The people in the positive group tend to look at the negative group as complainers, while the negative group tends to view the positive group as naïve, unrealistic, or overly “cheery”.

Consider this: a person’s perspective determines his or her reality. You’ve been reading in this column about thoughts, words, and deeds creating your reality. Well, what’s behind these?

Your attitude about yourself and your life! Positive folks often face the same challenges as negative folks, except that negative people have their thoughts and energies focused on the problems and the consequences of the problems, while positive people focus their thoughts and energies on succeeding despite the problems. Having a positive attitude makes a significant difference not only

in a person’s level of success, but also in their enjoyment of life. I’d suggest to you that we have much more power to change our reality than most of us realize!

Is it always easy to keep a positive outlook on life? Of course not. So how does one turn a negative attitude into a positive one? The same way someone with a positive attitude maintains it.

By reducing and eliminating negative influences in your life, and embracing positive ones. We’re bombarded with messages throughout the day and night.

Some of them are healthy and some of them are just plain bad for you. We get “messages” from family, friends, co-workers, radio, newspaper, TV, music, the Internet, billboards, books, magazines, and any number of other sources. If YOU don’t decide what goes into your head, then someone else will.

Michael Beck, a well-known business coach and motivational speaker, offers these tips for creating a negative-topositive shift: Eliminate the Negatives • Read the newspaper discriminately • Watch less TV news • Stop seeking the negative on the Internet • Stop hanging around negative people Introduce Positives • Start hanging around positive people • Start reading motivational or inspirational books—biographies, personal growth, success principles, etc.

• Start listening to CDs— motivational, personal growth, uplifting music, etc.

And also, this week, I want to invite you to be part of a place that strives to incorporate and actualize all of these topics and more.

My new mind/body/spirit wellness

center, “Well Nest,” is the culmination of a 20-year dream to offer several holistic modalities for healing and wellbeing under one roof. It is the first stage of what I hope to develop over the years into an ever-evolving, growing center where people can address their mental, physical, and spiritual needs in a safe, comfortable environment, guided and supported by caring professionals and experts in their fields.

Well Nest offers individual psychotherapy, relationship counseling, clinical hypnotherapy, meditation and yoga classes, massage therapy (including reflexology, hot stone, and couple’s massage), diverse support groups (such as relationship, empowerment, bereavement, healing), and educational seminars (everything from nutrition, to spirituality, to local author readings).

Groups and classes are largely based upon community need and request, so I invite you to engage with us at Well Nest, and be a part of building this creative support system for Chattanooga. You may want to utilize the services, teach a class, or facilitate wellness in a personal and unique way.

Let’s talk.

The grand opening is Saturday, January 30, from 2 – 6 pm, in East Ridge. I hope you’ll join me for live music, local art, hot mulled cider, and good conversation with the Well Nest practitioners, who can answer your questions about all of the above healing modalities and more. Call or write for directions: (423) 326-7099, or DrRPH@aol.com. Also, the new website will be launched soon and it’s a good way to stay in touch. Visit www.

WellNestChattanooga.com.

I truly believe that Well Nest, as but one example, is manifesting because enough people with positive attitudes and energy have wanted to create such a place.

“Negative people have their thoughts and energies focused on the problems and the consequences of the problems, while positive people focus their thoughts and energies on succeeding despite the problems.”

Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, minister, and educator, in private practice in Chattanooga, and is the author of “Empowering the Tribe” and “The Power of a Partner.” Contact him online at www.drrph.com

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Cover Story

By Stephanie Smith

“To lose opera in this community, everyone would lose. Opera can light a passion that people didn’t know existed within themselves.”

Opera-tunity in Chattanooga “Se tu' m'ami, se tu sospiri Sol per me, gentil pastor, Ho dolor de' tuoi martiri, Ho diletto del tuo amor. ” Translation: “If you love me, if you sigh Only for me, dear shepherd, I am sorrowful for your sufferings; yet I delight in your love.”

— Paolo Antonio Rolli (1687-1765)

O pera was a powerful awakening to me. Se tu m’ami was the first aria I ever sang and perfectly suited to the dreams of a naïve, romantic 16-year-old girl. And though my Italian was horrible and I breathed in all the wrong places, my grandmother, an avid lifelong opera supporter, cried when she heard me.

She was stunned that I had come into her world and thrilled at the dramatic intensity with which I delivered the song.

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Cover Story I think it’s fair to say that I would not be as involved in as many artistic endeavors as I am today, had I not witnessed the powerful effect of opera.

Opera inspires that intensity and passion like no other art form; people who love it love it for a lifetime. The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera wants to ignite passion in those undiscovered opera fans, introducing them to an aesthetic world the likes of which they have never experienced.

The CSO, however, is facing a crisis similar to many arts organizations today: How do they present quality artistry on a manageable budget and get the community involved? As of now, no one has the complete answer, but they are vigorously searching for a solution. The “opera-tunities” in Chattanooga are limitless if everyone takes into account the ABCs that are necessary to make opera thrive.

Accessing Artistry The word opera means “work” in Italian.

And work it is—translating words and music by combining soloists, choruses, orchestras, sets, costumes, ballet, and drama in front of a live audience. The effort by the singers alone is spectacular.

“Opera is like the Olympics for singers,” says chorus master Darrin Hassevoort. “It’s no longer acceptable for an artist to sing pretty and be believable in a scene and I think that’s a good thing.

There are some arias that I don’t think a 20-year-old should sing, but you can still find a 35-year-old who looks 20. Singers have to stay in shape, take care of their body, and think about their physique; the day of the fat opera singer is out.

“Opera tells a story and we need to now address the theatrical side of it.” This is a challenging job, but the artistic satisfaction is worth it. It is Hassevoort’s job to teach the chorus the music and language and also to conduct staging rehearsals.

He is passionate about his work and the results show. A recent production of La Boheme received overwhelming praise from sold-out audiences.

The choice of productions is up to the board of directors but is heavily influenced by Robert Bernhardt. Bernhardt is in his 15th season as music director and conductor and remains as enthusiastic about opera as when he first got here. Despite budget cuts that have reduced the number of opera productions in a given season, he thinks the quality of the productions has grown tremendously.

“In my opinion, opera has come a long way.

In my tenure I have participated in wonderful performances of great masterpieces; it makes me very proud,” he says.

The increased quality is due in part to the CSO’s focus on hiring singers from New York for the

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major roles. Traditionally luxe sets and costumes are also what the public wants and therefore that’s what they get. The professionalism of productions has come to be the hallmark of the CSO. “In our market it’s less about how old the audiences are,” says Executive Director Molly Sasse.

“People just expect a bells-and-whistles kind of opera. What everybody wants are costumes, staging and sets that you applaud when the curtain goes up.”

One thing everyone can agree on is that opera needs to stay in Chattanooga. The artistry is appreciated by audiences young and old.

“I think it’s fair to say that opera is the largest and youngest audience that we have,” Bernhardt says. “To some extent this is shocking, but also absolutely delighting and gratifying to all of us. Lots of kids go on dates to the opera—even high school, but especially college kids. They read the story ahead of time and some even listen to the score.

They know we have subtitles at every performance; if they don’t understand Italian or German or even English, they will comprehend what’s going on as well as the visual and the glorious music that is opera.

“That’s another reason opera is so appealing—it is a bombardment of the senses. Opera for the most part is right at you; the plots and the music are right in your face and get right in the heart of [both] the listener and performer.”

Balancing Budget “Costs have risen twice as much as revenues since 2007,” explains Sasse. “Look at each individual opera, [what it takes] to pay people for three weeks of opera, sets and costumes, including in the pit, onstage, and backstage. As you are sitting in your seat, over 100 people are involved in entertaining you [each night].

“What’s really sad about economics of it all is that even when we sell out—and the operas are the

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most popular thing we do—there’s [at least] a $100,000 deficit after ticket sales. Corporate sponsorships are not what they used to be, and in a down economy that’s easy to understand.”

“The big problem is money, but only for anybody you ask,” jokes Bernhardt. “They’ll tell you across the board in any arts organization.

In this economy, everybody’s having trouble these days.

“Let me give you an overview.

The opera and the symphony merged more than 20 years ago to become the CSO, and for the first 20 years, fundraising was capable of covering both the symphony and opera. Costs started going up—for cast, backstage crew, orchestra, soloists, costumes—and fundraising started to lag. We couldn’t justify the budget—opera just costs more— and because we couldn’t, something had to give. Finally it came down to the fact that we had a real problem and [the board] decided we had to take a break for one year in order to try to get ourselves balanced again.

“Several plans were put in place. We went to more than three dozen groups to get advice on what to do to make opera healthy and we took it to board level and discussed it. We even focused [exclusively] on opera [from a budget perspective].”

Bernhardt continues, “Opera demands a special kind of fundraisers. It needs champions, you know what I mean? We’ve got to get people to help us because they love opera as much as we do.”

To that end, the board is bringing in The Opera Show on February 6, and half of everyone’s ticket price will be going to the new and dedicated opera fund, which will raise money until the CSO has enough money to produce an opera on the grand scale Chattanoogans are used to.

The Opera Show premiered in England in 2008 and is performed by an eclectic company of four vocalists, five dancers and eight musicians. The show is presented in vivid visual style and anchored by a collection of well-known arias, including La Donna e Mobile, The Flower Duet, O Mio Babbino Caro, O Sole Mio, and Queen of the Night.

“It’s my understanding that it’s opera with a kind of Cirque du Soleil infusion,” explains Hassevoort.

“I’ve never seen it, but what I’ve read about it is that is has that flavor to it; it’s a way of bringing opera to the masses.”

“I hope The Opera Show will sell out.” Sasse says. “I really wish the opera fans will understand and turn out; otherwise, with our board I don’t know what the impetus will be to continue [opera].

[People] need to support it financially.”

In addition to The Opera Show fundraiser, the CSO is using the 2009-2010 season to explore its options. Ideas floated about have been to bring in regional tours of operas, collaborate with local arts organizations and limiting productions to every other year or three years.

As for the long term, Harv Wileman, creator of

Cover Story

the very successful “Hops & Opera” events, believes “it’s going to take an investment by the people who have the money— transferring that love to their children who will one day be in a position to give. If [young people] decide they love opera, they may end up one day making a lot of money in the business world and continue to support opera.”

Community Commitment “Opera is an art form that sells itself,” says Wileman. “It has been a part of Chattanooga for decades and decades; much longer than in other cities of this size. I didn’t grow up in an artistic family, but I knew opera was part of the fabric of the community. I knew it was out there and I never dreamed I would be a part of it.”

“To lose opera in this community, everyone would lose,” explains Hassevoort. “I’ve seen opera pull in people to the arts through involvement unlike anything else, even down to people playing supers—roles that don’t sing and [simply] do things onstage. Opera can light a passion that people didn’t know existed within themselves.”

Toward that end, the CSO is collaborating for the first time with both the Chattanooga Theatre

Centre and the Chattanooga Ballet on a production of Amahl and the Night Visitors in November 2010. “Amahl” is a one-act opera

by Gian Carlo Menotti that was commissioned by NBC in 1951 and became the first opera specifically composed for television in America.

“It’s not a ‘grand opera’—nobody dies—but I remember watching it on TV every Christmas holiday. It will be a nice addition to our holiday offerings and we’re really looking forward to collaborating with the CTC and Chattanooga Ballet,” Hassevoort says.

“The sets will be built locally, we’ll use dancers from local dance companies, and we’ll try to use as much as possible the local singers— we like to give local people a shot.

All of that makes it possible to continue opera and that’s the most important part…people need to know we are starting back, doing ‘Amahl’. We’re trying as much as possible to make opera a constant and permanent part of our repertoire.”

The Opera Show $50 - $100 8 p.m., Saturday, February 6 Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad Street (423) 267-8583. www.chattanoogasymphony.org

95.3 Pulse News www.chattanoogapulse.com 1.28.10 The Pulse

13

Life In The Noog

By Chuck Crowder

A Woman’s Intuition Is A Man’s Worst Nightmare A

sk any woman any question about anything she holds near and dear and you’ll be very surprised as to the level of accuracy and detail her mind can conjure up. Names, dates, times, places, outfits worn, dinner entrees eaten, drinks consumed, gifts given and most importantly—conversations that took place.

Because, as any guy will tell you, any woman in his life—whether it’s a wife, girlfriend, booty call, sister, mother, aunt or grandmother—can remember anything and everything he has ever said, done, thought about doing, worn, eaten, dreamt, and may or may not have accomplished (depending on what he told them at the time).

A guy, on the other hand, can’t tell you what he had for lunch yesterday.

A guy forgets birthdays, anniversaries, friends’ names, friends’ kids’ names, eye colors, what he gave or received as a birthday/holiday gift on any given year, and especially what you wore, ate, said or did on any given occasion.

However, ask him to recite his favorite scene from Raising Arizona, the lyrics to “Brown Sugar” or any side character from —, and he’ll be Johnny-on-the-spot with the correct answer—every time.

That’s because guys only choose to remember what they want to remember. Things they find interesting. Things they can talk about

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with other guys. Things that make them laugh. Stupid things. Girls, on the other hand, can remember everything about a person and/or event from the past. Good, bad, scary, tearful, blissful, wasteful, funny, insulting and of course—anything you ever did to make them mad.

They say an elephant never forgets, so women must be a first-cousinonce-removed from the common pachyderm. They have minds like steel traps. Nothing gets by them. But what’s even scarier is that, in addition to what they genuinely “know” has happened in the past, they also have a keen sense of speculating what “might,” “will,” or “has” happened behind their back. It’s called “women’s intuition,” and it’ll bite you on the ass if you’re not careful.

Just like kryptonite is to Superman, a woman’s intuition can destroy any guy’s ability to get away with anything. Even if you think you’ve slipped one past her, she’ll smell fear and apprehension like a shark, and

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will go to any length to find out if your “lie” checks out. And guy, let me tell ya, it never does.

Without knowing the exact details, or even caring, her cat-like instinct can tell whether you’ve “misrepresented” yourself, a colleague or event in any way. She may know immediately, or it’ll hit her at some random time in the future. But they’ll be something you say, do, play off, or get nervous about that’ll trip her internal alarm like a cat burglar. And then, you’ve got some ’splaining to do.

The problem is, because guys can’t remember anything, we have a hard time realizing how much a woman already might know about the situation at hand. We start in on what sounds like a great explanation of our previously oblivious actions and she calls us to the mat with details about what was said or done like it happened yesterday. Each detail reveals new sparks of suspicion that serve as yet more pieces of the puzzle she’s been working on in her head since she got her first “intuition” of deceit back when the event originally happened. Then it all comes to her like a revelation. And that’s when you know you’re screwed.

She’s got the goods on you now, and you’ll pay. Even if she makes up some stuff to fill in the gaps, we wouldn’t know it. We don’t remember anything, and we’re always wrong when we try. So guys, it’s best to just give in, take your medicine, and do whatever it takes to get in their good graces again. That is, unless you did it on purpose. In that case, best of luck.

“Guys only choose to remember what they want to remember.

Things they find interesting.

Things they can talk about with other guys.

Things that make them laugh. Stupid things.”

Chuck Crowder is a local writer and general man about town. His opinions are just that. Everything expressed is loosely based on fact, and crap he hears people talking about. Take what you just read with a grain of salt, but pepper it in your thoughts. And be sure to check out his popular website www.thenoog.com

95.3 Pulse News www.chattanoogapulse.com 1.28.10 The Pulse

15

Music Feature

By Hellcat

Not Just Another Jam Band L

et me just say that I hate a jam band. I hate all jam bands. I detest the thought of me attending your practice and you calling it a show. It’s the lazy way to play music, because technically, you should have worked out your sound and your songs way before I buy my first beer at the show.

I know I am stepping all over the toes of the Chattanooga yuppie by expressing my disgust in Phish, Widespread Panic, and any other band that inspires some poor schmuck to wear a visor. This leads me to the band I am scrutinizing currently, Moon Taxi. If I had paid any heed to the reviews and descriptions posted all over that sweet Internet, I would have never given them a chance. I would have never written this article, because it would have been like signing up for a voluntary self-torture class. Reviews comparing them to Phish and String Cheese Incident made me tense up with dread.

However, with my lips curled into a smirk, I braced myself for overwhelming disappointment and hit play. Wow. What a relief. They don’t sound like anything resembling horrible. They have more backwoods funk and Southern pull weighting down their bass strings than any jam band would. It’s heavy and light at the same time and it has a feel-good nature about it.

Warning for goth kids: Listening to this band may cause strange feelings of happiness, and your mouth muscles to contract into an involuntary smile. Please, listen with caution. I get to make this reference, because at one time I was a goth kid, and I don’t want anyone out there getting hurt.

Hailing from Nashville, Moon Taxi definitely has that bayou blues feel that I have grown to love, as any good Southern woman should. Although… it is the nastiness of it that keeps my attention, and this band is just filthy with funk. I can’t say that this is a jam band with any sort of conviction, because it isn’t. It’s entirely too complex and layered, covering such a variety of genres that it could never be a jam band. The diversity of the sound, plus a hint of Allman Brothers, keeps this music from being just a

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jam, and infuses just enough rock to make the sound unique. They have been playing together for five years. They started out as the string section in a rock band, which could explain where their variances originated. When they added keys to their line-up, they really started to take off. I got a chance to speak to Trevor Terndrup, the lead singer, and get a little more perspective.

Hellcat: So, what’s with this jam band pigeonhole you’ve been put in?

Trevor Terndrup: People look at jam bands and think they are trite and can’t sing. That’s not the case with us at all. We take our music seriously, some of it is sacred to us. We are a rock band that can jam. We’ve fused the two genres together into something new. We play Rage Against the Machine and Jay-Z covers. If someone thinks we are a jam band, they aren’t putting that much thought into it. We are heavy. I mean, we don’t even smoke pot (laughs). We are energy freaks, really, and rock kids and jam kids get down the hardest and we feed off of that.

HC: I always ask where the band name comes from, and to be honest Moon Taxi is definitely the type of name that would make me think you smoked pot. A lot of pot. What’s the real reason?

TT: The name came from the idea that music is a vehicle that can take you to the next level. Music is a form of transportation in that sense, meant to elevate you. That is where “taxi” came from. The “moon” portion of the name came from the thought that the moon is not only a location that you look up to, and that guides you

“It is the nastiness of it that keeps my attention, and this band is just filthy with funk.” through the dark but it also makes people go crazy. I think that is what music is supposed to do as well.

HC: Ah-ha. I would agree with you there. The moon also makes people have a bunch of babies, which music could also do. I am sure that groupies everywhere would agree. I personally think Marvin Gaye is solely responsible for the influx in population.

TT: Oh, absolutely, with “Let’s Get it On” alone, I am sure.

HC: What do you see yourself doing this year?

TT: New management helps. Hitting up the East Coast as much as possible. Meeting people and having the pleasure of playing music for them. I’d like to put out a new album, or maybe two EPs—we definitely have enough material for them. I’d like us to get back in the studio and see what happens.

HC: The verdict is in: You ain’t no jam band.

Moon Taxi with Underhill $7 10 p.m.

Saturday, February 6 Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market Street (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

Music Calendar Friday

Thursday

So Long Forgotten, Ocean is Theory, OFAC, Half Price Hero, Servant Advocate Rock on before the weekend arrives. $6 7 p.m.

The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn

Send your calendar events to us at calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

Strung Like A Horse, Tiffany Taylor and Gerle Haggard 8 p.m. Lindsay Street Hall, 901 Lindsay Street (423) 755-9111. www.lindsaystreethall.com Crazy Karaoke with Stephen and Claire 9 p.m. Images, 6500 Lee Hwy. www.imagesbar.com Joe and Vicki Price 6 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestaurant.com Fried Chicken Trio 9 p.m.The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. (423) 499-5055.

40 oz. Folklore, The Scams, Hill St. Holligans, Capt. Black, Fist of the North Star 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

Missy Raines and the New Hip Bluegrass, bass and lots of good vibes. $12 9 p.m.

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

Saturday

Alex B of Pnuma with DJ Kidsmeal, Digital Butter, and Bookworm Our own Digital Butter throws it down, with help from friends. $12 10 p.m.

Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

Monday The Chariot, Greeley Estates, Inhale Exhale, Memphis May Fire, The Color Morale 6 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn Old Tyme Players 6 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Paul Longhorn’s 18 Piece Chattanooga Big Band 7:30 p.m. Lindsay Street Hall, 901 Lindsay Street (423) 755-9111. www.lindsaystreethall.com The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com

Uncle Lightnin 6 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Mark Kelly Hall and Charlesey Etheridge 6 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestaurant.com Veil of Maya, Animals as Leaders, Circle of Contempt, Periphery, Permillisecond 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn Poisonville Rats, Back Seat Bingo, Local Union 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 634-1074.

The Nedski Mojo Show 8 p.m. Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. www.christunity.org

Wartehouse Blues 9 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Matt Urmy 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Madeline 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Appetite for Destruction 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Bud Lightning 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Road. (423) 499-9878, www.budssportsbar.com Cadillac Saints 10 p.m. T-Bones, 1419 Chestnut Street. (423) 266-4240.

Sunday Standing Small, Cool Hand Luke, Apple Trees and Tangerines, Farethewell 7:30 p.m. Club Fathom, 412 Market Street. (423) 757-0019. www.clubfathom.com Deathloch, Sordid Blood, Shadowdepth, Waste and Regret 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 634-1074.

Kate Klim 8 p.m. Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. www.christunity.org Open Mic Challenge 9 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestaurant.com Molly Maguires 9 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com

Ryan Oyer CD Release Party 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com D.J. at the Palms 9 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Computer and Friends with Nite Nite 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Channing Wilson 10 p.m. T-Bones, 1419 Chestnut Street. (423) 266-4240. www.tboneschattanooga.com DJ Spicolli Raw Sushi Bar Restaurant & Nightclub, 409 Market Street, (423) 756-1919. www.myspace.com/jimstriker

Tuesday

Wednesday

The Ghost Inside, For the Fallen Dreams, Suffokate, Your Demise, BTWR, Gideon 6 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge.

Ben Friberg Trio 7 p.m. Table Two, 232 E. 11th Street. (423) 756-8253. www.table2restaurant.com Billy Hopkins 8 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Open Mic 8 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996.

Spoken Word/Poetry Night 8 p.m. The Riverhouse, 224 Frazier Avenue, (423) 752-0066.

Wraith Manager, The Judas Horse, Sexual Allstars You just have to love the names of these bands. $7 10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

Open Mic w/Jeff Daniels 4 p.m. Ms. Debbie’s Nightlife Lounge 4762 Highway 58.

(423) 485-0966. www.myspace.com/debbieslounge Irish Sessions Music 6:30 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Open Mic 8 p.m. Gene’s Bar & Grill, 724 Ashland Terrace. (423) 870-0880. myspace.com/genem14 DJ GOP The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com For last minute changes and updates, be sure to visit chattanoogahasfun.com for the latest music events calendar.

Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week

Ben Friberg Trio 7 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com

Deathloch, Sordid Blood, Shadowdepth, Waste and Regret

Jill Andrews of The Everybody Fields with Dave Dykes 9 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

All hell breaks loose this Saturday when some serious metal comes to Ziggy’s Hideaway. Get ready to lose your voice… along with some blood.

Not all of those axes will be guitars!

DJ GOP The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com For last minute changes and updates, be sure to visit chattanoogahasfun.com for the most comprehensive music and events calendar in Chattanooga.

Saturday, January 30 $6 8 p.m.

Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 634-1074. www.myspace.com/ ziggyshideaway

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New Music Reviews

By Ernie Paik

Luc Ferrari

The Necks

L’œuvre électronique

Silverwater

(Ina GRM)

(Fish of Milk/ReR)

T

he development of new musical technology can lead to creative bursts and even movements, and one such example is the invention of the magnetic tape recorder in the 1930s.

From this device came musique concrète, a type of music developed

by Pierre Schaeffer in France in the ’40s that uses recorded sounds to create pieces, instead of traditional notes and rhythms. It’s not simply random sounds, like a stock soundeffect CD on shuffle play; it’s something that Schaeffer and others approached from an academic standpoint, leading to a meticulous classification of sounds and requiring the artist to be an expert arranger and sound manipulator. The most popular example of musique concrète is the least-loved Beatles song “Revolution 9”—bless the Beatles for making that track, but take it from me: there’s a lot of musique concrète that is much better.

Take the work of French artist Luc Ferrari and the astounding release at hand, L’œuvre électronique, a massive 10-CD boxed set retrospective of Ferrari’s tape music that spans 1958 to 2003. Just about every sound imaginable can be found within—nature sounds, speech, machinery, and so on—and the range of emotions that the sounds can convey is remarkable. Ferrari strived to make radio-phonic storytelling, or

P

“cinema for the ears.” As Ferrari’s wife, Brunhild, explained in the liner notes, “Luc liked the idea that the listeners build their own images and scenes. Of course, he also wanted to create emotions and reactions in all his works.”

Certain pieces have a distinct sensual appeal, with Ferrari using the sounds of women laughing or just breathing. Within the 10-hours worth of material are several of Ferrari’s masterpieces, such as the fascinatingly expansive and unpredictable “Hétérozygote” and the minimal, yet strangely gripping “Presque Rien” (“Almost Nothing”) pieces that prominently feature insect and frog sounds and other nighttime ambient noises. His “Far West News” pieces are like aural travelogues, using material recorded in the USA, and the last work on the set, “Les Arythmiques” from 2003 (two years before his death) was inspired by a trip to the emergency room and going into cardiac arrest.

Ferrari could transform everyday sounds into incredible pieces of art, and in his field, it’s understood that a musician must have an acute talent for listening.

op music can be like fast food, in that it strives to deliver immediate satisfaction; on the opposite end of the spectrum are long, Europeanstyle evening meals that slowly unfurl and last for hours.

The Necks, an unclassifiable Australian instrumental trio, would be the musical equivalent of those banquets. To enter their world requires a few things, including an uninterrupted time commitment and patience, and this is because a typical album from the Necks has a single hour-long song.

The threesome—pianist Chris Abrahams, drummer Tony Buck, and bassist Lloyd Swanton—has the instrumentation of a jazz combo and largely improvises its pieces, but it’s not jazz. The outfit has an element of minimalism, often using repeated figures that change in subtle ways, and it might take five or ten minutes for a change to even register. The band’s slow builds can lead to some immense payoffs, and the listener knows when the magic really kicks in, because all sense of time is lost while submerged in a hypnotic blissful state.

The group’s latest studio album, Silverwater, distinguishes itself in a few ways; the band uses a

wider sound palette than usual, including shakes of a bamboo rattle, guitar strums (played by Tony Buck), and a bed of glitchy electronics. In general, it’s more sprawling than a usual Necks album, and some instruments enter more abruptly than expected. The initial build-up uses vibrating organ tones, punctuated with gongs and chimes before tension grows with the bamboo rattle, a single, repeated piano note, and mirrored tom hits. A mysterious, noir-ish scene is conveyed with a disciplined four-note double bass pattern and plaintive piano chords, and at about the 32-minute point, the piece becomes anchored with drumbeats among the multiple layers. The final act begins with all sounds dropping out except for a pulsing keyboard, leading to a cool-down reprise of the noir motif. Silverwater takes the Necks’ disciplined approach and stretches it a little, resulting in a subtly complicated, immersive, and utterly compelling album.

95.3 Pulse News www.chattanoogapulse.com 1.28.10 The Pulse

19

Film Feature

Citizen Welles

By Phillip Johnston

“Welles had clearly changed the game by bringing Shakespeare to Broadway—a prelude to his forthcoming revolution of the film medium.”

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I

n 1940, RKO Pictures occupied the bottom rung of the top tier of American movie studios. While MGM was releasing film after film with big name stars attached and Paramount had brilliant directors like Cecil B. DeMille and Billy Wilder hard at work, RKO was producing schmaltzy, assemblyline musicals and B-grade horror films by the bucket load.

The heads of the studio met and realized a paradigm shift was in order for RKO and that without one, the studio would collapse. So they did what most reasonable people do when pressed for change: They gambled.

The gamble was on an impetuous 25-year-old thespian named Orson Welles. RKO offered Welles total control of all studio resources to make one film—and as soon as he stepped on the studio’s property, he ushered in a total restructuring of visual storytelling. The resulting movie was Citizen Kane, and it is considered by many to be the best film ever made.

Comparing Welles’ innovation in Citizen Kane to anything else is tricky business. He was the first American filmmaker to tell a story in nonlinear fashion. He translated stage

The Pulse 1.28.10 www.chattanoogapulse.com 95.3 Pulse News

techniques to the silver screen, putting physical distance between actors to mirror emotional distance.

Working with Gregg Toland behind the camera, Welles pioneered deepfocus cinematography, allowing people and objects from three to 30 feet away from the camera to be seen clearly in a single frame.

Even so, the tragic thing about Welles is that, aside from Citizen Kane, his genius went underappreciated for the rest of his life. Working prints of his films were carelessly lost by studios, ravaged by fire, and choppily re-edited by greedy studio heads. Post-“Kane,” the only truly pure Welles film is the documentary F for Fake that he had to edit himself to keep his vision intact.

Richard Linklater’s new film Me and Orson Welles is the first film in the Chattanooga Arts and Education Council’s Spring Independent Film Series and it is a vision of a young Welles’ work in the New York theater scene, particularly his production of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. No doubt an exaggerated account, it shows Welles’ dramatic genius at work— warts and all.

Zac Efron (High School Musical) plays 17-year-old Richard Samuels, a young man bored with school and with dreams of Broadway. He has a chance encounter with the Mercury Theatre Company outside their run-down

theatre and finds himself in the midst of a conversation with their director, Orson Welles (Christian McKay in an acclaimed performance).

Richard notices that Welles has a moldable ego and plays off his competitive spirit to land a role in the production. Welles casts him as Lucius and pairs him with a beautiful production assistant named Sonja (Claire Danes), a young woman willing to do just about anything to break into the biz, to help him learn the tricky language of the Bard.

Rehearsals start and it becomes obvious that Richard has no acting ability whatsoever. The whole cast worries, but Welles, confident in his directing prowess, is too busy conducting radio interviews and bedding young women to notice.

Richard takes a liking to Sonja; she sleeps with Orson to get further ahead.

Passions flare and the show must go on.

The Orson Welles production of Julius Caesar was a thoroughly edited one (he changed the setting from ancient Rome to fascist Italy) and quite melodramatic (Cinna the poet was lynched not by a mob but by a secret police force). No surprise that it was an audience favorite, provoking a three-minute applause and rave reviews. Welles had clearly changed the game by bringing Shakespeare to Broadway—a prelude to his forthcoming revolution of the film medium.

Still, it seems no one knew the genius of Orson Welles better than Orson Welles. Word has it that this megalomania made him insufferable to work with, and it could be why during the last 20 years of his life, he was relegated to acting in champagne commercials, hosting cheap Bible prophecy “films,” and whoring his inimitable deep voice out as “the voice of God” in one cheap movie after another.

The mighty sometimes fall but are remembered for their peaks of greatness. Me and Orson Welles is sure to show the flawed genius of Orson Welles in all its maniacal splendor. His is a name that should not be forgotten.

Me and Orson Welles Directed by Richard Linklater Starring Zac Efron, Christian McKay, Claire Danes Rated PG-13 Running time: 114 minutes

New in Theaters Edge of Darkness There was a time when Mel Gibson was considered “money in the bank” as far as Hollywood was concerned.

His name on a movie marquee was a guarantee of box-office success. He was one of the most bankable stars of the ’80s and ’90s. Then…things got weird.

His last leading role was M. Night Shyamalan’s 2002 flop Signs. It’s not that Mel disappeared—far from it. His turns behind the camera in the highly controversial (and highly profitable) The Passion of the Christ and the equally on-the-edge-of-filmmaking Apocalypto, combined with his highly publicized drunk-driving arrest and subsequent anti-Semitic rant kept him firmly in the public eye. But now Mel has returned to his former place of glory: in front of the camera. Director Martin Campbell has adapted his own 1985 British miniseries Edge of Darkness with Gibson playing a familiar “angry cop with issues” role as an agonized homicide detective determined to avenge the murder of his only daughter, while at the same time uncovering corporate corruption and political conspiracy. Campbell’s BBC miniseries was very well received, and he brings a sure hand to adapting the story both for the big screen and for American audiences (while dealing with the usual issues of reworking a mid80s story), but the real question that his film will answer is whether or not Gibson still has the power to get people

into a theater. Which is many ways is a great disservice to Campbell, as the film itself is a tightly wound dramatic piece, abounding with tension and suspense.

Gibson gives a very game performance, the supporting cast, while at times rather one-dimensional, handle their roles with skill, and the pacing is quite good. Yet one has to wonder if maybe, just maybe, Gibson’s casting was not the bankable choice it once was.

Starring: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone Director: Martin Campbell Rating: R

Also in Theaters When in Rome (New) While traveling in Rome, Kristen Bell plucks some magic coins from a special fountain, attracting an assortment of odd suitors.

The Book of Eli Denzel Washington fights his way across a postapocalyptic wasteland to protect a book that holds the key to humanity’s future.

Extraordinary Measures Harrison Ford stars in the true story of a scientist who partners with a couple to develop a cure for a rare disease killing their children.

Legion A group of strangers in a desert diner must defend themselves against a legion of angels sent by God to bring on the Apocalypse.

The Tooth Fairy Dwayne Johnson is a pro hockey player nicknamed the Tooth Fairy, who is ordered to serve one week’s

hard labor as the real Tooth Fairy.

The Lovely Bones Peter Jackson directs the tale of Susie Salmon, a murdered girl who watches over her family—and her killer—from heaven.

The Spy Next Door Jackie Chan is an undercover superspy who must protect the family next door when one of the kids downloads a topsecret code.

Youth in Revolt Michael Cera stars as Nick Twisp, a high school student who reinvents himself to win the heart of his dream girl.

Leap Year Amy Adams travels to Dublin to propose to her boyfriend, following a tradition requiring a man to say yes if proposed to on a Leap Day. Daybreakers In the near future, humanity nears extinction when an unknown plague

transforms the world’s population into vampires.

Wonderful World A failed folk singer’s life begins to turn around with the arrival of his ailing roommate’s beautiful sister from Senegal.

Crazy on the Outside Tim Allen stars as an exconvict fresh out of prison and ready for a second chance in life...but life has other ideas.

Bitch Slap When three femme fatales attempt to steal $200 million from an underworld kingpin, things quickly spiral out of control Avatar In director James Cameron’s latest sci-fi epic, a reluctant human hero fights to save the alien world he has learned to call home.

Sherlock Holmes Robert Downey Jr. stars as the legendary London detective.

95.3 Pulse News www.chattanoogapulse.com 1.28.10 The Pulse

21

On The Beat

By Alex Teach

Here’s Your Reply L

ast week’s exposition on the use and benefits of traffic cameras has led to so many responses that I thought I’d continue the dialogue with you directly. The following are quotes pulled directly from the Pulse website and my own Facebook page (facebook.com/ alex.teach).

Joshua: “I believe that if a camera could monitor every second of my life, then life itself would lose meaning.

When I see a system where nobody has to be present for me to be caught of a crime, imagine the possibilities. They could plant chips in new born heads that identified police of their location and how much alcohol or other drugs they have used within seconds.”

I get this one a lot, and it always slays me. You being caught on video speeding has a direct correlation to Orwellian brain implants? And your inability to run a red light in the middle of a public street would cause you to lose meaning in life? Really? Folks… if your threshold for living is at such a low bar, getting a ticket may not be your worst problem. Check with your doctor and see if there is a prescription for Perspective. If so, double your dosage.

(Relax, Josh: You’re still my literary “Boo”.)

Joe: “But wait, Officer Teach—what about that neanderthal cop who was videotaped shoving a 70+ year old man to the ground at Walmart? Why was he not convicted of any crime? Traffic cameras don’t lie–neither do security cameras. I suppose it depends on who you are.

And a note on your attitude: It is very unbecoming to write with such ugly, conceited sarcasm to the people you work for–the general public.”

Well, since you brought up oranges in my apples conversation, I’ll shock you by saying that I completely agree.

They don’t lie and I have no idea why that old man wasn’t put in jail for grabbing his arm in front of God, video, and everybody, but I suppose the judge and grand jury of your peers will have to wrestle over their mercy towards both and the lack of arrests for some time. I swear, despite your media savvy, it’s as if you don’t know something about the case. Weird, huh?

As for the writing tip, if your first irrelevant point didn’t show your underlying irrational resentment towards police, this one does. Police

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The Pulse 1.28.10 www.chattanoogapulse.com 95.3 Pulse News

don’t need a leash, brother; they’re held in check by the public trust, which they DO serve. So in answer, I am not writing to the people I work for—my sergeants, or the Pulse. I am expressing my thoughts on my own time. You’re just upset because unlike you, I don’t have to hide my issues with masked hubris and am able to simply call you a “sanctimonious prick” directly. It’s quite liberating, and you should be jealous, come to think of it.

Herb Montgomery: “I’m not sure when ‘big brother’ will piss me off enough to say enough is enough, but keeping assholes from running red lights sure ain’t it.”

Herb, you’ve learned a valuable lesson here: We don’t have to agree on everything to like each other. Your apparent propensity for common sense over ignorant indignation really puts you ahead of the rest here…on this topic at least. (Pardon the inside joke, folks.)

Joe Dumas: “Traffic cameras, however, represent a huge violation of the due process rights that we are supposedly guaranteed as American citizens. When the camera takes a photo of your car, you are assumed to be driving it and are charged with a violation. With traffic cameras, you are presumed guilty until and unless you can prove yourself innocent. No American should bear that burden.”

Joe, I’m not sure where you work, but you speak with great conviction for someone who actually doesn’t know at all that which they speak of.

You are not ‘assumed’ to be driving it; the camera doesn’t actually care.

The owner of the car, however, is held civilly responsible for the use of the car registered for them; that’s why when someone borrows your car and gets it towed, you have to get it released and pay for it. It’s your property, and therefore you are sent a civil fine after verification of a device that has been calibrated scientifically to measure your speed, or to take an “actual video” of your car running through a red light.

Your application of law is in regards to the criminal side. That’s why you’re wrong. (Relax, it happens.)

Joe Dumas, Continued: “Another part of our due process rights as Americans is the right, when accused of violating the law, to face our accuser in court. It is kind of difficult to crossexamine an inanimate box. I (or my attorney) can question an officer as to the circumstances of the incident, and I can also tell my side of it to the judge.

If the officer fails to show up, the judge can dismiss the case.”

In poker, your last sentence would

be referred to as a “tell”. You start off with a flag waving behind you as proudly as the opening credits of Patton and then end with technicalities on how to “get out of it”. As for the earlier bit, do you know what happens when you cross-examine an officer? He refers to your “inanimate box”. Ironic, yeah?

Cross examining a scientific device or “video evidence of the event” is about as efficient a use of the courts time as grandstanding over a topic whose legal jurisdiction you’re not even aware of.

Don’t try to crap a crapper, Joe. You’ll never be able to sell cars or make it in politics, and folks should always keep as many options as possible.

Arlos Dempsey: “I’m 56 years old, hope this doesn’t jinx it, but those cameras make you accident prone.”

Ah, yes. The old “sue the gun manufacturer for the murder, not the man pulling the trigger” bit. Arlos, how did you even accidentally make it to 56 blaming boxes on pole-tops for causing car wrecks instead of the speeding or careless drivers? Asbestos exposure?

What? I’m serious.

Cody Maxwell: “Safety for liberty ain’t a fair trade.”

Well said, my man. If you’re completely retarded. Liberty isn’t a caveat for allowing you to run roughshod over rights any more than it allows for you to run roughshod over other cars or pedestrians. It’s as much a desecration of the flag our fathers died for to wrap it around your eyes as it is to drop it on the ground.

Jan Finder: “As to it being about money, of course, it is about money.

Why do you think, speed traps were invented. Fines go into the General Fund. Also, yes, complain about privacy on FB. There hasn’t been any privacy for a long, long time anywhere.”

Jan, I believe we’d just get along famously. First five rounds are on me.

I could write ten more pages, but this one will already have to be whittled down to a nub by my editors as it is. Keep the responses coming, folks.

We’re interactive here at the Pulse.

Unlike those darn one-way traffic cameras.

When officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he is an occasional student at UTC, an up and coming carpenter, auto mechanic, prominent boating enthusiast, and spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center.

95.3 Pulse News www.chattanoogapulse.com 1.28.10 The Pulse

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Arts & Entertainment

By Michael Crumb

Jung’s Big Red Book 2

009 saw the publication of the book containing the artistic vision that influenced Carl Jung’s later work. Titled The Red Book—Liber Novus, it was originally a red, leatherbound folio-sized volume on which Jung worked for 16 years. Then he stopped, leaving it a magnificent fragment.

This large volume, roughly comparable to an extensive world atlas, contains a world of Jung’s making, though this world has plenty of connections to our own.

It includes a wonderful, digitally accurate facsimile of the sections that make up Jung’s fragment, as well as a translation and an introduction by Sonu Shamdasani, with additional material.

The Red Book is presented, after introductory material, in three sections, “Liber Primus,” “Liber Secundis,” and “Scrutinies.” It has the look of a medieval alchemist text with particularly elaborate illuminations, that is, capital letters at the beginning of passages become complex paintings, variously sized. The passages themselves are calligraphic, very lush artistry. There are also large paintings and poems with paintings called “Incantations”; these recall the Illuminated Poems of William Blake.

The subtitle “Liber Novus”— (New Book) reminds me of Giambatista Vico’s Nuovo Sciencia (New Science or Knowledge).

Some of you may recall that Vico served as the villain in the second “Ghostbusters” film. Vico went deeply into mythology and poetry, and his work was imposing, perhaps sufficiently scarily imposing that he was written into that movie.

Jung enters the realms of mystery and paradox, for more than a decade and a half, creating paintings of mystical expressionism, along with a vertiginous spiritual text that contains a good deal of clarity.

In his epilogue, Jung says that he stopped work on his folio when he received the “golden flower”, which he calls an alchemical text in 1928.

Jung published an introduction to

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The Pulse 1.28.10 www.chattanoogapulse.com 95.3 Pulse News

The Secrets of the Golden Flower in 1948, 20 years later, according to Psyche and Symbol, edited by Violet S. de Laszlo.

This book reminds me of Gustave Flaubert’s novel The Temptation of Saint Anthony, written late in Flaubert’s career, such a controversial work, but staggering in its esoteric poise. Such text may be rare, but Carl Jung’s “Red Book” shows itself absolutely remarkable.

Jung demonstrates a fine quality of execution of strange conceptions.

This artistic direction had begun well before Jung set up The Red Book, and much of the content comes from these writings, called “Black Books.”

The writing is emphatic, careful and astonishing, a deep meditation on spiritual art and the book is an exemplary object of spiritual art.

“It has the look of a medieval alchemist text with particularly elaborate illuminations, that is, capital letters at the beginning of passages become complex paintings, variously sized.”

A&E Calendar Friday

Thursday

Baylor’s Vervé Dancers Annual Performance Company of 25 dancers joined by guests from the Chattanooga Ballet.

Free 7:30 p.m.

Roddy Theatre, Baylor School, 171 Baylor School Road.

(423) 267-8505. www.baylorschool.org

Send your calendar events to us at calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

Book Signing with Jon Standridge of The Delany Kids: Bought and Paid For 5 p.m. Rock Point Books, 401 Broad St. (423) 504-0638.

Dinner and the Arts 5:15 p.m. Chattanooga Center for the Creative Arts, 1301 Dallas Rd. (423) 209-5942.

Artist Get-Together 6 p.m. Hunter Museum of Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944.

String Project Performance 6:30 p.m. UTC Fine Art Center, 615 McCallie Ave. (423) 425-4601.

Steel Magnolias 7 p.m. Brock Hall, Bryan College, 721 Bryan Dr., Dayton, TN. (423) 775-7560.

John Wesley Austin 8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233.

Missy Raines & The New Hip One of bluegrass’s most honored bassists lays it down at Barking Legs. $10.50 advance, $12 at door 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Avenue. www.mmfolk.com

Saturday

The Little Dog Laughed Comedy of Hollywood’s musical sexual identities. $15 8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Circle Stage, 400 River Street.

(423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

Monday Daniel Deronda Film & lunch 11 a.m. Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace. (423) 493-0270.

“Speak Easy” Spoken word and poetry 8 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9040.

2009 UTC Feinstein Arts Scholarship Exhibition Cress Gallery, UTC, 752 Vine St. (423) 304-9789.

“New Spin” River Gallery, 400 E. Second St. (423) 265-5033. www.river-gallery.com “Earth” Warehouse Row Project Space, 1110 Market St. (423) 280-7182. www.tannerhillgallery.com “Hot Mess” Association for Visual Arts, 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-4282. www.avarts.org

Steel Magnolias 6:30 p.m. Brock Hall, Bryan College, 721 Bryan Dr., Dayton, TN. (423) 775-7560.

An Evening of Poems by Earl Braggs, Matt Urmy, and Andrew Najberg 7 p.m. Rock Point Books, 401 Broad St. (423) 504-0638. www.rockpointbooks.com “Horsing Around” Opening Reception 7 p.m. Artful Eye Gallery, 5646 Brainerd Rd. (423) 855-7424.

John Wesley Austin 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch & Giggles Grille, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com The Little Dog Laughed 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Circle Stage, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534.

Pianist Teresa Walters with the Covenant College Arts Series 8 p.m. Covenant College, 13580 Scenic Hwy, Lookout Mountain, GA. (706) 419-1453. www. covenant.edu/covenantarts The Mystery of Flight 138 8:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Photographic Society Member’s Choice Exhibit Gallery at Blackwell, 71 Eastgate Loop. (423) 344-5643. www.chatanoogaphoto.org Oils and Acrylics by Charlie Newton North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Dr. (423) 870-8924.

“Earthbound” Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace. (423) 493-0270. www.jcfgc.com

Sunday “Writing for Magazines” Workshop 9 a.m. Chattanooga State, 4501 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 697-3100.

Mosaic Market 11 a.m. 412 Market St. (corner of 4th/Market) (423) 624-3915.

Tri-State Honor Band 6 p.m. UTC Fine Art Center, 615 McCallie Ave. (423) 425-4601. www.utc.edu/music Mystery of the Nightmare High School Reunion 6 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839.

Steel Magnolias 7 p.m. Brock Hall, Bryan College, 721 Bryan Dr., Dayton, TN. (423) 775-7560.

John Wesley Austin 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch & Giggles Grille, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233.

The Mystery of the Red NeckItalian Wedding 8:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com “A Passion for Pitchers” Houston Museum of Decorative Arts, 201 High St. (423) 267-7176. www.thehoustonmuseum.com “Themes of Identity” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org “Common Objects” River Gallery, 400 E. Second St. (423) 265-5033.

“Love Supreme: An Exhibit Inspired by the Legendary John Coltrane” Chattanooga African American Museum, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658.

Tuesday

Wednesday

“Icebergs and Moonwalks” opening reception & lecture 5:30 p.m. Cress Gallery, UTC, 752 Vine St. (423) 304-9789.

Flicks from the 60’s: The Americanization of Emily 6:30 p.m. Chattanooga-Hamilton Bicentennial Library, 1001 Broad St. (423)757-5310.

Southern History in Movies 7 p.m. Chattanooga History Center, 615 Lindsey St. (423) 265-3247.

A Concert for Haitian Relief 7:30 p.m. First Baptist Church, 401 Gateway Ave. (423) 425-4612.

“Dobrogozs Requiem” World Premiere with the UTC Symphony and Choir 7:30 p.m. UTC Fine Art Center, 615 McCallie Ave. (423) 425-4601.

City Share Lecture Series: “Open Source Education with David Boehnke” 12 p.m. Create Here, 55 E. Main St. (423) 648-6499. www.createhere.org “Portraiture: The Etheric, Astral, and Apocalyptic” Tanner-Hill Gallery, 3069 S. Broad St. (423) 280-7182. www.tannerhillgallery.com Janis Wilkey exhibition In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423)267-9214. www.intowngallery.com Photographic Society Member’s Choice Exhibit Gallery at Blackwell, 71 Eastgate Loop. (423) 344-5643.

Oils and Acrylics by Charlie Newton North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Dr. (423) 870-8924.

Me and Orson Welles AEC Spring Independent Film Series kicks off with a story about a young actor and the immortal Welles.

The Majestic Theatre, 311 Broad Street.

(423) 265-5220. www.carmike.com

John Wesley Austin 8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com “The Kennedys: Portrait of a Family” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org Contemporary Art Hollis Gallery, 1401 Williams St. (866) 544-0896. www.hollisgallery.net “Looking Beyond” Smart Furniture Studio, 313 Manufacturer’s Rd. (423) 643-0025.

“Horsing Around” Artful Eye Gallery, 5646 Brainerd Rd. (423) 855-7424.

“All Around the Block” In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423)267-9214.

Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week

Kahn and Selesnick: Work from the Apollo Prophesies and Eisbergfreistadt projects Whimsical yet topical elaborations upon actual events of history. The exhibition will include photographs, panoramic photographs, video, objects, sculpture, costume, and ephemera all created by the artists, along with documentary video.

Tuesday, February 2, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Free.

Artists’ public lecture followed by an opening reception.

Cress Gallery of Art, UTC Fine Arts Center, Corner of Vine & Palmetto Streets.

(423) 425-4600. www.utc.edu/cressgallery

95.3 Pulse News www.chattanoogapulse.com 1.28.10 The Pulse

25

The Pulse • Dining Out Spotlight

Mellow Mushroom: Pizza My Heart Eight years ago, a little slice of heaven opened its doors downtown Chattanooga. Well, actually—it’s where you can get a few slices of heaven. Mellow Mushroom, downtown in the old Coca-Cola building, is celebrating its eighth anniversary on February 22.

Mellow Mushroom, the original, was opened in 1974.

Says Samantha Jones, one of the owners of Mellow Mushroom in Chattanooga, “Mellow has been around since 1974, with the first location in downtown Atlanta, by Georgia Tech. It’s not there anymore, so now our oldest store is the newly remodeled location on Sandy Springs Road.” Since its birth in 1974, Mellow Mushroom has stood by the somewhat eclectic philosophy of its founding fathers—keep the food consistent and the vibe different. Every Mellow Mushroom has a different theme. “My husband Jason and I moved here from Atlanta nine years ago to build our MM Chattanooga. We own and operate it ourselves with the support of our MM headquarters and an awesome staff,” Samantha says. “We both have worked in the Mellow family a long time and actually met at the Brookhaven location. A Mellow love story, we call it.

“We chose downtown because we knew it was a growing part of the city with great possibilities for us to be successful,” she says. “It’s been really fun to see the area grow around us...we used to be the end of the block, but now we are in the middle of all the excitement!” The Coca-Cola Building was a deliberate choice. “We chose the Coca-Cola building because of its location.

Of course, we love that it has Chattanooga history, and Mellow’s long time partnership with Coke makes it a bonus.” It also helped Samantha and Jason choose the theme for

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by Colleen Wade

Chattanooga’s Mellow Mushroom. “We have antique Coke memorabilia all over the store and, of course, the super-cool bottle cap awnings.”

The bottle-cap awnings are a unique feature—one every person who’s eaten at Mellow Mushroom has no doubt noticed.

“It was a design collaboration. We are happy with the way they turned out,” says Samantha. “I’m ready for the trees out front to grow just a bit taller so we can all check them out more often.”

But there’s so much more than the aesthetics at Mellow Mushroom. Wait till you get a load of their menu. Pure heaven!

“Our menu is a creation of delicious, thoughtful, and healthy ingredients,” remarks Samantha. “I’ve worked with Mellow in three stores, since 1997 and I can tell you, our house dressing Esperanza (which means 'hope' in Spanish), is the start of every Mellow addiction—on our Greek salad, or mixed with red sauce to dip your pretzels in, to people asking to buy it...

Yeah, I think people like it and it’s popular.”

Everyone also raves about the spring-water dough. “That’s certainly a star factor here!

The Pulse 1.28.10 www.chattanoogapulse.com 95.3 Pulse News

Anyway you order it the dough is outstanding.” says Samantha.

“And yes, I still eat pizzas, all the time,” she adds. “People ask that a lot.” So what would she suggest to a Mellow newbie? “A Greek salad, a pizza of course, and one of our 40 draft beers!

Well...The hummus is really, really good too, though, and man, I do love our jerk chicken hoagie. It’s all good. Really!”

So in eight years, how has Mellow Mushroom changed? “We have changed a ton over the years, but many things are the same too,” Samantha explains.

“We’ve recently remodeled the patio, added eight 42-inch flatscreen TVs, and a new handpainted mural by the front door. Last year, we revamped our menu adding a ‘build your own salad’ section, a spinach-and-artichoke dip, meatballs stuffed with fresh mozzarella, a Capri salad and sandwich, a delicious sausage-and-peppers hoagie, and a few specialty pies as well.”

How has this strategy—the changes and the consistency—worked for Mellow Mushroom? “We have more fans than ever and that’s really cool. We’ve tried hard every year to learn more, be more thankful for our success and create an environment where everyone thrives. And the second location is in the very near future! Yes, near the mall.

We hope to be an oasis from traffic and crowds. We’ll invite our guests in to Mellow out, as they say.”

Whether it’s the pizza and hoagies you love, the atmosphere, or, like Samantha and Jason, you find your soul mate there—Mellow Mushroom is a cool place with heavenly food made by and served by people who really, really care about doing it right. Just call it a Mellow love story.

Mellow Mushroom, 205 Broad Street.

(423) 266-5564. mellowmushroom.com

Shades Of Green

By Victoria Hurst

Best Friends in Need A

lmost two years ago, I made one of the best decisions of my life. I had moved into my first house with a large fencedin yard, and as I sat outside in my plastic Adirondack chair, I knew something was missing.

I begged my parents to let me take the family golden retriever, but they refused to let him go.

I knew then it was time for me to do something I had dreamed about since the first time I saw the pound scene in Lady and the Tramp: adopting a dog.

I came home that day with a twomonth-old puppy that has turned out to be one of the finest specimens of hound dogs in the South. People can never believe me when I tell them I got my seemingly purebred bluetick coonhound (the unofficial Tennessee state dog) at the Humane Society.

Needless to say, my dog Banjo is my best friend.

Every year, 15,000 animals are delivered to the Chattanooga Humane Society. And they leave the shelter in one of three ways: They are returned to their owners, adopted, or euthanized. Less than two percent are sent to rescue groups. The Humane Educational Society works hard to find safe and healthy homes, but no matter how hard they work, the truth is that there will always be animals in need. One new idea that will improve both the quality of life for the animals and adoption rates: the Chattanooga Humane Society is on a quest to go cageless. The animals will instead have pens of glass blocks with clear

doors to let in light and still allow for viewing. There are also plans to have flushable drains and soothing music playing to create a cleaner and calmer environment.

While going to see all of these precious potential pets is always fun and somewhat heartbreaking, the most important thing to consider is if you are really ready for the commitment.

On a hot August day, I was riding with five people in my car, Banjo on the back-middle-person’s lap, and we were winding around a backroad.

Music was blaring and the windows were down—all of a sudden there was a strong odor of dog food. I looked down and realized that there were regurgitated chunks of puppy chow all over my center console. Banjo had gotten sick all over my car, and it had been dripping steadily down the back of my seats for a good 30 seconds.

There would be many times when Banjo would randomly throw up: on my bed, the front porch, the bath mat.

He would also come up to me and start peeing. I would shout, “What kind of warning was that?” while rushing him on to the front lawn. He

claimed any free hour from work or school that I could find, and I was eager to attentively train him and provide for his every puppy need. Even though it was messy, inconvenient, and expensive, I knew it was what I signed up for.

Many animals are in the shelter because people chose to adopt them without having the means to care for them. The most important things to consider: Can you afford food and vet bills? Do you have time to devote to training and playing? Is there space for your pet in your home, and can you make a commitment for the length of your pet’s lifetime? Most importantly, can you love your pet unconditionally, the way they will love you? When adopting from the shelter, they will ensure that your pets are spayed or neutered. But if you adopt your pet elsewhere, make a decision for the good of your pet and their neighbors.

Prevention is one of the best solutions to overpopulation.

So, if you’re ready for one of life’s greatest pleasures, if you have a little space to fill in your home and heart, head down to the Humane Society and meet your new best friend.

Chattanooga Humane Society 212 North Highland Park Avenue (423) 624-5302 www.heschatt.com Editor’s note: The Humane Society continues to do a wonderful job here in Chattanooga, but as residents know, it is now responsible only for animals in Hamilton County, outside of the city limits. Please also consider visiting the McKamey Center, 4500 N. Access Road, www. mckameyanimalcenter.org.

“The Humane Educational Society works hard to find safe and healthy homes, but no matter how hard they work, the truth is that there will always be animals in need.”

Victoria Hurst is a proud resident of the Appalachian Mountains. She has recently graduated from Warren Wilson College with a B.A. in Creative Writing.

95.3 Pulse News www.chattanoogapulse.com 1.28.10 The Pulse

27

Spirits Within

By Joshua Hurley

Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Pyrat!

S

canning through my older pieces last week. I realized one extremely popular spirit had not been covered for Riley’s Wine and Spirits’ weekly “Great Buys” section—rum. Great Buys is where Riley’s picks a favorite from among our large selection of wine and spirits from around the world and shares it with the readership of The Pulse. This week’s selection, Pyrat Rum XO Reserve, is possibly the smoothest rum on the planet.

Rum has become an extremely popular mixable spirit in the United States and throughout the world, but its mixability didn’t catch on until the early 1930s. During that time in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the “in” thing were restaurants with a Caribbean theme, giving their customers a sense of escape from their everyday, ho-hum lives by offering tropical dishes and cocktails, such as strawberry daiquiris and martinis, Soon these tropical drinks caught on and rum’s popularity has continued to grow since then.

Rum as a stand-alone spirit is steeped into our culture ever since America was discovered. Columbus carried sugar cane cuttings from the Canary Islands to the West Indies.

The indigenous Indians in the West Indies loved the sweet cane cuttings and the Caribbean sugar industry was born. Rum’s distillation process is simple: Sugar is boiled into molasses, then distilled and fermented. It’s distilled at less than 190 proof and bottled at no less than 80 proof.

George Washington passed out rum during his political campaigns, and Paul Revere is said to have had a glass or two of rum after his famous midnight ride. Even the Boston Tea Party partially concerns rum— participants were not only angered at England’s unfair taxation of tea, but of molasses as well.

Rum shares similarity with wine, in that its country of origin is reflected in its flavor and body and the brands are often named after their country of origin such as Jamaican rum or Puerto Rican rum. Dry, light rums of

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Free Will Astrology AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the coming week, I predict that you will NOT experience disgusting fascinations, smiling-faced failures, sensationalized accounts of useless developments, or bizarre fantasies in the middle of the night.

You may, on the other hand, have encounters with uplifting disappointments, incendiary offers of assistance, mysterious declarations of interdependence, and uproars that provoke your awe and humility in healing ways. In other words, Aquarius, it’ll be an uncanny, perhaps controversial time for you—but always leading in the direction of greater freedom.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Congrats on your growing ability to do more floating and less thrashing as you cascade down the stream of consciousness. I think you‘re finally understanding that a little bit of chaos isn‘t a sign that everything’s falling apart forever omigod the entire planet’s crashing and evil is in ascension . . . but rather that a healthy amount of bewildering unpredictability keeps things fresh and clean. My advice is to learn to relax even more as you glide with serene amusement through the bubbling and churning waters of life.

the Caribbean, which are made in, as well as other places, Puerto Rico, are produced in continuous stills. These rums are distilled at very high proofs, but the aging is limited to as little as six months in oak casks. Rums made this way come out much lighter in color. Rums much darker in color came from Jamaica and are distilled in pot stills at lower proofs and aged for up to a dozen or more years. The process produces rum heavier and richer in texture. Sometimes caramel is added, darkening the rum’s color so much it appears to look like syrup.

These rums should be sipped and appreciated like a fine wine or cognac.

Pyrat Rum XO Reserve is most definitely one of these rums. It is imported by Patron Spirits Company in Las Vegas. This is the same great company that imports the fantastic Patron tequila from Mexico. Pyrat Rum XO Reserve is a blend of nine different Caribbean rums, all of which have been aged in Limousin oak and American oak for no less than 15 years. Limousin oak is specifically from Limoses, a town in the western central area of France, and is also used for cognac and some wines. Pyrat Rum XO Reserve is a richly textured dark rum, containing aromas of honey and vanilla, which give over flavors of orange, cinnamon and honey. The smooth after-taste contains little to no burn or bite, with hints of sweet spice.

“Pyrat” should be enjoyed straight up in a brandy or cognac glass. Cheers!

The Pulse 1.28.10 www.chattanoogapulse.com 95.3 Pulse News

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Shakespeare got modest respect while he was alive, but his reputation as a brilliant bard didn’t gel right away.

It wasn’t until almost 50 years after he died that anyone thought his life and work were notable enough to write about. By then, all his colleagues and compatriots were gone, unable to testify. He himself left little information to build a biography around. That’s why next to nothing is known about the person who made such a dramatic impact on the English language and literature. I suggest you take this as a metaphorical prod that will inspire you not to be blasé about the greatness that is in your vicinity. Don’t take superlative intelligence, talent, or love for granted. Recognize it, bless it, be influenced by it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You are the lord of all you survey! I swear to God! I’m almost tempted to say that you now have the power to command whirlwinds and alter the course of mighty rivers! At the very least you will be able to mobilize the ambition of everyone you encounter and brighten the future of every group you’re part of! Act with confident precision, Taurus!

Speak with crisp authority! Your realm waits expectantly for the transformative decisions that will issue from the fresh depths of your emotional intelligence!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It’s time for you to fly away—to flee the safe pleasures that comfort you as well as the outmoded fixations that haunt you; to escape at least one of the galling compromises that twists your spirit as well as a familiar groove that numbs your intelligence. In my astrological opinion, Gemini, you need to get excited by stimuli that come from outside your known universe. You need fertile surprises that motivate you to resort to unpredictable solutions.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “I never meet anyone who admits to having had a happy childhood,” said writer Jessamyn West. “Everyone appears to think happiness betokens a lack of sensitivity.”

I agree, and go further. Many creative people I know actually brag about how messed up their early life was, as if that was a crucial ingredient in turning them into the geniuses they are today.

Well, excuse me for breaking the taboo, but I, Rob Brezsny, had a happy childhood, and it did not prevent me from becoming a sensitive artist.

In fact, it helped. Now I ask you, my fellow Cancerian, whether you’re brave enough to go against the grain and confess that your early years had some wonderful moments? You’re in a phase of your cycle when recalling the beauty and joy of the past could be profoundly invigorating.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Usually I overflow with advice about how to access your soul’s code. I love to help you express the unique blueprint that sets you apart from everyone else. Every now and then, though, it’s a healing balm to take a sabbatical from exploring the intricacies of your core truths. This is one of those times.

For the next ten days, I invite you to enjoy the

By Rob Brezsny

privilege of being absolutely nobody. Revel in the pure emptiness of having no clue about your deep identity. If anyone asks you, “Who are you?”, relish the bubbly freedom that comes from cheerfully saying, “I have no freaking idea!”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): French novelist Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) is generally regarded as one of the greats. His book Madame Bovary appears on many lists of the greatest novels of all time. And yet writing didn’t come especially easy for him. He worked as hard as a ditch-digger. It wasn’t uncommon for him to spend several agonizing days in squeezing out a single page. On some occasions he literally beat his head against a wall, as if trying to dislodge the right words from their hiding place in his brain. He’s your role model in the coming week, Virgo. You can create something of value, although it may require hard labor.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): My theory is that right now the whole world is in love with you. In some places, this simmering adoration is bordering on infatuation. Creatures great and small are more apt than usual to recognize what’s beautiful and original about you. As a result, wonders and marvels are likely to coalesce in your vicinity. Is there anything you can do to ensure that events unfold in ways that will yield maximum benefits for everyone concerned? Yes: Be yourself with as much tender intensity as you can muster.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I hope that you saw the horoscope I wrote for you last week.

And I hope that you acted on my advice and refrained from all sweating and striving and struggling. These past seven days were designed by the universe to be a time for you to recharge your psychic battery. Assuming that you took advantage of the opportunity, you should now be ready to shift gears. In this new phase, your assignment is to work extra hard and extra sweet on yourself. By that I mean you should make your way down into your depths and change around everything that isn’t functioning with grace and power. Tweak your attitudes. Rearrange your emotional flow. Be an introspective master of selfrefinement.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): This horoscope borrows from one of my favorite Sagittarian visionaries, Jonathan Zap. The advice he gives below, which is in accordance with your astrological omens, is designed to help you avoid the fate he warns against. Here it is: “Many of the significant problems in our lives are more about recognizing the obvious rather than discovering the mysterious or hidden. One of the classic ways we deceive and hide from ourselves is by refusing to recognize the obvious, and shrouding what is right before us in rationalization and false complexity. We often delay and deny necessary transformation by claiming that there is a mysterious answer hidden from us, when actually we know the answers but pretend that we don’t.”

(More at bit.ly/ZapOracle and Zaporacle.com.)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): It’s a good time to take inventory of all the stories you allow to pour into your beautiful head. Do you absorb a relentless stream of fear-inducing news reports and violent movies and gossipy tales of decline and degeneration? Well, then, guess what: It’s the equivalent, for your psyche, of eating rotting bear intestines and crud scraped off a dumpster wall and pitchers full of trans fats from partially hydrogenated oil. But maybe, on the other hand, you tend to expose yourself to comedies that loosen your fixations and poems that stretch your understanding of the human condition and conversations about all the things that are working pretty well. If so, you’re taking good care of your precious insides; you’re fostering your mental health. Now please drink in this fresh truth from Nigerian writer Ben Okri: “Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world.”

Homework: Read all your long-term horoscopes here: http://bit.ly/BigLife. Then write your own long-term horoscope. Share it at Truthrooster@ gmail.com.

JONESIN’

By Matt Jones

“Special Effects” –with a little extra thrown in.

Across 1 Leaning typeface: abbr.

5 ___ Wonderful (juice brand) 8 Low point on a director’s resume 14 “Julie & Julia” director Ephron 15 Bus. alternative to a partnership 16 Klutzy 17 Healthy bread ingredient that produces oil 19 You may want to get in them if they’re good 20 One may check you out with a hammer 22 Singers Anita and Molly 23 Paper that reports on the DJIA 24 Genetic messenger material: abbr.

27 Bon ___ (witticism) 28 Auntie on Broadway 31 WWII craft 33 Composer with a brass instrument named after him 35 Soprano henchman ___ Walnuts 36 Mail-in movie, perhaps 39 Really broad toast 40 Tiny amounts 41 Father of the casa 42 High-end German cars 43 Mil. subordinate 46 “Dexter” channel, for

short 47 Abbr. for people lacking parts of names 49 “If You Stub Your ___ the Moon” (Bing Crosby song) 51 He led a band of Merry Men 56 Entreaty to get some cojones 58 Futuristic MTV cartoon turned into a live-action Charlize Theron movie 59 Accuse of a crime in court 60 It’s game 61 Frigid ending?

62 Like some grins 63 Shaker ___, OH 64 Total disaster Down 1 Come ___ the cold 2 Holy U.S. city?

3 1994 Nobel Peace Prize co-winner 4 In a careless way 5 “Yo Gabba Gabba!” character who’s a “magic robot” 6 Spread on the table 7 1450, in Rome 8 Baseball Hall-of-Famer Wade 9 High demand?

10 Thought ___ (considered) 11 Old phonograph brand

12 Real ending for a Brit?

13 Sounds of indifference 18 His, to Henri 21 Come up short 25 Complete, with “down” 26 Took in a snack 28 Stubborn beast 29 “___ Lay Dying” 30 Magazine that debuted with Christa Miller on the cover 32 “No ifs, ands or ___” 33 Slammer 34 “Orpheus in the Underworld” composer Jacques 35 Loyal companions 36 Lexicographer Webster 37 Legendary Cadillac?

38 Sudoku component 39 Does some minor vandalism, briefly 42 Recycling receptacle 43 Singer-songwriter McKay 44 Hearts of Paris 45 Banded gems 48 Like many toothpastes 49 Boatload 50 UK-based confederation that deals with human rights 52 Leave off 53 Inaugural reading 54 Achievement 55 Captains’ books 56 Took the worm 57 Ambient musician Brian

©2010 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #0452.

Solution To Last Week’s Puzzle

Never Worry About Losing A Copy Of The Pulse Keep Up Online at www.chattanoogapulse.com 95.3 Pulse News www.chattanoogapulse.com 1.28.10 The Pulse

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Ask A Mexican

By Gustavo Arellano

Special Taco Bell Edition Dear Mexican, Why do so many Mexicans work for Taco Bell and El Pollo Loco? Don’t they know they only add a false credence to the belief that this is Mexican cuisine? The bastardizing of the truly great and diverse food of Mexico by the money-hungry corporations of the U.S., I feel, contributes to the overall misconception about the diversity and culture of the Mexican people.

— A Fat White Boy Dear Gabacho, If you’re going to malign poor, defenseless multinationals, at least do it right. El Pollo Loco—a charbroiled chicken chain, for those of ustedes who don’t yet live in ever-metastasizing Aztlán—was originally created by Mexicans for Mexicans, and their straightforward pollo plates aren’t that guacátela.

And Taco Bell, for all its sins, at least acts as a gateway drug for gabachos to learn about semi-Mexican flavors without forcing them to necessarily hang with wabs (that happens when their daughters bring home some cute day laborer). No hard figures exist on how many Mexicans work at Taco Bell or El Pollo Loco, but if trying to better la raza’s image and culture was the main reason why Mexicans try to find jobs, we’d all be applying at Univisión.

Dear Mexican, Why do gabachas and gabachos get fake tans, lip enhancements, fake breasts; take salsa classes, hire Mexican housekeepers who will take care of their children and teach their

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While I know that there are some of us of European descent who are outraged at the number of illegal immigrants (undocumented workers?) here, I can’t help but wonder if the popularity of Taco Bell actually helps to subvert antiLatino feelings to some extent or other.

— El Burrito Grande

kids Spanish, love Taco Bell; spend their time off in Mexico, buy land in Mexico, drool when they see Salma Hayek, yet spend all their waking time thinking about how to get rid of us and send us back? I would call that gabachismo: the irony of hating what you don’t have.

— An Honorary Mexican Dear Gabacho, ‘Mano, I haven’t heard such a great repudiation of gabacho hypocrisy when it comes to Mexis since discovering Taco Bell’s profits dropped when it used a Chihuahua as its mascot!

Dear Mexican, I have been a regular customer of Taco Bell for at least 25 years now, and I have to ask: do Mexicans consider the fare available there (or ever refer to it) as “Mexican food”?

The Pulse 1.28.10 www.chattanoogapulse.com 95.3 Pulse News

Dear Gabacho, Let’s deport out of our minds the iron-clad idea that Taco Bell isn’t “Mexican” food, or somehow a sui generis phenomenon. It’s a regional variant of Mexican cuisine, just like green chile-anything is the domain of New Mexico and southern Colorado, the puffy taco a staple of San Antonio, and why the fish taco first dominated in Southern California by way of Baja.

That Taco Bell and its progeny have proven so ridiculously popular is a good thing, though, because what gabachos don’t realize is that just before the Spanish hijos de puta finally conquered Tenochtitlán, the Aztecs cross-bred the pinto bean with a strain of Montezuma’s Revenge that ensures eternal worship of all things Mexican, from cheap labor to cheap food. Keep eating those Enchiritos, America!

IN MEMORIUM: This column is dedicated to Taco Bell founder Glen Bell, who passed away two weeks ago at age 86. May God grant Bell the afterlife’s eternal reward—unlimited horchata, regional Mexican treasures like mole negro and aguachile, and certainly not what la campana sells—that’s served in the cafeteria of Gehenna.

“Taco Bell, for all its sins, at least acts as a gateway drug for gabachos to learn about semi-Mexican flavors without forcing them to necessarily hang with wabs (that happens when their daughters bring home some cute day laborer).”

Ask the Mexican at themexican@ askamexican.net, myspace.com/ocwab, facebook.com/garellano, youtube.com/ askamexicano, find him on, Twitter, or write via snail mail at: Gustavo Arellano, P.O. Box 1433, Anaheim, CA 92815.