the pulse 13.02 » january 14, 2016

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MURDERMANIPULATION

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CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVEJANUARY 14, 2016

HANDS ON EDUCATION

By Jennifer Crutchfield

LEARNING SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH

2 • THE PULSE • JANUARY 14, 2016 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

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CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JANUARY 14, 2016 • THE PULSE • 3

THE FINE PRINT: The Pulse is published weekly by Brewer Media and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on music, the arts, entertainment, culture and local news. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publisher may take more than one copy per weekly issue. The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors. Contents Copyright © 2016 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.

Features4 BEGINNINGS: Modern-day Korean culture comes to Chattanooga.

4 THE LIST: Which country leads the world in toking up?

7 SHADES OF GREEN: 196 countries gathered to map out a better future.

12 MUSIC CALENDAR

14 REVIEWS: Indie-Pop comfort food with a dessert of Syrian Techno.

15 MIXOLOGY: 007 facts about vermouth, the misunderstood beverage.

18 ARTS CALENDAR

20 SCREEN: A manipulative yet compelling indictment of failed justice.

21 CONSIDER THIS

22 JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

22 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

23 ON THE BEAT: Officer Alex braves the cold and ponder pens and humanity.

EDITORIALManaging Editor Gary Poole

Contributing Editor Robin Ford Wallace

Editorial Assistant Stephanie Smith

Music Editor Marc T. Michael

Film Editor John DeVore

ContributorsRich Bailey • Rob Brezsny

Jennifer Crutchfield • Curtis JolleyMatt Jones • Sandra Kurtz

Tony Mraz • Ernie PaikRick Pimental-Habib • Alex Teach

CartoonistsMax Cannon • Rob Rogers

Jen Sorenson • Tom Tomorrow

Cover Photo Courtesy STEM School Chattanooga

FOUNDED 2003 BY ZACHARY COOPER & MICHAEL KULL

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BREWER MEDIA GROUPPublisher & President Jim Brewer II

January 14, 2016Volume 13, Issue 2

8 Hands On EducationChattanooga is growing fast, adding well-paid new jobs in high-tech industries every day—but studies indicate our schools are

not turning out graduates qualified to fill them. What to do? The Hamilton County Department of Education hopes its new STEM school, graduating its first class this spring, will make a difference.

10 Ziggy Played Guitar“I’m sure you’ve heard, Bowie’s dead?” That was the message I received from my friend Brian at 2:30 a.m. Monday morning. I was actually in bed, extremely early for me, and had not heard.

16 Gallery Presents Art With A BangThere is a very good chance that future generations will view our current era as a second Renaissance. Evidence of this can be seen everywhere—in the media, on the walls of buildings around town,

and in the studios and galleries of a new generation of creatives.

ContentsCHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

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The Heart and Seoul of South KoreaModern-day Korean culture comes to the Creative Discovery Museum

A slice of the world’s “most wired city” is coming to Chattanooga, thanks to the Creative Discovery Museum’s upcoming temporary exhibit, “Heart and Seoul: Growing Up in Korea,” which makes its regional debut this Saturday.

Museum guests are invited to ride the “Hallyu”—that’s Korean for what the West calls the “Korean Wave,” the in-flux of all things Korean currently sweeping the globe— as this ex-hibit explores the heart and soul of Korean culture. It will remain at

the museum through May 15.“Heart and Seoul” features five

modern-day Korean kids who in-vite guests to take an intimate look

into their lives, ex-ploring their diverse interests, customs and ambitions, in-cluding their love of K-Pop (Korean pop

culture) and Korean cuisine, their habit of texting to communicate, and their dreams of being accepted into a good college. That academic drive is what keeps them study-ing after school at hagwon, or cram school, until midnight.

Henry Schulson, executive director of the Creative Discovery Museum, says hosting the exhibit represents an opportunity for the mu-seum to establish relationships with the Kore-an community. “We value diversity and view this as a wonderful way to educate our guests about what other children experience growing up in another culture,” he said.

The museum has also hired Cathy Palisoc, a native of Seoul, as a local consultant to liaise with the Korean community and provide ad-ditional insight into Korean culture.

“Heart and Seoul” was developed as part of the Freeman Foundation Asian Culture Exhibit Series, which strives to educate chil-dren and their families about various Asian cultures. The project was administered by the Association of Children’s Museums (ACM) and created by the Children’s Museum of Houston.

The exhibit has financial support from Samsung, the renowned Korean brand and global leader in technology. Samsung was in-strumental in providing the exhibit its high-tech feel of modern Seoul.

Through the gift of a variety of Samsung technology, “Heart and Seoul” displays an au-thentic modern-day Seoul adorned with the sparkle of electronic billboards, K-Pop studio glitz, smartphones for all-over use and tablets for learning the language. Samsung’s invest-ment in the project also includes company specialists who install and transport the tech-nology for every museum on its eight-city, four-year tour.

Gregory Lee, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America and Samsung Telecommunications America says “Heart and Seoul” show-cases Korea’s progressive and dynamic modern-day culture, a culture that sustains Korea’s rich history. “We hope that our tech-nology integration will not only enhance the visitor’s experience but also highlight the country’s vigorous technology advances that Samsung is humbly honored to continue to lead,” said Lee.

South Korea is one of the fast-est growing economies in the world and an important trade and political partner for the United States and other nations. South Korea was the United States’ sixth largest supplier of goods imports in 2013. It is also enjoying broader influence and receiving greater recognition for its contributions in the realms of arts, culture and technology.

“Heart and Seoul: Growing Up in Korea” is designed to im-merse guests in learning experi-ences that will build their un-derstanding of Korean culture, highlighting the differences and similarities between their lives and the lives of Korean people.

CULTURE

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Courtesy Children’s Museum of Houston


The city of Chattanooga will hon-or the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through service on Monday. “A Day On, Not a Day Off” will focus on service projects throughout the his-toric MLK Neigh-borhood in honor of Dr. King and will also feature public speakers, food, a pa-rade, musical celebrations and dance.

Part of the celebration will be the dedication of one of the larg-

est murals in the United States, “The M.L.

King Mural: We Will Not Be Satisfied Until,” commis-sioned by Public Art Chattanooga.

Located on all four sides of the

AT&T building in the heart of M.L. King

Boulevard, the M.L. King Mural covers approximately

42,000 square feet and took a team of 11 artists six months to paint.

The dedication begins at noon on Monday. Immediately following the dedication will be a free public pre-sentation by the lead artist, muralist Meg Saligman, about the making of the mural. Ms. Saligman will discuss the inspiration behind and meaning of her largest mural to date.

To sign up to volunteer for service projects, or for more information about any of the events during the celebration, visit mlkcha.org.

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EdiToonby Rob Rogers

Honoring The Memory of a Civil Rights Legend

Our cover story this week on the STEM school move-ment in

Chattanooga and how it can help the entire region is by Jennifer Crutchfield. When not writing about education, history and family for The Pulse, Jennifer is the Direc-tor of Public Relations at

WTCI, Chattanooga’s com-munity PBS station, and is a relocation agent serving global families moving to the Chattanooga area. Author of “Chattanooga Landmarks,” Jennifer also shares her love of history in a column at Chattanoogan.com and is mother to Will, George and Max. You can follow Jennifer on Twitter @JenCrutchfield, on Facebook at Jennifer Ley Crutchfield or email her at [email protected]

Jennifer Crutchfield

— Stephanie Smith

Arts writ-er Tony Mraz joined our writ-ing fam-ily last fall and

has become a regular (and valued) contributor. He is a local artist, musician and writer who grew up in Dalton before moving to Chatta-nooga to attend high school at the Chattanooga School

for the Arts and Sciences. After his time at the Kansas City Art Institute, he lived in Kansas City, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New Orleans and Northern California. In his career as an artist he has produced thou-sands of paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, murals, and works of digital art. He has written over 50 songs and is currently writing a novel. He now lives and works at his studio in Red Bank.

Tony Mraz

The List

As the United States grapples with the ongoing debate over the legal-ization of marijuana (both medici-nal and recreational), the question has been asked just where we rank on the world scale of wacky weed users.

So we turned to our friends at the Statistic Brain Research Institute once again to find out just how mel-lowed out we are as a nation.

Turns out they were a bit of a buzz-kill, as Americans don’t even finish in the top 10. Nope, as a nation, we rank 12th on the list (likely due to The Grateful Dead finally retiring, but that’s just our opinion and not actually supported by any statisti-cal analysis).

So, which country gets the Golden Bud Award? That would be Papua New Guinea, where 29.5 percent of residents toke up on a regular basis.

Here’s the top 10 countries, with percentage of users:

1. Papua New Guinea (29.5 %)2. Palau (24.2 %)3. Northern Mariana Islands

(22.2 %)4. Ghana (21.5 %)5. Guam (18.4 %)6. Sierra Leone (16.1 %)7. Czech Republic (15.2 %)8. Andorra (14.6 %)9. Italy (14.6 %)10. New Zealand (14.6 %)

And just in case you’re curious, the United States only has 13.7% of regular smokers. So put that in your pipe and smoke it. Or not, as the case may be.

Source: statisticbrain.com/cannabis-use-by-country/

Top Cannabis Use by Country


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“This is the only planet with chocolate, so we’ve got to save it.” —David Wolfe

Future history students will

have to memorize Dec. 12, 2015. That date marks the beginning of the era when essentially all the countries of the world began slowing the rate of climate change and easing its impacts.

Despite wailings from climate de-niers and the fossil fuel and nuclear industries, the transition to healthier al-ternative energy now begins in earnest. We will start to leave fossil fuels in the ground. The Paris Agreement has been adopted!

Tennesseans present during ne-gotiations included your Shades of Green columnist and her 17-year-old granddaughter. As part of the Sierra Student Coalition and Sierra Club, we exchanged thoughts and ideas with in-ternational visitors at exhibit booths, participated in public photo shoots and festivals, interviewed influential people for video postings, attended strategy meetings and informative scientific and art sessions, and heard daily delegate re-ports about negotiations.

Paris rolled out the carpet for COP21, projecting pro-climate action messages nightly on the Eiffel Tower. Narrow streets, small shops and an extensive mass transit system characterize bike-friendly Paris. We enjoyed crepes and pastries, but unfortunately, hamburger-and-French-fries fast food has invaded France.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about the Paris Agreement is that it happened at all! Think of it. Representatives from

196 countries came to a collective agree-ment in two weeks. What was wanted was a fair and equitable agreement for those suffering impacts emanating from high-emissions countries, of which the U.S. and China are tops.

Surprisingly, the Agreement set an ambitious goal: to limit and slow earth’s rise in temperature, capping it at well below 2 degrees Celsius above prein-dustrial levels, with an aspiration of maintaining it at 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).

Many indigenous people attended. “One point five to stay alive,” chanted attendees from African nations. A lower temperature rise should save many low-lying coastlines and small islands that would be underwater at 2 degrees.

The Agreement itself is over 20 pages long. Here’s a brief overview:

Meeting the goal1. Mitigation and Adaptation: A

frontload reduction of emissions will be sought to achieve the goal while strengthening the ability of countries to deal with climate impacts. A $100-bil-lion fund supports transition to low-car-bon growth. A Mission Innovation fund seeks new energy technologies.

2. A transparency system and global

stocktaking will account for climate actions. Each country submits a plan for assessment every five years, with plans ratcheted up over time. The of-ficial Paris Agreement starts in 2020 but countries will now work on current plans, with a “facilitative dialogue” to take place in 2018.

3. Loss and damage/strengthening ability to recover from climate impacts: Climate disruption from catastrophic weather, rising sea levels, ocean acidi-fication, warming temperatures, de-stroyed agriculture and loss of biodi-versity will result in massive refugee numbers. Prevention measures and risk protection are advised as a moral re-sponsibility.

4. Financing nations to build resilient futures: Twenty countries are doubling research and development investments.

This Agreement sets an emphatic, if imperfect, framework for implementa-tion. It sends a strong economic signal with business certainty. No, it doesn’t take away our freedoms, because each

country is responsible for its own plan. Neither is it a ploy to steal money from taxpayers’ pockets, but instead a won-derful green business, educational and economic opportunity.

While not legally binding, it contains built-in monitoring, assessment and transparency. What is true is that we cannot continue to destroy Earth’s sup-port systems. Urgent action is required, much of that occurring at city and com-munity levels.

In Tennessee, we must save forests; reduce energy use; eat more local veg-etables; stop fracking, coal mining and nuclear plants; prepare for refugees; support the Clean Power Plan; and ad-vocate for a strong U.S. climate plan.

It’s time to share our resources! Our youth deserve it. Let 2016 begin with global resolve.

Sandra Kurtz is an environmental community activist and is presently working through the Ur-ban Century Institute. You can visit her website to learn more at enviroedu.net

COLUMNSHADES OF GREEN

Save The World, One Degree At A Time196 countries gathered in Paris to map out a better future for the planet

“What is true is that we cannot continue to destroy Earth’s support systems. Urgent action is required much of that occurring at city and community levels.”

SANDRA KURTZ


A new report issued by the school system, “Chattanooga 2.0: Build-ing the Smartest Community in the South,” frankly examines the edu-cational challenges our community faces, and these are legion.

In the past five years, says the re-port, Chattanooga has added more than 3,000 jobs, and that number is expected to quadruple in the next five years. The expansion of logistics, healthcare, insurance, advanced man-ufacturing and technology businesses in the region means that if we sustain the new growth, we can anticipate a projected creation of 28,000 jobs over the next decade

The hitch is that over 80 percent of the jobs that pay more than $35,000 a year will require a post-secondary degree—and today only 35 percent of Hamilton County students are likely to obtain this educational benchmark. With so few of our students complet-ing post-secondary education, we risk having a majority of residents unable to benefit from the jobs coming into our community, potentially making our economic boost a temporary in-stead of sustainable boon and losing the competitive advantage we have worked so hard to achieve.

Other sobering statistics released in the report include:

Four out of 10 students in Ham-ilton County live in poverty, which presents major barriers for academic success.

Fewer than half the children en-tering kindergarten are considered “ready to learn.”

Nearly 60 percent of all third-graders cannot read on their grade level. Research has long shown that students who are not reading on grade level by third grade will strug-gle for the rest of their academic ca-reers.

Hamilton County schools have fallen behind the state and other metro areas in every single high school test score, as well as average ACT scores.

Only 24 percent of Chattanooga State students and 51 percent of UTC students graduate with a de-gree within six years of first enroll-ment.

There are 15,000 Hamilton Coun-ty jobs that cannot presently be filled by local residents due to lack of training, skills and education.

Into this grim scenario comes the bright new concept of the STEM

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STEM School accepts students from all academic achievement levelsby Jennifer Crutchfield, Pulse contributor. Photos courtesy STEM School of Chattanooga

Hope Flourishes In A Sea Of Education Woes

Chattanooga is growing fast, adding well-paid new jobs in high-tech indus-tries every day—but studies indicate our schools are not turning out graduates qualified to fill them. What to do? The Hamilton County Department of Edu-cation hopes its new STEM school, graduating its first class this spring, will make a difference.

“Students are encouraged to go as deep into a subject as they want to, simultaneously challenging the gifted student while connecting the student who felt adrift in another school’s teacher-centered program.”

school. The acronmym stands for sci-ence, technology, engineering and math-ematics—a foreshortening of the fuller acronym STEAM2, Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, Mathematics and Medicine.

Chattanooga’s STEM school was found-ed in 2012, its stated mission to “develop and share a new paradigm for world-class education using technology as a gateway to cultivate students’ inquisitive nature, ex-ercise innovation, think critically and col-laborate to become leaders who are self-sufficient learners with the same passion as Chattanooga’s Renaissance.”

The school is a place where kids learn how to break down the silos of where they live, but Dr. Tony Donen, the school’s principal, says exclusivity is not the point. “The goal is not to put all of the rocket scientists together but to harness the po-tential of any student with an interest in STEM,” he said.

With an engineering degree from Vir-ginia Tech, Dr. Donen is a nationally rec-ognized education administrator and the author of two books on innovative academ-ic measurement. Under his leadership, Chattanooga’s STEM school is serving as a demonstration site for innovative practic-es in STEM education and is incubating a curriculum and partnership program that can be implemented in schools through-out the region.

Located in the new high-tech facility adjacent to the Wacker Institute on the campus of Chattanooga State, this innova-tive school accepts 75 students each year in a two-tiered lottery process. Dr. Donen says the student body “is a representation


The new report “Chattanooga 2.0: Building the Smartest Community in the South,” offers some daunting statistics, but also some hope. If our community could achieve a 75 percent post-secondary graduation rate, it says, we could see the following tangible impacts:• 100,000 more local residents with access to

jobs that pay over $350,000 annually• An average annual raise of $4,500 for every

adult worker in Hamilton County• $1.1 billion more in total wages in the county

every year• Approximately 8,000 adults moved out of

povertyCan you image that? Every adult worker in

Hamilton County could earn $4,500 more per year simply by increasing post-secondary gradu-ation rates.

So how can we get—as a community—from point A to point B? STEM schools are great, but attendance is limited. That’s where volun-teerism comes in.

If you are a living, breathing human in this county, you have skin in the game. Whether you’re a business owner, parent, butcher, baker or candlestick maker, there is something that you can do and there are organizations working to support literacy and education who can turn your volunteer time into life-changing moments.

Everyone can donate to an organization that supports school readiness or volunteer their time as a reader. Many of us can partner as a business or professional to mentor teens—and the invest-ment in our children, families and community can reap rewards for our region that will benefit everyone.

of Chattanooga where kids who shop at different BiLo’s are learn-ing to work and collaborate togeth-er.”

Each year’s freshman class is comprised of students who come, in equal proportion, from each high school zone in Hamilton County. With a uniquely diverse student body, this school incorporates local, national and international problem-based learning projects in a curricu-lum that emphasizes core content learning and process skills develop-ment in innovation, critical think-ing and collaboration.

And as for post-secondary educa-tion, with a total student body of 263 this year, 100 percent of STEM School Chattanooga students are already enrolled in college courses. Dr. Donen reports he has yet to have a student in this year’s first senior class tell him they had not been accepted into a college or sec-ondary school, and of the students taking classes at UTC and Chat-tanooga State, he says 90 percent were earning passing grades.

The partnership with Chatta-nooga State empowers these stu-dents to understand what it takes to be successful in college. “STEM gives me the opportunity to experi-ence college classes and the college workload with high school teacher support,” said STEM senior Emily Varner.

The philosophy of project-based learning is rooted in the STEM School Chattanooga curriculum, and this dynamic approach to teach-ing allows students to explore real-world problems and challenges, developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collabora-tive groups. Strong related arts pro-grams connect the curriculum. For example, a student may learn how to build a robot in one class and learn how to write a handbook for the robot in another class or illus-trate the handbook in another class.

Students are encouraged to go as deep into a subject as they want to, simultaneously challenging the gifted student while connect-ing the student who felt adrift in another school’s teacher-centered program.

Students at all levels of academic achievement submit applications to the STEM school lottery and Dr. Donen points to the success of that inclusion, citing struggling readers who learned compliance previously and who flourished with headphones and audio books in this technology and student-centric atmosphere.

“STEM is a very self-guided learning experience,” says Emily Varner. “You learn to take charge of your own education and how to self-inspire and motivate—you’re inspired to go out and find your

own learning and information.” STEM students complete PBLs,

or “Project-Based Learning” proj-ects each year, allowing them to learn from activities centered on re-al-world problems that don’t have a prescribed solution, giving students the opportunity to discover their own answers by applying the prob-lem-solving process. The school’s resources allow students to go full circle from design to building and testing.

STEM School Chattanooga fea-tures the only official “FabLab” in Tennessee, an innovative and unique fabrication laboratory ca-pable of “making almost anything.” Eleventh-grade STEM students are a part of a first-in-the-nation collab-oration across the country using the Gigabit network.

STEM students, as diverse as students come in Chattanooga, share a common bond, and the love of learning shines in each of their faces. From a robotics competition to the EPB’s holiday displays, these students are learning and growing, engaging with the community and paving the way for success for them-selves, their families and us all.

Prospective STEM students may learn how to apply at hcde.org—the deadline is Jan. 31—or for more information, they may call (423) 531-6270, or visit stemschoolchat-tanooga.net.


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MusicMARC T. MICHAEL

Here was a man who made music for almost 50 years, constantly evolving so that ‘Bowie eras’ are a distinct and recognizable thing, and yet it was all of it, every bit, unmistakably him.”

“

I’M SURE YOU’VE HEARD, BOWIE’S DEAD?” That was the message I received from my friend Brian at 2:30

a.m. Monday morning. I was actually in bed, extremely early for me, and had not heard. My first thought was, “No way, it’s another of those ‘Dead Celebrity’ hoaxes the kids seem so fond of…”

Nonetheless, I jumped up and fired up the computer (I hate try-ing to “internet” on my phone, it’s smallish and my eyes aren’t so good. Also, I like real keyboards.) Sure enough, David Bowie (né Jones) had passed from cancer.

I need to establish something right away. I’m in my mid-40s and a great many artists I have admired and en-joyed have shuffled off this mortal coil in my lifetime. Douglas Adams comes to mind, for instance—what a loss that was—but I cannot remem-ber any other time when the death of a celebrity affected me so much.

I sat there in my recliner, laptop aglow in an otherwise dark house, and started playing Bowie music, and I wept a little. No big, melodra-matic tears, mind you, just a little damp-eyed sentimentality.

Monday morning I fully expect-ed to see plenty about his passing, but good lord…page after page af-ter page of comments, and most of them seeming to express precisely what I’m trying to now; the man and his music had meant quite a lot to people, maybe more than they had reckoned.

“I’ve never seen this kind of out-pouring over social media for any-one,” was one friend’s comment. Neither have I, and I’ve been think-ing about that all day.

“I didn’t know so many of my

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Music Played From The HeartDismembered Tennesseans keep on pickin’ and grinnin’

The Dismembered Tennesseans have been playing good music to-gether for a long time—for 70 years, in fact! Back in 1945, some McCal-lie students got together and began singing and playing bluegrass mu-sic. Not knowing what their future plans were, they named themselves the “Dismembered Tennesseans” and the name (and the music) stuck.

The band has toured the country and played for local dignitaries, civic groups, charities, the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, the Annual Chattanooga Riverbend Festival, the Kennedy Center and all points be-tween.

The band was honored by WTCI-TV in 2009 with the History Makers Award for their excellence in mu-sicianship and their ability to make people who don’t necessarily love Bluegrass music just feel good.

The Dismembered Tennesseans consist of Fletcher Bright on fiddle, Ed “Doc” Cullis on banjo, Laura Walker on upright bass, Bobby Mar-tin on guitar, Don Cassell on man-dolin, Brian Blaylock on both banjo and guitar, George Bright on guitar and Ansley Moses on banjo. Yes, three banjo pickers.

The band will be performing as part of the Jon Hamm Performing Arts Series at Covenant College this Tuesday night. The concert is at 7 p.m. with a jam session open to the public preceding at 5 p.m.

— Stephanie Smith

The Dismembered TennesseansTuesday, 7 p.m.Brown Memorial ChapelCovenant College 14049 Scenic Hwy.(706) 419-1459

Ziggy Played GuitarMourning the passing of the inimitable and unforgettable David Bowie

“


friends were fans,” said another. Nei-ther did I.

But you know, I don’t know that I ever specifically thought of myself as a Bowie fan. I never owned a poster, never dressed up like any of his many personas, never saw a live show (damn it). I own three of his movies, though—“The Man Who Fell to Earth,” “The Hunger” and “Labyrinth”—and about half his albums. I can name dozens of his songs that I really like and I have a favorite, in as much as anyone could pick one favorite from such a large, var-ied and brilliant catalog.

“Ashes to Ashes” is it for me. The tune is basically Bowie’s farewell to his self-destruction, but my love affair with it marked the beginning of mine. It was a very low point in my life, on

the verge of sinking lower still, and the only comfort I found in those days was in being very drunk at the bar around a bunch of other people who were equal-ly miserable and drunk. I’d put five or 10 bucks in the jukebox and play what-ever my friends wanted to hear, but al-ways I started and ended with “Ashes to Ashes.”

It might seem funny to be so at-tached to a song that became a person-al favorite as I was sliding swiftly into oblivion, but I understand why. At the time I found a melancholy comfort in it, thinking, “Well, I don’t guess I’m the first to be here...”

Many years later, after I realized I could either reinvent myself or die, the song served as a reminder of where I had been, what it was like, how bad I

thought things were just before they got a whole hell of a lot worse and how far away all that seems from where I am now. It not only got better, it got better than I would ever have dreamed pos-sible, and hearing that song now makes me want to reach out to my younger self and tell him so.

I wish I could write my own “Ashes to Ashes,” my own farewell to the dark-ness and excess and self-destruction, but for all my musical efforts, I can’t. Besides, I don’t need to, Bowie already wrote it for me—and for you, if that song in particular resonates with you. If it doesn’t, there’s probably one (at least) that does, and I think that’s why his passing is being especially mourn-ed by so many.

Here was a man who made music

for almost 50 years, constantly evolving so that “Bowie eras” are a distinct and recognizable thing, and yet it was all of it, every bit, unmistakably him. That’s a long time and a lot of music, and a great many people share deep emo-tional connections with those songs.

Blackstar, his final album, released on his birthday just two days before his death, is just as edgy and wonderful as anything I’ve heard. I heard theories at first—it has since been confirmed by his producer—that the album was very intentionally a farewell from a dying maestro to his fans, and that is so beau-tiful and heartbreaking at the same time, so distinctly Bowie, that all I can think is, “Here was the life of an artist, well-lived.”

There will never be another like him.

Chattanooga’s Greatest Hitsbrewer mediaeverywhere. every day.


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Vince Gill

THURSDAY1.14 Rick Rushing with Dakari & Friends 6 p.m. Bluewater Grille 224 Broad St. bluewaterchattanooga.com James Crumble Trio 6 p.m.St. John’s Meeting Place1278 Market St.stjohnsrestaurant.comElizabeth Schumann, Gloria Chien6:30 p.m.The Hunter Museum of Art10 Bluff View huntermuseum.orgLive Bluegrass6:30 p.m.Whole Foods Market301 Manufacturers Rd.wholefoodsmarket.comJesse James & Tim Neal7 p.m.Mexi Wings VII5773 Brainerd Rd.(423) 296-1073Della Mae with Slim Pickins7 p.m.The Camp House149 E. MLK Blvd.thecamphouse.comBluegrass Thursdays7:30 p.m.Feed Co. Table & Tavern201 W. Main St.feedtableandtavern.com Vince Gill and Logan Brill8 p.m.Tivoli Theatre399 McCallie Ave.

chattanoogaonstage.comMatt Meyers8 p.m.World of Beer412 Market St.wobusa.com Open Mic with Hap Henninger9 p.m.The Office @ City Cafe901 Carter St.citycafemenu.comMothers10 p.m.JJ’s Bohemia231 E. MLK Blvd.jjsbohemia.com

FRIDAY1.15

Eddie Pontiac5:30 p.m.El Meson2204 Hamilton Place Blvd.

elmesonrestaurant.com Binji Varsossa6 p.m.Cancun Mexican Restaurant & Lounge1809 Broad St.(423) 266-1461Tim Levis7 p.m.El Meson248 Northgate Parkelmesonchattanooga.comJimmy Harris7 p.m.The Coconut Room6925 Shallowford Rd.thepalmsathamilton.com Greaseball Band with Jimmy Tawater7 p.m.North River Civic Center1009 Executive Dr.(423) 870-8924Priscilla & Lil’ Rickee

8:30 p.m.The Foundry1201 Broad St.chattanooganhotel.comFly By Radio9 p.m.Revelry Room1400 Market St.revelryroom.coPamela K Ward Band9 p.m.Puckett’s Chattanooga2 W. Aquarium Way #110puckettsgro.com/ChattanoogaDakota Williams9 p.m.World of Beer412 Market St.wobusa.comMark Andrew9 p.m.The Office @ City Cafe901 Carter St.citycafemenu.com

Those Darlins 10 p.m.JJ’s Bohemia231 E. MLK Blvd.jjsbohemia.com8TRK10 p.m.Bud’s Sports Bar5751 Brainerd Rd.budssportsbar.com

SATURDAY1.16 PIANIMAL1 p.m.The Hunter Museum of Art10 Bluff View huntermuseum.orgEddie Pontiac5:30 p.m.El Meson2204 Hamilton Place Blvd.elmesonrestaurant.com Binji Varsossa6 p.m.Cancun Mexican Restaurant & Lounge1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461Tim Levis7 p.m.El Meson248 Northgate Parkelmesonchattanooga.comJimmy Harris7 p.m.The Coconut Room6925 Shallowford Rd.thepalmsathamilton.com Rae Hering8 p.m.Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse105 McBrien Rd.

PULSE PICK:RAE HERINGWith her sophisticated melodic sense and eclectic songwriting style, this multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter creates intelligent music that ranges from playful to melancholy to funky.

Rae HeringSaturday, 8 p.m.Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse105 McBrien Rd.christunity.org


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Steep Canyon Rangers

christunity.orgPriscilla & Lil’ Rickee8:30 p.m.The Foundry1201 Broad St.chattanooganhotel.comThe Ham Family9 p.m.Puckett’s Chattanooga2 W. Aquarium Way #110puckettsgro.com/ChattanoogaJay Taylor9 p.m.World of Beer412 Market St.wobusa.comSteep Canyon Rangers9 p.m.Revelry Room1400 Market St.revelryroom.coRamble in the Attic9:30 p.m.T-Bones1419 Chestnut St.(423) 266-42408TRK10 p.m.Bud’s Sports Bar5751 Brainerd Rd.budssportsbar.comHap Henninger10 p.m.The Office @ City Cafe901 Carter St.citycafemenu.com

SUNDAY1.17 Ryan Oyer 2 p.m.Granfalloon400 E. Main St.

granfalloonchatt.comJalil Muhammad Quintet5 p.m.Jazzanooga Arts Space431 E. MLK Blvd.jazzanooga.orgOpen Mic with Jeff Daniels 6 p.m.Long Haul Saloon2536 Cummings Hwy.(423) 822-9775The Secret Commonwealth7 p.m.The Honest Pint35 Patten Pkwy.thehonestpint.comChatham County Line7:30 p.m.Barking Legs Theatre 1307 Dodds Ave.barkinglegs.org TORCHE, Day Old Man, Jeff Carney 10 p.m.JJ’s Bohemia231 E. MLK Blvd.jjsbohemia.com

MONDAY1.18 Open Air with Jessica Nunn 6 p.m.Granfalloon400 E. Main St. granfalloonchatt.com Monday Nite Big Band7 p.m.The Coconut Room6925 Shallowford Rd.thepalmsathamilton.comVery Open Mic8 p.m.The Well

1800 Rossville Blvd. #8wellonthesouthside.com

TUESDAY1.19 The Dismembered Tennesseans7 p.m.Covenant College 14049 Scenic Hwy.covenant.eduBy The Gods8 p.m.Ziggy's607 Cherokee Blvd.ziggysbarandgrill.netOpen Mic with Mike McDade8 p.m.Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.comCautious Beverly, Pumpkin Seeds, Pop Weirdos 10 p.m.JJ’s Bohemia231 E. MLK Blvd.jjsbohemia.com

WEDNESDAY1.20 Eddie Pontiac5:30 p.m.El Meson248 Northgate Parkelmesonrestaurant.com The Other Guys6 p.m.SpringHill Suites Chattanooga Downtown495 Riverfront Pkwy.(423) 834-9300Jimmy Harris

7 p.m.The Coconut Room6925 Shallowford Rd.thepalmsathamilton.comCourtney Daly Band7 p.m.End Zone3658 Ringgold Rd.(423) 661-8020 Ben Friberg8 p.m.Barking Legs Theatre 1307 Dodds Ave.barkinglegs.org Priscilla & Lil’ Rickee8 p.mLas Margaritas1101 Hixson Pike(423) 756-3332Open Jam8 p.m.Raw Dance Club409 Market St.rawbarandgrillchatt.comBlues Night9 p.m.The Office @ City Cafe901 Carter St.citycafemenu.comThe Prime Cut Trio9 p.m.The Palms at Hamilton6925 Shallowford Rd.thepalmsathamilton.comLauris Vidal 10 p.m.JJ’s Bohemia231 E. MLK Blvd.jjsbohemia.com

Map these locations on chatta-noogapulse.com. Send event list-ings at least 10 days in advance to: [email protected]

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901 Carter Street

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

Thursday, January 14: 9pmOpen Mic with Hap Henninger

Friday, January 15: 9pmMark Andrew

Saturday, January 16: 10pmHap Henninger

Tuesday, January 19: 7pmServer/Hotel Appreciation Night

$5 Pitchers • $2 Wells ! • $1.50 Domestics

Wednesday, January 20: 8pmWednesday Blues Night

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This writer confess-es to having a soft

spot for several types of music for which he is of-ten less discriminating, and among them are cer-tain strains of indie-pop, which serve as a sort of aural comfort food. Labels such as Slumberland, Fly-ing Nun, K, Shelflife and Sarah have offerings that tap into this nebulous aes-thetic, where pure plea-sure wins over any notion of ambition or pushing the status quo.

Take a few chords, a pret-ty voice and some catchy melodies that aren’t in-

sipid. Formulas can serve a purpose in music—think about the fruitful “girl-group” era of ‘60s pop, which was almost exclu-sively about the perils of love—where what a song is about is less important than how it is about it, to paraphrase a quote from Roger Ebert about film.

This all sounds apolo-getic and one step away from groveling, but it shouldn’t. The album at hand, A Vision, is the third full-length out-ing from the Seattle pop group Seapony, and it doesn’t need to bear the

weight of the world on its shoulders. What struck this writer about it was its effortless, unpretentious charm, breezy and never overwrought, with a ba-sic lyrical vocabulary that doesn’t draw too much at-tention to itself.

The band has disband-ed since the album came out—self-released on the band’s Burrito Thirty la-bel and also on cassette on Lost Sound.

With several three-minute numbers, it goes right for delicate pleasure centers, with guitarist/vo-calist Jen Weidl singing

softly and tenderly, per-haps comparably to The Softies’ Rose Melberg. Electric guitar lines from Danny Rowland are clear, taking from the substantial influence of The Smiths’ Johnny Marr, with a little occasional fuzz in the mix, like on “In Heaven.”

Perhaps the album’s sweetest moment is “Hol-low Moon,” with weav-ing acoustic guitars and a serenade of crickets in the background, and while A Vision isn’t going to take a place in the indie-pop pantheon, the fact that it likely sounds just as good today as it might have if it were released 20 years ago, says something.

Quick question: who are your top ten favor-

ite Syrian techno artists? I know what you’re think-ing, “I can only pick ten?” But seriously, for most Western world audiences, there’s only one promi-nent name, and that’s singer Omar Souleyman, who has worked with the likes of Björk and Kieran Hebden (of Four Tet) and has performed at the Bonnaroo and Big Ears festivals in Tennessee.

RECORD REVIEWSERNIE PAIK

Indie-Pop Comfort Food With a Dessert of Syrian Techno Seapony Has A Vision of breezy charm; Rizan Said is King of the Keyboard

SeaponyA Vision(Burrito Thirty/Lost Sound)

Rizan SaidKing of Keyboard(Annihaya)

A case could be made that Souleyman might not be where he is today if it wasn’t for his two-decade-strong collaborator, the keyboardist Rizan Said, who is responsible for the distinctive, whirling soloing heard on Sou-leyman’s work.

Now, with the instrumental full-length album King of Key-board, Said takes the spotlight with his modern take on dabke dance music—which he has played at numerous Syrian wed-ding parties—rapidly tapped out on Korg keyboards with an un-abashed artificiality.

With just a few exceptions, like the sustained notes on “Electric Mawwal” parts one and two, Said often plays a game of tonal hot potato, where he is com-pelled to not linger on one note for too long. Imagine “Flight of the Bumblebee” if it used Ara-bic scales and was played using a brash, reedy yet breathy key-board sound, with borderline-cheesy drum machine rhythms propelling it.

The sheer jittery relentless-ness of the music could very well cause some people to be nervous or even annoyed, while others will be stimulated by it. With-out Souleyman’s vocals on these solo pieces, Said does just fine by engaging in call-and-response exchanges with himself, either playing in different registers to distinguish his “voices” or al-ternating between melodies and tight beatbox hand-drum rolls.

King of Keyboard is all about momentum, with Said always on his toes with near-constant improvised soloing, without the figurative safety net of strict mo-tifs upon which to fall back.

THE PULSE • NEW YEAR'S EVE GUIDE • DECEMBER 24, 2015 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • 15

James Bond may have had it wrong. Mixing drinks can be more messy busi-ness than classy presentation depending on whether you’re on a turbulent flight, in a bar fight, or dining with a beautiful would-be assassin. So let’s debunk the myths and set the record straight with “007” facts about vermouth.

Fact #1: Vermouth is a wine, not a mixer. And it should not be confused with the syrupy sweet ‘n’ sour mixers used in America. Vermouth hails from the French Savoy and Italian Turino regions of Europe. It is infused with herbs, or aromatized, and intensified with grape liquor—fortified—to make an intense liquid that can be red or

white, sweet or dry.Fact #2: It was created for the

people. Traditionally, vermouth was fermented with botanicals for two pur-poses. The first was medicinal—for various digestive and restorative prop-erties—and the second was to bring a more robust, affordable wine to the masses.

Fact #3: Vermouth has a high al-cohol content. The alcohol content ranges from 13 to 24 percent, almost double the punch of a regular wine, and sometimes three to four times the po-tency of a beer or cider, which vary from 3 to 6 percent.

Fact #4: Each bottle is unique.

There is a color system in place to iden-tify varietals, but beware brand labels. Some distributors put the same label on their aperitifs regardless of whether they are red or white wines.

Fact #5: Purists drink it stirred. In Europe, wine connoisseurs favor a 150-year-old concoction known as a Vermouth Cocktail: a nip of chilled ver-mouth with bitters in a cold glass. It is an “old-school” beverage that simplifies the drinks-on-ice concept. The cock-tail is considered elegant, the drink you drink when you don’t just want a cup of booze regardless—and it’s stirred, not shaken.

Fact #6: There is minimal differ-ence between shaken or stirred in mixed cocktails. For Bond enthusi-asts, there is a ton of documentation on how 007 liked his martinis (or vespers) in both the Ian Fleming novels and the motion pictures. (Did you know that in the Fleming novels, Bond orders a total of 19 vodka martinis and 16 gin marti-nis? Seriously. There are websites.) And in the movies Bond prefers his drinks shaken, not stirred. Studies have shown that the ratio of antioxidants is higher in shaken vs. stirred and that aeration makes for a purer taste in shaken bev-erages, but that the main difference be-tween “shaken or stirred” is the visual. Shaken drinks are cloudy, not clear, so theoretically Bond liked the look of a messy cocktail.

Fact #7: Manhattans and marti-nis use the same vermouth recipe. In America, vermouth is regarded as a mixer and manhattans and martinis are the normal preparations. The basic reci-pes are traditionally the same: One part vermouth to one part bourbon whiskey (for a manhattan) or gin (for a martini) with a splash of bitters. There are mul-tiple variations, including the vesper (from Bond fame), the vodka martini, the Rob Roy and others.

Want to know more? Visit ver-mouth101.com for a fairly comprehen-sive history and recipes, and decide whether your next drink will be shaken or stirred.

— Stephanie Smith

FOOD & DRINKMIXOLOGY

Stirred, Not Shaken007 facts about vermouth, the misunderstood beverage

“In Europe, wine connoisseurs favor a 150-year-old concoction known as a Vermouth Cocktail: a nip of chilled vermouth with bitters in a cold glass.”

A Vermouth Cocktail

DAILY WINE TASTINGS 20 BEERS ON TAP

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Adam Kirby’s sculptures are definitely pushing the boundaries of ceramic art—more precisely, pushing them very hard and fast with gunpowder.”

“

ArtsTONY MRAZ

New Southside Gallery Presents Art With A BangEmber Studios and Gallery gathers together an eclectic collection

The development and application of technology is facilitating this movement. In the past 30 years we have progressed from landlines to smartphones, from newspapers to blogs, from analog to digi-tal. With the push of a button, artists are able to instantly share their work and to be inspired by people all over the planet.

Now is one of the best times in his-tory to be a working artist. Many young professionals have chosen art as a career and more of them are succeeding in their endeavors every day. A perfect example of this is the Southside Historic District’s transformation into one of Chattanooga’s cultural hubs.

In less than a decade, lots of hard work and business savvy have changed Main Street from a dilapidated commercial cor-ridor into a bustling arts district. Part of the story of the Southside’s revival comes from the newest addition to the neigh-borhood’s selection of fine art purveyors, Ember Studios and Gallery.

Located next to The Local Juicery + Kitchen and across the street from The Certified Electric Bike Specialists, Em-ber is a space that is devoted primarily to contemporary ceramics. When Seth Cathy and his wife, Sarah, bought the building, it had been vacant since 1960. It was a dirty husk of a structure, with boarded-up windows and a graffiti-cov-

THERE IS A VERY GOOD CHANCE THAT FUTURE GEN-erations will view our current era as a second Renaissance. Evi-

dence of this can be seen everywhere—in the media, on the walls of buildings around town, and in the studios and galleries of a new generation of creatives.

String Theory Goes To The AnimalsPIANIMAL good plain fun for kids and parents alike

If you’re looking for a special ac-tivity to get the kids out of the house and involved in some art, some-thing fun is brewing at the Hunter this Saturday. String Theory and the Hunter Museum will be presenting a unique family concert featuring PIANIMAL.

Created by pianist, producer and composer Elizabeth Schumann, the show integrates art, literature, mu-sic and multimedia experiences. It also gives children and their parents a chance to connect with the muse-um in a personal way through creat-ing original works of art.

The afternoon begins with a con-cert and multimedia presentation at 1 p.m. followed by an instrument-petting zoo hosted by the String Theory Youth Initiative and a hands-on art project for kids presented by the Hunter.

The PIANIMAL concept is in-

spired by animals, with integrated live video projections and artwork, and it showcases the piano music of Dvorák, Grieg, Rimsky-Korsakov, Debussy, Scriabin, Dutilleux, Mus-sorgsky and Saint-Saëns.

Collaborations for PIANIMAL in-clude artwork by Eden Bachelder, Natalie Hall and Angèle Gougeon; animation by Shaun Seong-young Kim; poetry by Christopher Ste-ger; transcriptions by Elizabeth Schumann; and documentary video by Maureen Anway.

— Stephanie Smith

String Theory Annual Family Concerts presents: PIANIMALSaturday, 1 p.m.The Hunter Museum of American Art10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968huntermuseum.org

FRI1.15RIVER WILDLIFE

Sandhill Crane CruiseThe annual Sandhill Crane migration is one of the greatest spectacles of nature.10 a.m., 2 p.m.River Gorge ExplorerSale Creek Marina3900 Lee Piketnaqua.org

SAT1.16SCIENCE TIME

LEARN! Robotics with Makey MakeyPlay with one of the hottest circuitry devices out there: the Makey Makey.3 p.m.Downtown Library1001 Broad St.chattlibrary.org

THU1.14FENNEL FUN

SUP Studio Open HouseMeet local paddlers and get a behind the scenes view of Fennel's process.6 p.m.Fennel Blythe's SUP Studio1220 E. Main St.fennelblythe.com


ered plywood facade. The pair completely renovated it,

making the eyesore into an impressive venue for clay. The walls, high ceilings and exposed ventilation system are painted bright white, giving the room a modern feel. The pedestals that hold many of the pieces blend in with the blank walls, leaving nothing to distract the viewer from the work.

Though many of the artists repre-sented by Ember are local, the Cathys’ goal is to host works from all over. They currently have 23 artists displaying sev-eral hundred pieces, ranging in style from traditional pottery to sculpture, plus a photographer and a painter. Seth is a champion wheel thrower, and he maintains a workspace in the back of the shop. In addition to the ceramics studio, the back is also home to the metal shop of Jonah Williams.

Seth’s pottery is classy, simple and extremely consistent. He mixes all his own glazes from raw chemicals, giv-ing his pots a distinctive quality and feel. “The fun thing about clay is that you can do a million things with it—it doesn’t necessarily have to be func-tional like cups, et cetera,” he says. “You can make anything with clay. For instance, one of our artists makes but-tons. People have even used clay to make musical instruments.”

One of Ember’s most interesting collections of work was made using a fascinating method. Adam Kirby’s sculptures are definitely pushing the boundaries of ceramic art—more pre-cisely, pushing them very hard and fast

with gunpowder. Yes, gunpowder.Adam’s process for making these

“ballistic sculptures” involves shoot-ing various guns at blocks of clay. The force of the bullet rips and tears the clay, deforming it and leaving a hole like an Arnold Schwarzenegger shot in a T-1000. Adam then glazes and fires the sculptures.

The result is wonderfully unique and impressive, which is why he re-cently won a juried show in Nashville and sold his entire inventory. “I like the idea of using a gun for something creative, as a sculpting tool instead of as a weapon,” he explains.

One of Adam’s mentors is also rep-resented by Ember, and his art is truly magnificent. Let it suffice to say that Shadow May’s work is museum qual-ity. Not only has he exhibited at The Hunter; last year he won Best New Ex-hibitor at the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, D.C. His functional pots are as thoughtful as his sculptures, exuding a feeling of Zen and peace. His aesthetic does a fantastic job of be-ing inside and outside the box at the same time.

In his artist statement, Shadow May says: “I work from the perspective that life is fleeting. That belief lends to the urgent and spontaneous nature of my sculptures. ‘Did I do enough in my life? Did I live in fear too often? Did I challenge myself to taste greatness?’”

Ember is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and at other times by appointment.

Photo by Jessica Bartet

2016 Southern Charm Wedding Expoat the Historic Ringgold Depot

155 Depot StreetSaturday, January 16 • 12pm - 4pm

Free Admission • Caterer Samples

Register for Door Prizes

For more information: 706.935.3061www.cityofringgold.com

C e n t e n n i a l O l y m p i c P a r k & I n t e r n a t i o n a l P l a z a

SHAKYKNEESFESTIVAL.COM


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THURSDAY1.14 Penguin Keeper Talks10:30 a.m.Tennessee Aquarium1 Broad St.(423) 265-0695tnaqua.org Ooltewah Farmers Market3 p.m.Ooltewah Nursery 5829 Main St. (423) 238-9775ooltewahnursery.comSUP Studio Open House6 p.m.Fennel Blythe's SUP Studio1220 E. Main St.fennelblythe.comBicycle Maintenance 1016 p.m.Outdoor Chattanooga200 River St.(423) 643-6888outdoorchattanooga.comString Theory 6:30 p.m.Hunter Museum of American Art10 Bluff Viewhuntermuseum.orgLandry7:30 p.m.The Comedy Catch1400 Market St.(423) 629-2233thecomedycatch.com

FRIDAY1.15

Sandhill Crane Cruise10 a.m., 2 p.m.River Gorge Explorer

Sale Creek Marina3900 Lee Pike(423) 265-0695tnaqua.org Delta Bird Program10:30 a.m.Tennessee Aquarium1 Broad St.(423) 265-0695tnaqua.orgLandry7:30 p.m.The Comedy Catch at the Chattanooga Choo Choo1400 Market St.(423) 629-2233thecomedycatch.com

SATURDAY1.16

Brainerd Farmers Market10 a.m.Grace Episcopal Church

20 Belvoir Ave.(423) 698-0330saygrace.netSandhill Crane Cruise10 a.m., 2 p.m.River Gorge ExplorerSale Creek Marina3900 Lee Pike(423) 265-0695tnaqua.orgPenguin Keeper Talks10:30 a.m.Tennessee Aquarium1 Broad St.(423) 265-0695tnaqua.orgCelebrate 2016 with CSO11 a.m.Tennessee Aquarium1 Broad St.(423) 267-3474The Metropolitan Opera: Les Pecheurs de Peries12:55 p.m.

East Ridge 185080 S. Terrace(423) 855-9652carmike.comString Theory Annual Family Concerts presents: PIANIMAL1 p.m.Hunter Museum of American Art10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968huntermuseum.orgLEARN! Robotics with Makey Makey3 p.m.Downtown Library1001 Broad St.(423) 757-5310chattlibrary.orgSaturday Chess Club 3 p.m. South Chattanooga Library925 West 39th St.(423) 825-7237chattlibrary.org

Landry7:30 p.m.The Comedy Catch at the Chattanooga Choo Choo1400 Market St.(423) 629-2233thecomedycatch.com

SUNDAY1.17 Sandhill Crane Cruise10 a.m., 2 p.m.River Gorge ExplorerSale Creek Marina3900 Lee Pike(423) 265-0695tnaqua.org Delta Bird Program10:30 a.m.Tennessee Aquarium1 Broad St.(423) 265-0695tnaqua.orgPiano Recital featuring Ethan McGrath3 p.m.Brainerd Presbyterian Church1624 Jenkins Rd.(423) 883-9212bpcepc.orgLandry7:30 p.m.The Comedy Catch at the Chattanooga Choo Choo1400 Market St.(423) 629-2233thecomedycatch.com

MONDAY1.18 Penguin Keeper Talks10:30 a.m.

PULSE PICK: LANDRYHailing from Kitchener, Ontario, Canadian Landry's charismatic style is kind of what you'd get if you mixed Charlie Chaplin with somebody who spoke; it would be just as physical, but in color.

LandryThe Comedy Catch1400 Market St.(423) 629-2333thecomedycatch.com

“Seeking the Spiritual: The Visionary Art of Elliott Daingerfield”


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“Trees and Skies”

Tennessee Aquarium1 Broad St.(423) 265-0695tnaqua.org The ML King Mural Dedication12 p.m.Bessie Smith Cultural Center200 E ML King Blvd.mlkcha.org(423) 643-7800The Making of the ML King Mural with muralist Meg Saligman1 p.m.Bessie Smith Cultural Center200 E ML King Blvd.mlkcha.org/(423) 643-7800We All Have A Dream: MLK Day Spoken Word Open Mic 7 p.m.The Camp House149 E. MLK Blvd.(423) 702-8081thecamphouse.comVintage Swing Dance7 p.m.Clear Spring Yoga17 N. Market St.(931) 982-1678clearspringyoga.com

TUESDAY1.19 Delta Bird Program10:30 a.m.Tennessee Aquarium1 Broad St.(423) 265-0695tnaqua.org Alive in Asia12:55 p.m.East Ridge 18

5080 S. Terrace(423) 855-9652carmike.comRapid Learning Intro to Kayaking and Skills Practice7 p.m.Southern Adventist University4870 University Dr.(423) 643-6888outdoorchattanooga.com

WEDNESDAY1.20 Penguin Keeper Talks10:30 a.m.Tennessee Aquarium1 Broad St.(423) 265-0695tnaqua.org Middle East Dance10:30 a.m.Jewish Cultural Center5461 N. Terrace(423) 493-0270jewishchattanooga.comMain Street Farmers Market4 p.m.325 E. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Acupuncture Happy Hour4 p.m.Center for Mindful Living400 E. Main St.(423) 486-1279centerformindfulliving.wildapricot.orgWednesday Night Chess Club6 p.m.Downtown Public Library1001 Broad St.(423) 757-5310The Metropolitan Opera: Les Pecheurs de Peries

6:30 p.m.East Ridge 185080 S. Terrace(423) 855-9652carmike.comMia Jackson7:30 p.m.The Comedy Catch at the Chattanooga Choo Choo1400 Market St.(423) 629-2233thecomedycatch.com

ONGOING “Japonisme and America”The Hunter Museum of American Art10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968huntermuseum.org“Seeking the Spiritual: The Visionary Art of Elliott Daingerfield”The Hunter Museum of Art10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968huntermuseum.org“Sweet Sixteen”In-Town Gallery26A Frazier Ave.(423) 267-9214intowngallery.com“Works by Kim Kauffman, Edie Maney & Judy Klick”River Gallery400 E. 2nd St.(423) 265-5033, ext. 5river-gallery.com“Serpentine Chain Collection”Shuptrine’s2646 Broad St.(423) 266-4453

alanshuptrine.com“Trees and Skies”Reflections Gallery6922 Lee Hwy.(423) 892-3072reflectionsgallerytn.com“Biblical Wood Panels” by Bernard GoreBessie Smith Cultural Center200 E. MLK Blvd.(423) 266-8658bessiesmithcc.org“How to Close Your Eyes” by Carmen PapaliaCress Gallery of Art752 Vine St.(423) 304-9789William Parker Exhibit Shuptrine’s Gold Leaf Designs2646 Broad St.(423) 266-4453shuptrines.comAVA Juried Member ExhibitionAVA Gallery30 Frazier Ave.(423) 265-4282avarts.orgMultiflections: Senior Art ExhibitJohn C. Williams Art Gallery632 Vine St.(423) 236-2732Jewish GeographyJewish Cultural Center5461 N. Terrace Dr.(423) 493-0270jewishchattanooga.com

Map these locations on chatta-noogapulse.com. Send event list-ings at least 10 days in advance to: [email protected]

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ScreenJOHN DEVORE

The documentary drags the role of the media and the court of public opinion screaming into the light, demanding that the audience confront just how unfair our justice system can be.”

“

EVERY TOWN HAS THAT FAMILY. THEY ARE THE FAM-ily that seems to live in a self-inflicted poverty of ruin and rust,

of ignorance and ignobility, of disagreeable temper and distrust. They are the family that has too many children and an excessive number of cousins and distant relations, and lacks the resources to manage any of them.

Southern literature is full of these characters: the Ewells of Maycomb, the Snopeses of Yoknapatawpha, the Slat-terys of Clayton County. They are the poor white trash, victims of their own responses, destined through poor deci-sions to lives of destitution.

Like most of the poor in America, this class of people has an uneasy rela-tionship with law enforcement, often due to the survival mentality necessary to exist on the fringes of society. This ultimately leads to a prejudicial attitude toward members of these families that manifests itself in the belief that any-one with a certain last name is capable of the worst crimes imaginable.

There is an unequivocal disparity in the way law enforcement deals with people belonging to these families and the way it deals with everyone else, for reasons that should be easily under-standable.

However, in a country where justice demands the presumption of innocence and equality in the eyes of the law, such prejudices are unconscionable.

The Netflix documentary series “Making a Murderer” puts this idea on display in gripping and heartbreaking detail, showing the glaring holes that exist in our current justice system.

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✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴

Ride Along 2As his wedding day approaches, Ben heads to Miami with his soon-to-be brother-in-law James to bring down a drug dealer who's supplying the dealers of Atlanta with product. Director: Tim Story Stars: Ice Cube, Kevin Hart, Tika Sumpter, Benjamin Bratt

13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of BenghaziAn American Ambassador is killed dur-ing an attack at a U.S. compound in Lib-ya as a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos. Director: Michael Bay Stars: John Krasinski, Freddie Stroma, Toby Stephens, Pablo Schreiber

An Operatic Love TriangleThe Met's “The Pearl Fishers” shines on the big screen

The Metropolitan Opera brings “The Pearl Fishers” to the stage for the first time since its original pro-duction in 1916. This is the classic tale of two men who fall in love with the same woman, a development that tests their friendship. (A love triangle in an opera? Say it isn’t so.)

Nadir and Zurga swear to forget Leila, the Hindu priestess, who has come to the village to bless the pearl fishers. Together they sing “Au Fond du Temple Saint” (“At The Back of the Holy Temple”), one of the most beloved and well-known duets in Western opera.

But turmoil ultimately erupts on both land and sea as two fall in love and one seeks revenge after the friendship oath is broken.

With lush sets and extravagant costumes, soaring instruments and heartbreaking voices, the Met never fails to satisfy even the most nov-ice opera-goer. If you can’t visit in person, the live cinema in HD is the next best thing.

There will be two showings at Car-mike's East Ridge 18 theaters: Satur-day at 12:55 p.m. and on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

— Stephanie Smith

Searching For Truth In America's Heartland“Making a Murderer” a manipulative yet compelling indictment of failed justice


Consider Thiswith Dr. Rick

“Sometimes we feel empty; we feel a vacuum, a great lack of something. We want to feel less alone, less empty. It is a deep thirst.” —Thich Nhat Hanh

Addictions are a bitch, aren’t they? They are hard to admit to, hard to navigate, hard to come out the other side. Hard to even know where to begin.

How do we use intellectual tools for what is really an issue buried deep inside our very being? With well-established roots, its seeds from old situations and relationships, now affecting every relationship we have.

Let a little extra stress tip the scale and we reach for whatever we reach for: food, drink, drugs, careless sex…almost anything can be used in an effort to fill that tremendous lack, that unrest, that alone-ness deep within.

What do we yearn for, really? Consider this: We all want to love and be loved. To know we are lovable, despite everything. We may not al-ways know how to handle this maddening search, but we all need love.

by Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

Steven Avery was convicted of a vio-lent rape in 1985 by the state of Wiscon-sin on largely circumstantial evidence found by the Manitowoc County Sher-iff’s Department. Eighteen years later, Avery’s conviction was overturned due to new DNA evidence that pointed to the real rapist. Avery was freed and be-gan a $36 million lawsuit against Mani-towoc County.

Then, shortly after the lawsuit be-gan, Avery was again arrested, this time for the rape and murder of Theresa Halbach. These are the facts in their simplest terms, but there is much more to the story. The 10-episode documen-tary series guides viewers through the twists and turns of apparent and glaring police and prosecutorial misconduct.

It is easy for the conspiracy-minded to connect the dots between missing or inconclusive evidence, coerced con-fessions and cavalier certainty in the face of dubious conclusions found in the case against Steven Avery and his nephew, Brenden Dassy. The series is most certainly skewed toward the Av-ery family, proprietors of a vast salvage yard in upper Wisconsin.

The documentary slowly and me-thodically lays out the case that the Manitowoc Sheriff’s department plant-ed evidence against Steven Avery in an effort to avoid an expensive settlement and win yet another battle against the outsiders that do not fit into their small community. The series is compelling and, many times, infuriating.

Of particular note is the repeated questioning of Brenden Dassy, when two detectives essentially force a

16-year-old child with a verbal IQ of 69 to admit to being an accomplice to the heinous crime in graphic, uncomfort-able detail.

The filmmakers tell the story through phone calls, police recordings, interviews and trial footage. These are carefully selected to elicit extreme emotional responses from the audi-ence—it is clear that the filmmakers are hoping to manipulate the audience into believing as they do.

But even though these manipula-tions are obvious, the evidence pre-sented against Manitowoc County and the State is damning enough to show there was likely a gross miscarriage of justice in this case. Steven Avery and Brenden Dassy probably deserve a new trial, at the very least.

More than this, however, the docu-mentary drags the role of the media and the court of public opinion scream-ing into the light, demanding that the audience confront just how unfair our justice system can be.

The innocence or guilt of Steven Avery is left to the opinion of the viewers. Reddit already has its inter-net sleuths on the case with wild theo-ries about possible suspects and con-spiracies. “Making a Murderer” serves to reopen the wounds of the Halbach family and thrust Manitowoc County back into the spotlight in ways I’m sure the people who live there would rather not see.

Whether or not this will mean any-thing for the two men accused of the crime remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that justice is not easy.


Copyright © 2016 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 0762

ACROSS1 Muppet with an orange nose5 Certain physical measurement, for short8 “___ first you don’t succeed ...”12 Short, shrill sound13 ___ fro15 “___ arigato, Mr. Roboto”16 Poultry herb17 Nomadic mob18 Class with graphs, for short19 2015 superhero film reboot with a 9% score on Rotten Tomatoes22 Iggy Azalea/Britney Spears collaboration, listed on Entertainment Weekly’s Worst Singles of 201523 “Mission: Impossible” character Hunt25 “Full,” at a theater26 Hatha and bikram, for two29 Weather map lines31 Get hold of again

32 Feline tooth33 President who’s thanked a lot?37 College in New Rochelle, New York38 “Oh, yeah!”39 Santa-tracking defense gp.40 Paper wounds41 Canadian vocal tics that aren’t as commonplace as Americans think42 Doesn’t say outright44 Little ___ (“Languages for Kids” learning series)45 Short-lived Rainn Wilson cop show, listed on Yahoo’s Worst TV Shows of 201547 Change places with one’s wrestling teammate50 ___ of Sauron51 Seafood selections55 Power shake need57 Rooster’s morning perch59 Choir60 Mix it up (var.)61 2015 Adam

Sandler movie that got an epic ten-minute review/rant from “MovieBob Reviews” on YouTube62 Much-maligned 2015 reality show which put contestant couples in the titular enclosure (later to be interviewed by therapists)DOWN1 Some CDs2 Nissan hybrid3 Cones of non-silence?4 Cattle site5 Gives a leg up to6 Sacrificial figure7 Part of Roy G. Biv8 Visionary9 Market research panel10 Love, in Xochimilco11 Massive quantity13 “Yeah, about ___ ...”14 Prefix meaning “one-tenth”20 It’s designed to stay up all night21 “Punky Brewster” star Soleil Moon ___

23 Trinket in “The Hunger Games”24 Totally destroy27 “___ a stinker?” (Bugs Bunny catchphrase)28 Back twinge30 Hedgehog of Sega fame31 “M*A*S*H” character34 Nutsoid35 Like craft shows36 High degree42 “Messiah” composer43 In the future45 Go nuts with a whole season, e.g.46 “Fantastic” character in a Roald Dahl novel47 1/16 of a cup, briefly48 Et ___ (and others)49 Baby boomer followers52 Get from ___ (make progress)53 Doofus54 Glasses, in comic book ads56 Hosp. locations58 Cries of surprise

Jonesin’ Crossword MATT JONES

“Worst of Pop Culture, 2015”—a year to remember.

Free Will Astrology ROB BREZSNY

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “It’s a terrible thing to wait until you’re ready,” proclaims actor Hugh Laurie. He goes even further: “No one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready.” His counsel is too extreme for my tastes. I believe that proper preparation is often essential. We’ve got to get educated about the challenges we want to take on. We need to develop at least some skills to help us master our beloved goals. On the other hand, it’s impossible to ever be perfectly prepared and educated and skilled. If you postpone your quantum leaps of faith until every contingency has been accounted for, you’ll never leap. Right now, Capricorn, Laurie’s view is good advice.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Fate has transformed a part of your life that you didn’t feel ready to have transformed. I won’t offer my con-dolences, though, because I’ve guessed a secret that you don’t know about yet. The mythic fact, as I see it, is that whatever you imagine you have had to let go of will ultimately come back to you in a revised and revivified form—maybe sooner than you think. Endings and beginnings are weaving their mysteries together in unforeseen ways. Be receptive to enigmatic surprises.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Good news: Your eagerness to think big is one of your superpowers. Bad news: It’s also one of your liabili-ties. Although it enables you to see how everything fits together, it may cause you to overlook de-tails about what’s undermining you. Good news: Your capacity for intense empathy is a healing balm for both others and yourself. At least potentially, it means you can be a genius of intimacy. Bad news: Your intense empathy can make you fall prey to the emotional ma-nipulation of people with whom you empathize. Good news: Your willingness to explore darkness is what makes your intelligence so profound. Bad news: But that’s also why you have to wrestle so fiercely with fear. Good news: In the next four weeks, the positive aspects of all the above qualities will be ascendant.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You love autonomy. You specialize in getting the freedom and sover-eignty you require. You are natu-rally skilled at securing your in-dependence from influences that might constrain your imagination and limit your self-expression. But here’s a sticking point: If you want the power to help shape group processes, you must give up some of your autonomy. In order to mo-tivate allies to work toward shared goals, you need to practice the art of interdependence. The next test of your ability to do this is coming right up.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Noth-ing is really work unless you’d rather be doing something else.” So said Taurus writer James M. Barrie (1860-1937), who created the Peter Pan stories. Your chal-lenge and invitation in the com-ing months is to increase the amount of time you spend that does not qualify as work. In fact, why don’t you see how much and how often you can indulge in out-right play? There’ll be no better way to attract grace and generate good fortune.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Here’s my proposal: Get in touch with your madness. And don’t tell me you have no madness. We all do. But listen: When I use the word “madness,” I don’t mean howling rage, hurtful lunacy, or out-of-control misbehavior. I’m calling on the experimental part of you that isn’t always polite and rea-sonable; the exuberant rebel who is attracted to wild truths rather than calming lies; the imaginative seeker who pines for adventures on the frontiers of your under-standing. Now is an excellent time to tap into your inner maverick.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here’s an excerpt from Dorianne Laux’s poem “Antilamentation”: “Regret nothing. Not the cruel novels you read to the end just to find out who killed the cook. Not the insipid movies that made you cry in the dark. Not the lover you left quivering in a hotel parking lot. Not the nights you called god names and cursed your mother, sunk like a dog in the living room couch, chewing your nails.” I’m giving you a good dose of Laux’s purifying rant in the hope that it will incite you to unleash your own. The time is favorable to summon an expanded appre-ciation for the twists and tweaks of your past, even those that seemed torturous in the moment. Laux doesn’t regret the TV set she threw out the upstairs window or the stuck onion rings she had to sweep off the dirty restaurant floor, and I hope you will be that inclusive.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Modesty is the art of drawing attention to whatever it is you’re being hum-ble about,” said Alfred E. Neuman, the fictitious absurdist whose like-ness often appears on the cover of Mad magazine. I’m here to tell you, Leo, that now is an excellent time to embody this aphorism. You are in a perfect position to launch a charm offensive by be-ing outrageously unassuming. The less you brag about yourself and the more you praise other people, the better able you will be to get exactly what you want. Being unegotistical and non-nar-cissistic is an excellent strategy for serving your selfish needs.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “To go

wrong in one’s own way is bet-ter than to go right in someone else’s,” says a character in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment. I don’t agree with that idea 100 percent of the time. Sometimes our wrong ideas are so delusional that we’re better off getting interrupted and redirect-ed by the wiser insights of others. But for the near future, Virgo, I recommend Dostoyevsky’s pre-scription for your use. One of your key principles will be to brandish your unique perspectives. Even if they’re not entirely right and reasonable, they will lead you to what you need to learn next.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “I love kissing,” testifies singer-songwrit-er Sufjan Stevens. “If I could kiss all day, I would. I can’t stop thinking about kissing. I like kissing more than sex because there’s no end to it. You can kiss forever. You can kiss yourself into oblivion. You can kiss all over the body. You can kiss yourself to sleep.” I invite you to temporarily adopt this expansive obsession, Libra. The astrological omens suggest that you need more sweet slippery sensual ten-der interaction than usual. Why? Because it will unleash sweet slippery sensual tender emotions and sweet slippery sensual tender thoughts, all of which will awaken a surge of dormant creativity. Which you also need very much.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Ev-erything has been said before,” said French author André Gide, “but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and begin-ning all over again.” I am happy to inform you that you’re about to be temporarily exempt from this cynical formulation. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you will be able to drive home certain points that you have been trying to make over and over again for quite a while. The people who most need to hear them will finally be able to register your meaning. (P.S. This breakthrough will generate opti-mal results if you don’t gloat. Be grateful and understated.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Do you want more money, Sagit-tarius? Are there treasures you wish you could have, but you can’t afford them? Do any exciting experiences and life-enhancing adventures remain off-limits be-cause of limited resources? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, now would be an excellent time to formulate plans and take action to gather increased wealth. I don’t guarantee total success if you do, but I promise that your chance to make progress will be higher than usual. Cosmic ten-dencies are leaning in the direc-tion of you getting richer quicker, and if you collaborate with those tendencies, financial magic could materialize.


“The bit-ing cold.” It’s not a phrase unknown to anyone, but it certainly has more meaning to some than to others.

Under certain conditions it can slice into you like a divorce proceed-ing and leave you with the same im-mobile numbness, and those condi-tions are very much present on the downhill slope of an interstate high-way at two o’clock in the morning when you’re distracted from the lack of feeling in your face by the realiza-tion that your pen isn’t working for the same reason your cheeks and lips aren’t.

That’s where I found myself on a cold January night under a differ-ent presidency than the current one, staring stupidly at the tip of the once highly sought-after Pilot G-2 (medi-um tip) pen I had in one hand while holding a thoroughly abused spiral-bound notepad in the other.

I wanted this pen to work. No, I needed this pen to work. “If the pen

doesn’t work,” I was thinking, “then I can’t f inish writing down this VIN number and if I can’t f inish writing the VIN then I can’t get back into the cruiser and if I can’t get back into the cruiser then I am going to die here on the side of this f ilthy in-terstate amongst the pieces of broken cars and flattened fast-food cups and Copenhagen cans and and and…” (Imagine that run-on sentence with no spaces between the words for full effect, if you don’t mind.)

I was freaking out, but again, un-der these circumstances it was per-fectly acceptable. I actually think that’s in policy. I took a few breaths (which turned out to be a bad idea because they stung) and like some-one falling out of a tall building, I f ixated on one specif ic object so that I could orient myself before certain death struck. It brought me as much comfort as one could expect.

(Who cares how it ends in real life—a coping mechanism is a cop-ing mechanism, my last shrink said, and sometimes you just have to worry about life’s terminal velocity impacts later.)

There was coffee in my car sitting

securely in a cup holder I’d drilled into my dash with a sheetrock screw (that’s a whole different story but I’ll tell you things ended with me smell-ing like coffee—a lot—until I did so) but I knew as soon as I got to it that it would just make my tongue feel weird the way Conoco Columbian blend tasted after cooking 12 hours on a burner, then sitting in my pre-Yeti-era container for another two as I tried to use it to both stay awake and stay warm, both efforts steadily failing with each passing second. By God it was something, though.

I shuffled back to the car, got my backup pen out of the visor, crudely scrawled the 17 characters that stood between me and certain icy doom and was indeed eventually able to wait inside my Crown Vic while a wrecker driver took his shift in the elements under the baleful glare of my headlamps, his image interrupt-ed by the errant snowflake now and then.

He was strapping a 1995 Ford Es-cort to the back of his sled for its f inal ride into oblivion and I saw he was wearing an Atlanta Braves ball cap, a soiled short-sleeved T-shirt, jeans, and white Nikes with no socks. That’s it, unless the American Spirit cigarette dangling from his lips counted as attire.

For the second time tonight I caught myself looking at something with the same stupid f ixed gaze I’d given my pen, my mind just as unable to process this information as it was earlier. “Hmph,” I said, and grabbed my lukewarm (and well-done) coffee.

Tonight’s lesson? It wasn’t about neoprene or wool or layering or that spare set of socks. It wasn’t even about “the cold.” It was that no one, and I mean no one, likes a smartass.

And as if on cue, I am promptly dispatched to another car wreck.

When officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrol-ling our fair city on the heels of the criminal ele-ment, he spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center

COLUMNON THE BEAT

5 Minutes On A Cold Night Officer Alex braves the cold and ponder pens and humanity

“For the second time tonight I caught myself looking at something with the same stupid fixed gaze I’d given my pen, my mind just as unable to process this information as it was earlier.”

ALEX TEACH

You complete us.Now recruiting Media Sales Professionals

to represent Chattanooga’s Alternative Newsweekly

Send your resume and cover letter to: Mike Baskin, Director of [email protected]

In the subject line, please include: Brewer Sales Position

brewer mediaeverywhere. every day.

Learn more about us at BrewerMediaGroup.com.Brewer Media is an equal opportunity employer.

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Sit Back. Relax. Enjoy The Music.

the pulse 13.02 » january 14, 2016

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