april 2012 murfreesboro pulse

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Vol. 7, Issue 4April 2012

FREETake One!

ALBUM REVIEWS: THE JOY OF PAINTING, ROD RICHMOND, AARON RAITIERE

MURFREESBORO

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

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LivingGreener

EATING & SHOPPING LOCAL CYCLING, HIPPIE HILLSTARTING A GARDENGROWING BAMBOO

2 * APRIL 2012 * BOROPULSE.COM

BOROPULSE.COM * APRIL 2012 * 3

There’s been some reaction, positive and negative, to comments made on the up-coming elections, local and national, in

the Pulse and on our online discussion sites. “You can’t come out and support one

candidate,” “That’s totally biased, irrespon-sible journalism,” “You guys have an agenda,” “That’s not fair,” “I’m reporting you to the attorney general” (seriously?), etc.

For one thing, I’ve said it once and I’ll prob-ably say it again, we’ll print what we please in our publication. That’s one of the few upsides of spending most your life publishing a paper. You can print what you want.

Secondly, the individuals who make the statements like “newspapers and media organizations don’t tell people who to go out and vote for; they present the facts and let people make up their minds” must not pay very much attention at all to newspapers and media organizations.

To the contrary, they often tell people who to vote for. In fact, four years ago, The

Tennessean’s editorial department printed an endorsement along the lines of “Why Obama is the best choice for president.”

Someone literally made the comment to me that “The Tennessean doesn’t tell people to go vote for Obama.”

Trust me, I see the value of objective journalism, or the theory of it at least, since no piece is ever 100 percent “objective.” How-ever, I feel it’s much more ethical and honest for a media outlet or member to say “this is what I think, and this is why I feel that way” and present an opinion piece than for a clearly biased news source to present something as “fair and balanced” when it is obviously not.

You may argue otherwise, but that’s how I think and I just put it in print. You are free to send me a note or letter with your agreement or disagreement. I’ve decided that a lack of a reply in any discussion means that I am right.

Remember, there is very little that you re-ally need. When I am asked if I need anything, I can have trouble thinking of anything.

I believe I have everything I need, water is generally the closest thing to a need I

ever experience. But speaking of water, and preparing for

doomsday scenarios (see La Palabra, page 7), it may be a good idea to stock up on some drinking water in the event of something . . . atypical going down.

It’s spring. Dig in the dirt! Ride a bike, preferably in the Tour de Fun, plant a garden, or some bamboo, visit our neighbors up on Hippie Hill, Run, Cougar, Run, eat something from the ground.

We can play our hide and seek (a.k.a. “go go hide”) outside now. It’s great that Jr. wants to play the game with me, but some-times I think he asks me to go go hide just to get rid of me.

“That’ll get old Dad out of my way for a few minutes while I pillage and plunder in peace,” he thinks. Or maybe he just forgets . . . Peace,Bracken Mayo Editor in Chief

DEAR READERS:

Copyright © 2012, the Murfreesboro Pulse, 116-E N. Walnut St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130. Proudly owned, operated and published the first Thursday of each month by the Mayo family; printed by Franklin Web Printing Co. The Murfreesboro Pulse is a free publication funded by our advertisers. Views expressed in The Pulse do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. ISSN: 1940-378X

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

Art Director: Sarah L. Mayo

Advertising Reps: Don Clark, Ryan Noreikas

Copy Editor: Cindy PhifferPULS

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CREW

CONTENTS

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

Text ‘vino’ to 86568 for a chance to win a pair of tickets to the inaugural BoroVino wine festival coming to Murfreesboro this May.

ENTER TO WIN

4 April Community Events

5 Read to Succeed Book Review The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

MAIL

10 Election Day April 17 Five challengers are vying for the Murfreesboro City Council seats.

11 Entrepreneurs Association Sunshine Nutrition Center

12 Local in the ‘Boro One can buy most anything they need from a local producer.

13 So, You Wanna Start a Garden Tips to help the beginning gardener get dirty, grow veggies.

NEWS

6 Phil Valentine Why aren’t we talking about John Sanderson’s murder?

7 La Palabra Doomsday Survival 101

8 Gagflex George Zimmerman’s irrational fear

9 Apple Talk I finally bought an Apple TV.

OPINIONS

32 Run Angry, Run Often Run, Cougar, Run coming up at MTCS.

33 Workout Tips from Tri-Fit Exercise during pregnancy.

34 Z-Train Sean Peyton suspended for the entire 2012 NFL season.

SPORTS

Music Editor: Jessica Pace

Contributing Writers: Spencer Blake, Barry Campbell, Patrick Clark, Ryan Egly, Bryce Harmon, Jason Johnson, Zach Maxfield, Tommy McKnight, Ryan Noreikas, Cameron Parrish, Sarah Porterfield, Jay Spight, Norbert Thiemann, Phil Valentine, Kory Wells, David H. Wright

31 Theater Dinner with Friends makes characters likable in Out Front production.

THEATER

MAIL

14 Sprechen Sie Wine? Parthenon features German wines.

15 A Natural Selection Pa Bunk’s offers organic lunch, groceries on the Square.

FOOD

16 Helping Hungry Kids Hippie and Mama Jeanie help anyone who needs it at their home on the hill.

18 Bamboo Chris Buker farms acres of an amazing plant here in Rutherford County.

OUT & ABOUT

20 Tour de Fun Annual cycling event gives riders the chance to hear dozens of local bands.

22 FINX Bicycle club hosts block party.

24 Album Reviews The Joy of Painting, Rod Richmond, Aaron Raitiere, Aaron Raitiere and Rodney Golden

26 CONCERT CALENDAR

27 The Music Lesson Select a music instructor who can teach reading and improvising.

SOUNDS

28 Movie Reviews The Hunger Games, Jiro Dreams of Sushi

29 More Than Skin Deep MTSU grad produces documentary about Arteriovenous Malformations.

MOVIES


Bikini Bodies Return! The sweet heat of summer

brings bikini and swimming-trunks season! Bikini Belly Boot

Camp begins Sunday April 1–May 6 (No class on Sunday, April 8) for a total of eight high-intensity workout classes that will kick your booty into gear. Ages 18+ can meet in the Sports*Com Group Exercise Room from 1:30–2:30 p.m.; a Premium Pass at Sports*Com is required. For more informa-tion, contact Allison Davidson at (615) 895-5040 or [email protected]

Hiking, Caving and Team-building

The Wilderness Station will be hosting a hiking and caving

trip on Friday, April 6, at 4 p.m., to the Higher Pursuits on the banks of the Duck River with jam-packed adventure along the way. Activities will help aid in problem solving and commu-nication skills. Hikers can learn the basics of caving with this beginner grotto while exploring the underworld. Reservations are required. The events is open to ages 13–18. Participants are asked to meet at the Wilderness Station at 10 a.m. and to pack a lunch. To register call (615) 217-3017 or e-mail Rachel Singer at [email protected].

Free Sunday-night Spring Chinese Film FestivalMTSU’s free Chinese Film Festival continues its 14th

semester this spring in the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. This year’s quartet of films will focus on “facing and resolving challenges”.

The series concludes April 8 with Echoes of the Rainbow (2010). This film depicts a couple raising their two sons while confront-ing challenges ranging from class struggles to typhoons. All movies shown will have English subtitles and are free and open to the public.

Seating will begin at 6 p.m. and a question-and-answer session follows each screening. For more information, contact Dr. Bob Spires at (615) 898-2217 or [email protected].

Stroller Coasters at the Greenway Get exercise and meet and greet with other parents while taking

your child and stroller on a walk each Thurs-day, March 1–May 17, at the Greenway. This event is free and anyone can join at anytime; no membership or registration is required. Birth–5-year-olds and adults invited. Walk from 9–10 a.m. then stay afterwards for extra playtime. Meeting locations are:

April 5, Murfree Spring Wetland (at Discovery Center)April 12, General Bragg TrailheadApril 19, Barfield Crescent Park, Wilderness StationApril 26, Old Fort Park, Overall St. TrailheadMay 3, Cason TrailheadMay 10, Thompson Lane TrailheadMay 17, General Bragg Trailhead

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

MTSU Alumni WeekendFormer Blue Raiders from across the world are invited to the MTSU Centennial Alumni

Weekend set for April 12–15 at MTSU. All day events will feature fun activities, an op-portunity to visit dorms, and the chance to chat with teachers and former classmates. Special lunches, sporting activities and other events will take place. The Alumni Networking complimentary event will be at the MTSU Alumni House April 13, from 5–7 p.m., to give alumni the opportunity to make connections with other MTSU graduates and friends. Make reservations at mtalumni.com or calling Lynn Adams at (615) 898-2922.

Pioneer Days at Cannonsburgh VillageThe 36th Annual Pioneer Days kick into gear Saturday, April 14,

from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. at Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.). This free event will feature live demonstrations, storytelling, hayrides, cloggers and dancing, bluegrass music, antique auto show, blacksmith demonstration, craft fair and food vendors. For more informa-tion, contact Sheila Hodges at (615) 890-0355 or [email protected].

Parents Defeating Childhood Obesity

The fifth annual Play Sym-posium at MTSU, “Technology,

Play and Physical Activity” will take place Saturday, April 14, at 8 a.m, in the Business and Aerospace Bldg.. Student teachers, public school and home-school teachers and parents can speak with experts on the importance of exercise and childhood obe-sity through panel discussions and physical activities. This event is free and participants should dress for physical activity. For more information, visit mtsu.edu/~play or e-mail [email protected].

Craft My RoomAll teens ages 11–17 can join The Tween/Teen Scene, Session I – “Craft My Room,” at the

Sports*Com Meeting Room, Saturdays April 14, 21 and 28 and May 5 and 12 to make fun and nifty room decorations such as clocks, picture frames, collages, bulletin boards with hand-made tacks and coasters throughout a five-week session. Registration is required. For more information, contact Terry Ann Womack at (615) 867-7244 or [email protected].

Murfreesboro City Schools Job FairMurfreesboro City Schools will be hosting a Job Fair Saturday, April

14, from 10 a.m.–noon at the Scales Elemen-tary School Gym (2340 St. Andrews Dr.) for job applicants to get the chance to meet with with principals and other support area adminis-trators. Bring resumes, scores, proof of highly qualified and teaching license, if applicable. Brief interviews may be conducted. This job fair is open to teachers, education assistants,

and other support staff including bus drivers, food and nutrition staff members, and ESP staff. For more information, contact Murfrees-boro City Schools at (615) 893-2313.

Annual Bridge Tournament The annual Bridge Tournament hosted by St. Clair Street Senior Center for ages 60+ returns April

19 from 1-4 p.m. at the St. Clair Senior Center (325 St. Clair St.). Refreshments and prizes will be provided by MPRD. All playing levels are welcome. Call (615) 848-2550 to reg-ister. For more information, contact Marlane Sewll at [email protected].

“Jewish Songwriters, Amer-ican Songs, 1910-1965”Viewers can enjoy works of American popular song at an

exhibit at Linebaugh Public Library through April 20. Many of the featured artists came from Jewish families whom escaped to America during the 1800s or fled persecution in Europe at the turn of the century. “A Fine Romance: Jewish Songwriters, American Songs, 1910–1965” is made up of broadway musicals, classic films, posters, and personal collections which come from young artists at the time such as Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein and George Gershwin. For more information, call (615) 893-4131 or visit linebaugh.org.

Women Fostering Unity in CommunityWomen of all faiths as well as those who do not practice a

religion are invited to attend an interfaith group meeting at Blackman United Method-ist Church (4380 Manson Pike) from 7–9 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month to getting to know and understand one another while making a positive impact on our com-munity. For more information, e-mail Jill Austin at [email protected].

Canasta TournamentThe second annual spring Canasta Tournament for 60+ plays its way into the St. Clair

Street Senior Center April 26, from 1–4 p.m. with refreshments and prizes cosponsored by MPRD and the St. Clair Street Senior Center. All playing levels welcome. Call (615) 848-2550 to register.

Bible Reading Marathon Middle Tennessee Bible Reading Marathon steps into Bible Path-way Ministries (810 W. Thomp-

son Lane) from 1 p.m. Sunday, April 29, through 12 p.m. Thursday, May 3, beginning with a concert, food and fellowship at Bible Pathways. Following activities, the entire Bible will be read and streamed throughout the world around the clock. For more information, contact Karen Hawkins at (615) 896-4243.

“Bon Voyage” MTSU Student Fashion Show

MTSU’s spring 2012 Stu-dent Design Fashion Show

“Bon Voyage!” will hit the runway Satur-day, April 21, at 7 p.m., in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Bldg.. Catego-ries are divided into luxury travel wear (“Jetsetter”), beachwear and sportswear (“Stylish Splash”) and glamorous evening gowns appropriate for cruise and/or resorts attire (“Summer Nights”). Entries are limited to five designs per person. Winners will receive prizes and scholar-ships sponsored by the Singer Sewer Company, the MTSU Student Organiza-tion Fashion and Design Students and the MTSU Textiles, Merchandising and Design Program. Seating will begin at 6:30 p.m.; General Admission is $15 and VIP admission is $30. For more informa-tion, contact Dr. Jasmin Kwon at (615) 904-8340 or [email protected].

COMMUNITY

EVENTS APRIL21

MARCH – MAY

APRIL19

APRIL20

APRIL26

EVERY 4TH

TUES.

APRIL29

APRIL14

APRIL14

APRIL6

APRIL8

APRIL1

APRIL12

APRIL14

APRIL14


The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacksby Rebecca Skloot

A young African-American mother of fi ve who died in 1951 seems an unlikely hero for anyone living today, but she has likely saved your life, or the life of someone you love, perhaps a few times over. Until recently, you could have never known her name, let alone her story. Even the scientifi c community, which she’s served for over half a century, has mostly known her by a code name. But now, thanks to author Rebecca Skloot, this woman thrives on the page just as her infamous cells do in the laboratory in the nonfi ction book The Im-mortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

Henrietta’s cells, harvested from the particularly aggressive cervical cancer which took her life, made history because they were the fi rst to reproduce in a laboratory—and did so with “mythological intensity.” The particular attributes of the “HeLa” cells, as they are called, enabled them to become a “laboratory workhorse” and have furthered tremendous advances in medicine, including chemotherapy, the polio vaccine, gene mapping, cloning, in vitro fertiliza-tion and more.

Some readers will appreciate this book purely from its scientifi c vantage point. Skloot, who has an undergraduate degree in biological sciences and an MFA in creative writing, certainly delivers on that front. While she may include too much science for some, she does an admi-rable job of making it accessible: “a cell looks a lot like a fried egg,” and freezing a cell is like “pressing a pause button” on cell division, metabolism and more.

Yet this story is not only about science. “I have always thought it was strange,” Henrietta’s daughter Deborah says, “if our mother’s cells done so much for medicine, how come her family can’t afford to see no doctors?” As impressive as Henrietta’s immortal cells and their role in medical history are, this one question captured in Debo-rah’s voice hints at the many layers and complexities of this story: Henrietta’s cells were harvested without compensa-tion or consent. While that fact has troubled her family in various ways over the six decades since her death, the issue

at heart remains: storing blood and tissues obtained from diagnostic procedures for research does not require informed consent, even today.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was chosen as a best book of 2010 by more than 60 media outlets, and it was the runner-up as this year’s One Book of Rutherford County selec-tion. While this reviewer would stop short of some of the praise this book has received—The Daily Nebraskan called it “the perfect book”—this is an engaging, justly narrated story, so well-researched over a decade that Skloot herself became a character in it. Whether you read it as a tale of individuals and families, of the disadvantaged and the educated, of race and religion, of trust and anger, of capitalism and consent, or of ethics and ironies, this book is an important view of American culture and global scientifi c history you’re sure to remember the next time you visit the doctor.

One Book Co-Chair Kory Wells is a poet and long-time Murfreesboro resident. korywells.comRead To Succeed is the community collaborative created to promote literacy in Rutherford County. The objective of this partnership between schools, area agencies and businesses is to support local program-ming and raise awareness about the importance of literacy. For more information and to fi nd out how you can make a difference in Rutherford County’s literacy rates, visit readtosucceed.org. The opinions expressed in this book review are not necessarily representative of Read To Succeed, but simply intended to promote the joy of reading.

READ TOSUCCEEDBOOK REVIEW

by KORY WELLS


Every Shooting Death is Tragic

Another tragic killing of a young man. No, I’m not talking about the Trayvon Martin case. I’m talking about the John Sanderson case.

You haven’t heard of John Sanderson? His name is not being etched on the sneakers of NBA basketball players? Sanderson’s not being immortalized by the likes of Al Sharpton?

I wonder why?John Sanderson was a student at Mis-

sissippi State who was gunned down in his dorm. This story hits home for me since I have a son at Mississippi State and that’s the very dorm he’s scheduled to live in next year. What’s absolutely amazing is the media coverage of the sto-ry. I read dozens of them. Only one mentioned that Sanderson was white and his alleged murderers are black. Why is that important? Because, for one, the suspects are still at large. How do you alert the public to help catch the suspects if you don’t even tell them what they look like?

The second reason is this appears to be a hate crime. Three black guys get past three layers of security then shoot a white guy mul-tiple times? You tell me what you think that is.

Not only were the mainstream media ignoring that little tidbit in the days after the killing, they were doing their level best not to inject race into the case. And in this case we know much more than we did about the Trayvon Martin case before the protests and the marches all started.

What was particularly interesting about the Trayvon Martin case is his killer, George Zimmerman, is Hispanic. Yet CNN and other outlets refer to him as a “white” Hispanic. Excuse me?

Karen Finney, a Democrat strategist whom MSNBC tries to pass off as a reporter, had a long editorial about her father being pulled over because he was a black man driving a nice car. Of course, to look at her no one would ever peg her as a black woman yet no one refers to her as a “white” African-American.

I thought once you had one drop of blood from a minority the mainstream media considered you that minority. For instance, everyone considers Geraldo Rivera a Latino yet his mother was of Russian Jew-ish descent and his real name is Gerald, not Geraldo. I have no problem with Geraldo considering himself Hispanic or Latino

but if he is then Zimmer-man surely is. Ever heard anyone refer to Geraldo as a “white” Hispanic?

Ah, but you see, if Zim-merman, the gunman, is a minority then that destroys

the media’s plan to make this a racial issue. Hard to argue Zimmerman was a racist if he’s from one of the so-called “oppressed” minorities so, like magic, he’s the first “white” Hispanic.

Of course, down in Mississippi we have what appears to be a racist crime. Where’s the protest? Where’s the march? Where’s the outrage? Instead we have media outlets, Fox News included, that have gone out of their way not to report on the racial component of this case. I guess it’s not nearly as much fun when the “oppressed” minority is the killer.

So, what am I saying? I’m saying that shots were fired in both cases and the police are investigating. I’m saying let’s see where the investigations lead. I’m saying that mur-der is murder and what happens to be on the killer’s mind is irrelevant so let’s stop with this “hate crime” madness.

I’m saying that the mainstream media know how to play the public like a harp. They know how to keep people stirred up.

I’m saying let’s not be played.

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

VIEWS OF A CONSERVATIVEcolumn byPHIL VALENTINE philvalentine.com

OPINIONS

Down in Mississippi we have what appears to be a racist crime. Where’s the protest? Where’s the march? Where’s the

outrage? Instead we have media outlets that have gone out of their way not to report on

the racial component of this case.

“

”


IN ENGLISH:

Predictions of cataclysmic doomsday events, natural and manmade disasters abound for the years 2012–2013. Prophetic traditions from many native peoples around the world say we are entering a period of turbulence and transition. The massive earthquakes, tsuna-mis, floods and tornados that have been so commonplace throughout recent years are the evidence. As a result, some families and indi-viduals in the United States have responded by preparing for worst-case scenarios.

If you think that prepara-tion for disasters is limited to freaky fringe doomsday groups of alarmists, think again. The US government has spent billions on the construction of dozens of deep underground facilities to ensure continuity of government in case of widespread catastrophe such as a super volcano eruption in Yellowstone National Park, nuclear war or a meteor impact. Meanwhile, websites such as ready.org (sponsored by the US Government) advise civilians to make preparations for disasters during which food and water will be unavailable.

Do they know something we don’t? I feel the answer is a qualified yes. Government agencies including FEMA and homeland security conduct planning based on the latest intelligence and scientific information, all of which is viewed within the context of history, contemporary social trends and a realistic appraisal of the current state of preparedness. As individuals we can’t achieve this level of awareness because we don’t have the same resources available to us. But don’t expect them to give you much warning about specific threats. If it were revealed that a certain mega-disaster was inevitable, it would desta-bilize the country socially and economically, disrupting contingency plans and possibly causing more destruction than necessary.

So what does this mean for you? As the Spanish say, “estas Jodido.” Sadly, the aver-age person doesn’t store enough water or food to survive even a short disruption in the supply chain. That’s why you see grocery stores empty right before it snows. Just imagine the scarcity that would occur after a real disaster. In fact, the average American is lacking in basic survival skills altogether. So what do you do? Here are just a few of the preparations that I’ve made and I recom-mend that others do likewise.

First, develop an emergency plan with your family and close friends so you can team up. Next, have somewhere to go that won’t be an easy target for criminals or zombies. Not everyone has access to a secret bunker, but we should all have a place in mind where we can go to increase our chances for survival. Also, store enough food, water and supplies to last you several months without having to rely on

stores or the government. It’s also a good idea to have what survivalists call a bug-out bag. More than just a survival kit, it’s a backpack containing the essentials to ensure your sur-vival for at least 72 hours while on the move. Doing a Google search for “bugout bag” will yield a list of recommended items to include.

Finally, get off your butt this spring, and acquire skills and equipment that will help you become self-sufficient and protect yourself. Disaster prep and learning new survival skills are fun activities and also bring peace of mind.

We live in the first period in history when entire societies fail to prepare for unforeseen disaster scenarios as a part of everyday existence. That

means that when these terrible events occur, most everyone will be at a greater risk for being removed from the ecology altogether. In other words, your Facebook timeline ends here and Darwin’s theory wins again. Prepare now and you won’t regret it later.

EN ESPANOL:

Sobreviviendo el apocalipsis 101Predicciones de eventos catastróficos y apocalípticos en las que abundan los de-sastres naturales y artificiales para los años 2012-2013. Tradiciones proféticas de muchos pueblos indígenas dicen que estamos entran-do en un período de turbulencia y transición. Los masivos terremotos, tsunamis, inunda-ciones y tornados que han tenido lugar a lo largo de estos últimos años son la evidencia. Como resultadoalgunas familias y los indi-viduos en los Estados Unidos han respondido preparándose para escenarios peores.

Si crees que la preparación para desastres es limitada a grupos marginales y alarmistas, te equivocas. El Gobierno de Estados Unidos ha gastado miles de millones en la construc-ción de decenas de instalaciones subterráneas profundas para asegurar la continuidad del Gobierno en caso de catástrofe generalizada como una erupción de un supervolcánen en el Parque Nacional de Yellowstone, guerra nuclear o un impacto de meteorito. Mientras tanto, sitios como ready.org que es patro-cinado por el Gobierno de Estados Unidos asesoran a los civiles para hacer preparativos para desastres durante el cual alimentos y el agua van a estar disponibles.

¿Saben algo que no lo sabemos? Creo que sí. Agencias del Gobierno incluyendo la FEMA y el Departamento de seguridad patrimonial tienen una conducta de planificación basada en la inteligencia más reciente y la información científica, todo lo cual es visto en el contexto de la historia, las tendencias sociales contem-poráneas y una evaluación realista de la situ-ación actual de la preparación. Como individuos no podemos alcanzar este nivel de conciencia porque no tenemos los mismos recursos a

nuestra disposición. Pero no esperemos alerta sobre amenazas específicas. Si se revela un cierto mega-desastre inevitable, desestabilizaría el país social y económicamente, interrumpir sus planes de contingencias y posiblemente causando destrucción más de lo necesario.

Así que ¿qué significa esto para usted? Como los españoles dicen, estas jodido. Lamentablemente, la persona promedio no almacena suficiente agua o alimentos para sobrevivir incluso una breve interrupción en la cadena de suministro. Por eso vemos las tien-das vacías antes de que nieve. Imagínense la es-casez que se produciría después de un desastre verdadero. De hecho, el estadounidense medio carece de habilidades de supervivencia básica. ¿Qué hacemos? Éstos son sólo algunos de los preparativos que he hecho y recomiendo que otros hagan lo mismo

En primer lugar, desarrollar un plan de emergencia con su familia y amigos cercanos, por lo que pueden asociarse. A continuación, identificar algún lugar para irse que no será un blanco fácil para los delincuentes o zombies. No todo el mundo tiene acceso a un búnker secreto, pero todos deberíamos tener un lugar en mente donde podamos irnos para aumen-tar nuestras posibilidades de supervivencia.

También, almacenar suficiente comida, agua y suministros que puedan durar varios meses sin tener que contar con tiendas o el Gobierno. También es una buena idea tener qué bolsa llamada una salida de error de supervivientes. Más que un kit de supervivencia, una mochila que contiene los elementos esenciales para garantizar su supervivencia al menos 72 horas en movimiento. Haciendo una búsqueda en Google para “bugout bolsa” dará una lista de

elementos recomenda-dos para incluir.

Por último, baje su trasero esta primavera y adquirir habilidades y equipo que le ayudará a ser autosuficiente y defenderse. Prepara-ción para desastres y aprender nuevas habili-dades de supervivencia son actividades diver-

tidas y también llevan la paz de la mente. Vivimos en el primer período en la historia cuando las sociedades enteras no se preparan para situaciones de desastres imprevistos como parte de la existencia cotidiana. Esto significa que cuando se producen estos ter-ribles acontecimientos, casi todos estarán en un mayor riesgo de ser eliminado de la ecología completamente.. En otras palabras, la línea de tiempo de Facebook termina aquí y la teoría de Darwin gana otra vez. Prepa-rateahora para no lamentarlo después.

La PALABRAUna columna del idioma español por

CAMERON PARRISH

Doomsday Survival 101


George Zimmerman called the police because he saw Trayvon Martin, a black teenager, walking through his gated community. Set

aside for a moment the fact that the end result was George Zimmerman shooting and killing the unarmed teenager. Zimmerman called 911 because he thought Martin was suspi-cious as he walked through his neighborhood in Sanford, Fla. Martin wasn’t screaming at people. He wasn’t smashing mailboxes or car windows. He was just walking.

The neighborhood association appointed Zimmerman captain of the neighborhood watch. He had made 46 calls to police since early last year, reporting instances of people being rowdy at the pool, windows left open, stray dogs, neighbors leaving their garage doors open and various instances of “suspicious people.” I don’t know George Zimmerman, and I don’t know if he hates black people. What I do know is that calling 911 because someone is suspiciously walking through your neighborhood is an indication of unreasonable fear and borderline paranoia. Combine that with a loaded weapon and a false sense of authority and you have a dan-gerous combination.

So far, police haven’t arrested Zimmerman because they state that there is little evidence to contradict his version of the story. He claims he was walking back to his car when Trayvon attacked him. According to police, he had grass stains on his back and a busted nose. This doesn’t take into account that he advised the 911 operator that he was follow-ing Trayvon when the operator told him not

to or that Trayvon ran away from him.He told police afterwards that he wasn’t

following him even though it was recorded, and he just so happened to have jumped in his car and attempted to track Trayvon down. He said he got out of his car to check the cross streets (not sure why he couldn’t see them from his car) when Trayvon ap-proached him, and they had words. He said at that point Trayvon punched him, got on top of him and repeatedly slammed his head into the ground.

All of this could be true, and it wouldn’t take away the fact that a 17-year-old kid got killed by a man who was overly fearful and suspicious, and the likely contributing factor to that fear is that Trayvon was black. And what was the worst-case scenario in Zim-

merman’s mind? Did he think that this kid was going to burn down the neighborhood and kill ev-eryone, or was he worried that Trayvon was going to break into someone’s

house and steal some worthless junk?It’s a sign of bubble mentality. Of course

you would find a black kid walking down your street suspicious if your world was a small bubble in which the people you per-ceive to be good are like you. Whether the bubble is a gated community or rural farm, the mentality towards outsiders is the same. The undesirables live beyond the gate and they are only recognizable by preconceived stereotypes. Even now, people are drawing conclusions that Trayvon must have been a thug because of comments on Facebook and Twitter. But Trayvon could have been every-thing that he feared and it wouldn’t excuse Zimmerman’s actions. He could have thrown the first punch and could have been beating Zimmerman to a pulp, but Zimmerman’s irrational fear is ultimately responsible for Trayvon’s death.

GAGFLEXcolumn by JASON JOHNSON

[email protected]

Zimmerman’s Irrational Fear

OPINION


I just bought the new Apple TV, the one that does 1080p, and I love it! But will it replace my Roku as my set-top video box of choice? Maybe . . .

I’m a Roku man, as most regular readers of this column already know. I have a nice system setup at home that downloads my favorite TV shows and makes them available for playback from my Mac to my TV via the Roku box. With a few tweaks, I’ve been able to turn it into a completely automated TV show retrieval and playback system and I’ve been very happy with it.

But a couple of weeks ago, Apple intro-duced the new 1080 Apple TV, and because it’s only $99, I decided it was time to check it out. Also, the torrent scene has made a change, and that helped me decide to try Apple TV now.

You see, until recently most movies and ALL TV show torrents were .avi fi les encoded with DiVX, and Apple TV won’t play them. But in the last year or so I’ve noticed that more and more movie tor-rents are in .mp4 format with H264 encod-ing, and Apple TV plays those just fi ne. And in the last 2 months the usenet groups that supply the internet with TV show torrents switched over to .mp4 also.

So now most, and soon all, of my favorite illegally downloaded content will be playable on my Apple TV without any transcoding (the Plex channel on my Roku pulls its video from the Plex Media Server, and it has to transcode most things). So as of right now I’m using Apple TV for my TV shows and any new movies that are in mp4 format.

Like all other things that Apple makes, set-up of Apple TV couldn’t be easier. I plugged it into power, connected the HDMI cable to my TV, and the onscreen interface walked

me through setup, which consisted of me telling it which wifi signal to use, inputting my wifi password, and then it asked for my Apple ID and password so I can access the iTunes Music and Video Store and access all my music and video fi les on my Mac. Note: If you connect a ethernet cable Apple TV doesn’t ask for your wifi information, it just automatically confi gures itself to use your ethernet connection for its network connec-tion. If you decide later you do want to use your wifi signal, just disconnect the ethernet cable and Apple TV switches to wifi .

One of my complaints about the Roku box is that it still doesn’t provide a nice interface with my iTunes music collection, but Apple TV does, and the Apple TV interface is beau-

tiful. So with all that going for it, why do I keep the Roku around?

Two reasons: One, Apple TV doesn’t have the Amazon Video channel. And given that Amazon is increasingly competitive with Apple on many fronts (online video, music, and the Kindle Fire—sort of—to name a few) I don’t see

Apple TV adding the Amazon Video channel any time soon.

Two, Plex via Roku has a much nicer inter-face for displaying video information, such as artwork (movie posters) and information about the fi le, actors, director, plot summary, etc. So for my extensive movie collection and complete TV series collections, the Plex/Roku is much nicer.

So for now anyway, I’m a two set-top box man. Good thing my TV has multiple HDMI inputs!

Patrick Clark, owner of The Boro Mac Shop, has repaired Macintosh computers and Apple devices since 1996, and Boro Mac Shop is Murfreesboro’s best Macintosh and iPhone repair shop. Contact him at (615) 796–6154.

I Finally Bought an Apple TV

APPLETALK

MACINTOSH AND iPHONE

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

ANSWERS AND TIPS{ }ANSWERS AND TIPScolumn by

PATRICK [email protected]

Last month, the eight delegates vying for the three available seats in the Murfreesoboro City Council election scheduled for

April 17 (with early voting current-ly underway) made the safety of Murfreesboro’s citizens a priority when speaking before the League of Women Voters.

For a nonpartisan election, ral-lying behind equipping emergency responders with updated equip-ment was a quick go-to for the candidates.

“There needs to be an overhaul of the communication system and equipment for the police and fi re department,” said incumbent Toby Gilley, when asked about what he would do if reelected for a fourth term. This statement was reiterated by all the candidates.

Between March 7–9, the candi-dates were invited to visit the Mid-dle Tennessee Area Professional Firefi ghters Fundraising Offi ce to speak with and listen to fi refi ght-ers. According to candidate Connor Moss, attention to issues of com-munication and safety is needed to make the department more capable in protecting citizens.

“Currently the two-way radios the fi re fi ghters use do not work when wet . . . the reception is so bad the men must use their cell phones when entering buildings. This cannot stand,” says Moss.

While all the candidates could agree that giving fi rst responders the tools they need is essential, the ways in which Murfreesoboro would use its debt was an issue of varying perspectives. Accord-ing to Moss, the proposed plan by the fi re fi ghters would cost $14 million for radios and towers, an expense, he says, “the city cannot do without.”

Other candidates had similar views on debt. Of the candidates, three are small business own-ers who share their experience in business as tools for knowing how to balance a budget. Danny Brandon, Rickey Turner and Ed-

die Smotherman are all endorsed by the Small Business Alliance of Rutherford County.

“I don’t want to see my kids saddled with debt they did not accumulate,” said Danny Brandon when questioned on the outlook of Murfreesboro.

A lack in voter turnout in past local elections was an issue that had the candidates at odds.

“Murfreesoboro is the only city in Tennessee without district repre-sentation,” says Moss.

Eddie Smotherman, went on to say that the charter for district representation had been changed and only needs to be voted on.

But others disagree. Ron Wash-ington, an incumbent, said, “We are already accountable to all the citizens of Murfreesboro . . . I go wherever I need to go. I like how it is, but I am open; if the citizens want to change the system I will listen.”

On a similar note, Bratcher, who has been on the council for 28 years and has been the vice mayor for 14, said, “I have never had a

call from anyone that says our sys-tem is broken. People like that they can talk to any council member . . . But I would like to see the idea put on ballot.”

When the question of what the main job of a city council mem-ber was asked, Danny Brandon summed it up, saying, “We must make sure the government is protecting our citizens fi scally and physically.”

Bill Jakes said the best way to take care of the community is to be involved in it. Jakes and Ricky Turner both stressed the impor-tant of being involved with the community.

As the night of local politics came to a close and the candidates had made their last remarks on jobs, spending and the environ-ment, it became quickly apparent that in this race no incumbent is guaranteed a seat, and the election will depend on making the right friends and enemies in the com-munity and beyond.

— DAVID H. WRIGHT


NEWSCouncil Candidates Looked to Safety When Speaking To League of Women Voters

Bill Jakes Connor Moss

Toby Gilley

Eddie Smotherman Ron WashingtonRicky Turner

Danny Brandon Chris Bratcher

Five challengers are vying for the

Murfreesboro City Council seats of Chris Bratcher, Toby Giley and

Ron Washington


Sunshine Nutrition Center owners Kenneth and Ruby Hillsman have moved to West Tennessee—Kenneth got the opportunity

to pastor his home church in Hunt-ingdon—but their daughter, Kim; Kenneth’s brother, Terrance; and other family members and employees continue operating the stores in Murfreesboro and Smyrna.

There’s been a surge in popularity in recent years in the organic and health supplement fi eld; along with that, though, comes the corporate business model that is able to duplicate the same type of store in multiple markets.

“With the industry the way it is now, it’s more favorable for the Walmart set-up,” Kim says. “You see Whole Foods drive out a lot of the mom and pop stores. There was talk of them coming here a few years ago, but I’ve not heard any news lately.

“And on the whole, it’s not necessarily less expensive to shop there,” she continues.

“We’re constantly trying to offer more in the bulk bins.”

Even though the Sunshine Nutrition Centers, located on Church Street (just off of Broad Street) in Murfreesboro and Lowry Street in Smyrna, may look small in pass-ing, many who stop in are surprised at the amount of different products on the shelves, Kim says.

In addition to hundreds of herbs, vitamins and extracts, Sunshine carries natural pet food, fresh produce, shampoo and personal care items, local honey, bulk quinoa and fl our, cold juice and hot soup and more.

As if operating the stores wasn’t enough, Kim also leads a Zumba group class at the MAC (4:30 p.m. on Sun-days) and is completing her master’s degree at MTSU in nutrition and food science.

But even though the hours are long and keep-ing a business afl oat is a never-ending task, she says she ultimately enjoys and appreci-ated the opportunity to work in the family business.

“Once you’ve been out in the real world and see what working for other people is like, you want to work for your family and yourself and call your own shots,” she says.

MURFREESBORO PULSE: How did you get into the health food/nutrition business?KIM HILLSMAN: My parents got into it the ’80s, my mom was (and still is) a registered nurse. Papaya juice and aloe vera juice helped

her ulcers, and she got interested in natural remedies. They ended up purchasing Sunshine in 1989 (it was actually started in the ’60s). It was on the Square at that time.

We opened the Smyrna store in August of 1991. In November of 2006 we moved to current location on Church Street.

My parents are still active in the store, but now they live 2 1/2 hours away. My mom was very involved in getting the deli going; the chicken salad recipe was hers.

My dad still operates the store fi nancially; he actually comes here twice a week.MP: What challenges have you overcome in starting and growing your business?KH: It seems the challenges are different ev-ery fi ve years. In the late ’80s, you couldn’t fi nd anything organic in the grocery store; you couldn’t fi nd any vitamin other than Centrum in a large store. So we were kind of an oddball then.

In the mid ’90s that changed. You saw more

stores, and we had to compete with those stores and let people know what we offer is the cream of the crop.

In the last fi ve years, there’s been a lot of competition on the internet.

Now, they’ve dumbed down some of the organic standards; as a retail-er you have to do a lot of research now to make sure what you’re selling is actually healthy.MP: What businesses/people were an inspiration for you?

KH: Initially, there weren’t really a lot of options out there. There were a few stores in Nash-ville that have since closed or been bought out that my parents were very fond of.

I personally go to a lot of trade shows; they are a big source of ideas for the store. Even if I can bring back one or two new

things to carry in the store, it’s worth going to these shows. You really just have to mold it to what the customer demands. It’s all about what they want.MP: What’s your favorite part of running your business?KH: Having people come back and giving testimonials, saying “my blood pressure has come down,” “my cholesterol has come down,” “I lost 15 pounds.” That’s what makes the hard work and the long hours worth it.We know a lot of people by their fi rst name. There’s a personalization you can bring to the table that larger stores can’t offer.

MP: What’s your least favorite part?KH: Defi nitely the long hours. My intention when I moved back in 2005 was to have a fi ve-day work week. That’s never going to happen. I work seven days. Even though we’re closed on Sunday, I’m working; some-times I feel guilty about only putting in 3-4 hours on Sundays.

You’ll run yourself into the ground running your own businessMP: Who are your customers?KH: A little bit of everybody. We get moms, we get the older crowd, we get students, businessmen.

MP: What is your advice to someone starting a business?KH: Do what it is that you like doing. Don’t pick a business because you think you can make money at it. You will eventually get tired of it. You have to have a passion for it.Even when I was young, I was ringing people up in the store, and I thought it was really cool. I liked being in the store.MP: How are you reaching out to new customers?KH: We work on referrals a lot. The Pulse and WGNS are the only regular places we advertise.

For more information on Sunshine Nutrition Center, drop in 621 S. Church St. or 236 N. Lowry St. or call (615) 896–2972 or (615) 355–6890.

Murfreesboro Entrepreneurs Association

ON BUSINESSSPOTLIGHT

story and photos by BRACKEN

MAYO

LET THE SUNSHINE IN The Hillsman family has brought natural healthy products to town for over two decades now.

Kenneth, Kim, Kenneth Jr. and the rest of the Hillsman family own and operate two locations of Sunshine Nutrition Center.

At least one week of my childhood summers was spent in the area around Chicago visiting family. The trek up to Yankee land took

about eight hours, and although it didn’t seem so at the time, the strangest thing would happen. After waking from a two-hour nap and peering out of the window, I had no idea where we were. There were no recognizable features, apart from rolling Kentucky horse farms or flat monocrop Illinois corn fields. But sure enough, those hideous golden arches would appear at regular intervals, with gas stations and mini marts never far away. It wasn’t un-til much later that I would become familiar the apt description geography of nowhere. From Tennessee to California, super chains dominate not only the bleak interstate land-scape, but also string through our commu-nities like a black widow’s web. This cultural homogenization represents a social experi-ment that is without precedent, as is the re-sulting income inequality, extreme resource consumption, health risks and a host of environmental concerns. The refreshingly-straightforward solution: become a locavore, not only in diet, but in lifestyle.

The good news is that this disastrous experiment is relatively new, and it is in our power to bring it to a swift end. Just as any-one born before 1945 can attest to, America was once a patchwork of thriving communi-ties. In the early 1900s, nearly 40 percent of families lived on farms, compared with 1 percent in 2000. The majority of what a re-gion consumed was produced in that region, and goods rarely traveled more than a day to market (USDA: Local Food Systems: Con-cepts, Impacts, and Issues; 2010). The end of World War Two marked the shift to a national economy. Low transportation costs allowed for regional specialization. Tennessee, for example, can concentrate on products that thrive here, such as Jack Daniel’s and GooGoo Clusters, and import what doesn’t.

Under certain conditions, this system is a win-win. Those conditions are: universally fair employment, sustainable production methods and sustainable transportation. None of these conditions are present in the current organization of the economy. From tomatoes picked by slave labor and with an average transportation footprint of 1,500 food miles, to retail outlets packed with Chinese goods, our entire way of life is fueled by cheap petroleum and inequality. In addition to moral appeals, there is also a strong eco-nomic argument can also be made for sup-

porting the local economy. A study conducted in Austin, Texas, by the research group Civic Economics found that local merchants gener-ate more than three times the economic activ-ity of chain establishments of a comparable revenue level.

Although solutions may seem to jump out of the page, the means to realize them can

be hard if not impossible to find. It is difficult enough to find goods made in the U.S., let alone Tennessee. Where do we start? Well, there’s the obligatory for any serious environmental article: consume less and make your own. Don’t buy

another kitchen utensil and try to avoid to-matoes in December. Become a fan of garage sales and swapping. But for the remaining tasteful consumption choices, there are a rapidly expanding number of options in and around the ’Boro.

* GROCERY/FOODSUNSHINE HEALTH AND NUTRITION Herbs, vitamins, teas, books, foods. Great bulk section. (See page 11 for more).PA BUNK’SLocal market and cafe. The only place I have found with true free-range eggs (from Wedge Oak farms of Lebanon). Coffee is roasted locally by Just Love Coffee Roast-ers, and you can enjoy it on the sidewalk with a great view of the Square. (See page 15 for more).READYVILLE MILLJust east of Murfreesboro on the way to Woodbury, this place takes you back 100 years. Stop in for some freshly milled cornmeal and grits or for a stone-ground pancake breakfast at the eatery.5418 Murfreesboro Road, ReadyvilleHATCHER DAIRYEach cow has a celebrity name at this farm west of Murfreesboro. Find it at Pa Bunk’s.6561 Arno Road, College Grove

* HONEYLocal, unfiltered honey is great for allergiesERDMANN FARM2250 Rock Springs Midland Road, Chris-tiana, TN 37037MOONSHINE FARMS AND APIARY1918 Cliffview Court, Murfreesboro, TN 37128RADFORD’S CATTLE576 Shirley Lane, Smyrna, TN 37167T&L HONEY 6324 Watsonwood Court, Murfreesboro, TN 37129

* STRAWBERRIES On a top ten list of items to buy organicANDREWS BERRY FARM6363 Cooks Lane, Smyrna, TN 37167JONES NURSERY220 Jefferson Pike, Smyrna, TN 37167P AND P FARMS & SHUCK-N-SHACK CORN MAZE 2841 East Jefferson Pike, Lascassas, TN 37085

* APPLESMORNING GLORY ORCHARDS 7690 Nolensville Road, Nolensville, TN 37135STONEY CREEK FARM4700 Coe Lane, Franklin, TN 37064KIMIS GARDEN VARIETY PRODUCE612 Holmes Gap Road, Watertown, TN 37184

* CHICKENS/EGGS Ever thought of raising your own hens? I know I sure have…POULTRY HOLLOW198 Wilkerson Hollow Lane, Bush Creek, TN 38547

* FISHEver read anything about imported seafood?NUT CAVE TROUT FARM 340 Shippmans Creek Rd. Wartrace, TN 37183

* RESTAURANTSI cook about 99 percent at home, and try to grow a lot too. After attempting to make a list of local restaurants, I soon realized that I am the worst person for the task . . . so check out the Pulse food reviews at boropulse.com/tktktkt. If I had to pick my favorite it would have to be the Clay Pit, and not just because it is the only Indian restaurant in town

* FARMER’S MARKETS It is a good idea to ask if produce has been sprayed. Just because a vendor hasn’t paid for USDA certification doesn’t mean that they douse their plants with Ortho.MAINSTREET Saturdays 8–12 on the Square, Season begins June 12.RUTHERFORD COUNTYTuesdays and Fridays 7–12, 315 John Rice Blvd. near Sam’s, Season begins May 11.

* COFFEE/TEAI can’t believe how long it has taken to get any real coffee shops in a college town of 100,000 plus. We once had the Red Rose Cafe and Espresso Joe’s, neither of which were to last. Luckily we now have two won-derful options:

JO ZOARA: A Murfreesboro establishment. Ideal atmosphere for a friend or a book. Ex-pect a friendly greeting from owner Teresa Harmon or her grounds crew.JUST LOVE COFFEE ROASTERS: [and coffee house]: We finally have a local roaster, and one that does it right to boot. All coffees are from sustainable sources, and farmers are paid fair prices. The com-pany has donated upwards of $200,000 to adopting families, orphan care and non-profit organizations. As if this isn’t enough, 5 percent of all sales go to support clean water projects through charity:water. A cup of joe never tasted so good!POSITIFFITEA: The Boro’s own tea trad-er, with some unique and healthy blends.

* PERSONAL PRODUCTSJOLLY LLAMA NATURALS: Locally made spas/personal/beauty care.jlnaturals.com

DR. NATE’S: natural toothpastes, founded by Murfreesboro dentist Dr. Nate Schott of Dental Excellence. drnates.com

* CLOTHINGI’ve got nothin’. Please let me know of any local producers! My cousin Jamie of Jamie and the Jones makes clothing in Nashville, which counts as local in my book. Thrift/Consignment stores are a great option for anyone paying attention to where our clothes come from and how they are made. You could also try praying for a paradigm shift that would make it more socially ac-ceptable to say, “Look what I got from a friend” or “Look what I found at Goodwill” instead of “Look how much my Kohl’s bucks got me!” I don’t see anything short of divine intervention as realistic on this one.

And last, but certainly not least:PICK TENNESSEE PRODUCTS picktnproducts.org.


LIVINGGREEN

column by RYAN [email protected]

Shop Local in the ’BoroYou can find almost anything you need from a local producer, if you know where to look.

* GIVE US YOUR TWO CENTS & WIN!Visit boropulse.com/eatlocal to take a survey aimed at finding out how many Murfreesboro folks will join the eat local move-ment. Participants are regis-tered to win free gifts from Pa Bunks, Sunshine Nutrition, Just Love Coffee, Rutherford Co. Farmer’s Market, Positiffitea, Jolly Llama, Harmony Inspired Massage, Avalon Acres, The Ascent and more!


Wanna Start a Garden?Get some plants in the ground this April, anyone can grow a garden with a little effort.

I started my fi rst garden 10 years ago because I wanted to feed my new family without the worry of harmful pesticides.

At the time, organic vegetables were scarce and very expensive. I didn’t have a clue about gardening so when everything survived I was pleasantly surprised. Gardening is a learning process and I have learned a lot these past 10 years. If you want to start a garden, now is the perfect time to begin. Let me give you a few tips to help you get started.

First of all, START SMALL. An ideal size for a fi rst garden is 100–200 square feet. Gardening is great fun, but it also involves a fair amount of effort. I defi nitely don’t want you to overwhelm yourself the fi rst year. Also, don’t try to cram ev-ery type of vegetable in your garden. You won’t be able to grow them all. GROW THE VEGETA-BLES YOU KNOW YOUR FAMILY WILL EAT. If you love green beans and tomatoes, plant plenty of those. Wait until next year to experiment with exotic foods like kohlrabi and quinoa.

Now let’s get your garden started. Scout out an area in your yard that receives at least SIX TO EIGHT HOURS OF FULL SUN EACH DAY. Don’t stray too far from your house, though. If you put your garden out of the way, you are more likely to forget about it.

Once you have found the perfect spot, now it’s time to get dirty. I recommend TILLINGthe fi rst year to break up the stubborn sod. Af-ter the tilling is completed, let the soil rest for a couple weeks. While the grass is shriveling up and dying, get over to Farmer’s Co-op and buy a bag of all-purpose, ORGANIC FERTIL-IZER (they have a great selection). You can then till the fertilizer in, but I prefer get some exercise and dig it in instead.

Now for the really fun part! It’s time to drive to your neighborhood nursery and CHOOSE YOUR SEEDLINGS! Be sure to purchase SOME FLOWERS to tuck in with your veggies. Flowers in your garden will attract the good bugs (the ones that eat the bad bugs) and they also make your garden more delightful. Then it’s time to hurry home and get those babies in the earth. Just be wary of the spacing requirements on the plant labels so you DON’T CROWD YOUR PLANTS. And if you are severely limited on space, don’t plant far-reaching vines like water-melon or pumpkin. They are tiny now, but they will take over your little garden.

Make sure you WATER EACH SEEDLING WELL IMMEDIATELY AFTER PLANTING and then WATER THE WHOLE GARDEN AGAINwhen you have fi nished. Take care of your new plants by WATERING THEM THOROUGHLY EVERY DAY (UNLESS IT RAINS OF COURSE) FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS. Seedlings are fragile. They will wilt in the sun very easily if they dry out. You’ll also want to feed them. Once

by TERRI DELONG

April Gardening Calendar1st–4th Grub out weeds, briars and plant pests.

5th–7th First day good for planting corn, mel-ons, squash, tomatoes and other aboveground crops. Last days favorable for planting root crops. All days favorable for sowing grains, hay and fodder crops, and planting fl owers.

8th–9th Good days for planting beets, carrots, radishes, turnips, peanuts and root crops. Also good for cabbage, caulifl ower, lettuce, kale, cel-ery and other leafy vegetables. Start seedbeds. Good days for transplanting.

10th–12th Barren pe-riod. Do no planting.

13th–14th Fa-vorable days for planting beets, carrots, turnips, radishes, onions and root crops.

15th–17th Excellent time to kill weeds, briars, poison ivy and plant pests.

18th–19th Favorable days for planting root crops, extra good for vine crops. Set strawberry plants. Good days for transplanting.

20th–21st Poor planting day. Break ground or cultivate.

22nd–23rd Favorable days for planting beans, corn, cotton, tomatoes, peppers and above-ground crops.

24th–25th Poor days for planting, seeds will rot in the ground.

26th–27th Plant tomatoes, beans, peppers, corn, cotton and other aboveground crops and seedbeds. Start fl ower gardens.

28th–30th Grub out weeds, briars, and other plant pests.

INFO COURTESY FARMERSALMANAC.COM

Good days for transplanting.

Barren pe-

Excellent time to

a week, add a small amount of LIQUID FISH EMULSION to the watering can. They will thank you for this by growing up strong and healthy.

One more thing, I would like to suggest that you MULCH YOUR GARDEN. Mulch is great for three reasons: It helps retain moisture, deters weeds, and adds organic matter to the soil when it decays. I always buy a couple BALES OF STRAW and cover the whole garden in it. It really does make a big difference.

Gardening can be a challenge, but it is defi -nitely not rocket science. Anyone with enough want and determination can be a successful gardener. It’s a great way to fi ll your life with food, beauty, exercise and fun.

I hope you decide to plant a garden this year. If you do, you will have many rewards.

Go ahead and get your garden planted, and then meet me back here in the next edition of the Pulse for tips on how to take care of your new garden! Happy gardening!


DRINK

Last month at Parthenon Grille in Murfreesboro, Lipman Broth-ers and R.S. Lipman beverage distributor presented an evening of

wine tasting featurng four wines produced in Germany and recently released to the United States market.

Patrons took in the fl avors and aromas of a sparkling Riesling, non-sparkling Riesling, Pinot Noir and Dornfelder. Lipman Sales Rep Eric Bates began his presentation with a brief back-ground on wine in Germany and proceeded to introduce the wines individually with a healthy pour into every glass and a description of the wine and producer as we tasted away.

Dr. L Sparkling Riesling led off with a touch of sweet fruitiness balanced with natural acidity. Sparkling wine has a long tradition in Germany, where it’s called Sekt. Germans are the biggest consumers of sparkling wine in the world, and most of the Sekt they produce is sold at home.

Next to the palate was Prinz Salm “P2” Two Princes Riesling 2009, displaying light fl avors of apricot and nectarine with a crisp fi nish. Prinz Salm is the oldest documented family-owned wine estate in Germany, dating back to 1200.

Following the “P2,” we transitioned to red with TXT Cellars WTF!!! Pinot Noir, a delicately spiced and fruity melody of ber-ries with notes of raspberry and a cherry sweetness. As offi cially stated in the wine’s food pairing suggestion, “Enjoy this unique and versatile red with cheese dishes, fon-due, spicier stews, beef jerky and choco-late desserts—WTF, just drink it by itself.”

Lastly, the 2008 Valckenberg Dorn-felder, a sweet and silky red with low tannins and a smooth fi nish, brought fl avors of cherry and vanilla. P.J. Valckenberg produces its Dornfelder in Rheinhessen, Germany’s largest wine region, situated in an elbow formed by the Rhine River mak-ing for favorable climate.

Following the fi nal drop of wine, Bates treated us to a nightcap of Schwartzhog, a medieval 11th century recipe krauter liqueur from the heart of Germany. Resembling Jagermeister, it’s crafted with selected fruits and roots such as wormwood (the legal amount by US restrictions, boo!), ginger and pomegranate, and a special

botanical component the producer calls “sauwurz” or “hog root.”

Throughout the tasting, central Europe-an-themed food was provided by Parthe-non. Restaurant Owner and General Man-ager Kathy Laris Darsinos typically plans at least one tasting event per month, whether it’s wine, liquor or even food samplings.

“More than just having a restaurant, I like to help people understand about food and wine,” said Darsinos. Growing up in a Greek family, meals were momentous family events. Her father owned a

vineyard, where she helped him by step-ping on grapes and checking the barrels. “For me it’s a way of life.”

For more information on Parthenon Grille, visit parthenongrille.com.

Bates will present a beer tasting entitled “Evolution of the Can” on April 23 at Five Senses (1602 W. Northfi eld Blvd.). Par-ticipants will sample beers by Oskar Blues, Sierra Nevada, Genesee and Abita brewer-ies in canned packaging. Admission is $10 and the tasting begins at 6 p.m.

Sprechen Sie Wine? Tasting Focuses on German Offerings

BREWS NEWSby RYAN NOREIKAS


Igenerally desire to eat healthier, better quality food that’s, preferably, locally produced. But it hasn’t always been so convenient to obtain in Murfreesboro, especially during those months when

the outdoor Main Street Saturday Market isn’t operating. And I’m not often interested, nor do I typically have the time, to drive to Franklin or Nashville for natural and/or organic food.

Needless to say, I was excited to learn about Pa Bunk’s Natural Food & Café, which opened a few months ago on the southeast corner of the downtown Square (107 S. Church St.). Set up like a country store, the place provides a fine assortment of all-natural and organic fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, meats and dry goods. In addition to edibles, the shelves contain various household items.

Owner Corey Williams aims to carry as much local product as he can get his hands on. Some vegetables and herbs come from Rocky Glade Farm in Eagleville; goat cheese is provided by Noble Springs Dairy out of Franklin; Hatcher Family Dairy in College Grove supplies milk; raw honey with comb is brought in by Gar-rison Honey Farms, which has bee colonies in Marshall, Williamson and Maury counties; and freshly baked bread is delivered daily by Wild Flours right here in Murfreesboro. These are just a few examples, and Williams fully intends to expand his network of local farmers and pro-ducers and offer more local product in the store.

“Our slogan is ‘from our neighbors, to our neighbors,’” said Williams. “I want to help local people and provide an outlet for their product,

as well as bring more awareness to healthy products and make them more conveniently available.”

Pa Bunk’s also features a selection of ready-to-consume products. The store uses Murfreesboro-roasted Just Love coffee beans for its espresso bar, includ-ing cappuccinos and lattes. Soup of the day, salads and gourmet sandwiches are made fresh daily by Health Nut Sandwich Co. and delivered to the store, including a Cha-Cha chicken breast on ciabatta bread with pepper jack cheese and three-green spread; a turkey on ciabatta with feta, roasted red pep-pers, herbed mayo, and greens, among other selections. There’s a dining area with tables and chairs inside the front of the store, and Williams recently set up additional café seating on the sidewalk now that the weather is warmer.

The location was formerly home to The Greenery, which specialized in household items, décor and clothes, with a limited supply of natural food product. Owner Judy Goldie experienced an increasing demand for more food from her customers and, having known Williams and his desire to open an all natural and organic grocery store, contacted him about taking over the space.

“A Grocery store is what the people wanted, so we took it over, added 1,200 new items and bumped it up a few notches,” said Williams.

He and his two sisters put up the money to open the store, naming it after their grandfa-ther Pa Bunk, or Paca Bunk as they called him.

Bunk Grisham was a farmer his whole life, well known in Smith County, Tenn., for the food he grew and the apparently amazing honey he sold. Grisham and his wife Mamie Bell raised 10 children with a family credence that the best food comes from nature, a belief that carried into the next generation of the family.

Williams’ passion for a healthier diet and lifestyle came about while serving in the army after graduating from MTSU.

“When I was stationed in California, I learned about organics and began changing the way I looked at food, the amount I ate, what types of food I ate, and I started exercis-ing more,” he said.

Continuous healthy eating and regular ex-ercise will never let you down and Pa Bunk’s Natural Food & Café is providing a conve-nient place to purchase healthy and locally produced food. More info can be found at pabunks.com and on Facebook.

EAT

Pa Bunk’s on the Square localizes healthy eating.

THE DISHNAME: Pa Bunk’sLOCATION: 107 S. Church St.PHONE: (615) 896-9910HOURS: 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday–Friday; 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Saturday PRICES: Health Nut sandwich-es: $4.75; Regular latte: $3.50; Tacos on Wed. (made by Health Nut): $2.50; Hatcher Milk: ½ gal., $3.99 (chocolate $4.99); 16 oz. Garrison Honey: $9.99

Pa Bunk’s owner Corey Williams and Sarah Claeys of Health Nut Sandwich Co. (far right) make lots of natural, healthy sandwich and gro-cery items available on the Square.

A NATURAL SELECTION

story by RYAN NOREIKAS

photos by BRACKEN MAYO


Isn’t that cute?”A bearded, dreadlocked blonde man known simply as Hippie sits in a trailer and picks out a little tune on a guitar. Bottle caps hang from a mess of hair that would make you think he was a crazy

lumberjack if you didn’t know him.Outside, a few black clouds hang over a

cluster of teepees perched on a hilltop. A few drops of rain reach us through the trees. Dogs are trotting through the clearing; they look groomed and fed. This ramshackle mountain-top campground is in the woods of Chris-tiana, right off I-24 between Murfreesboro and Manchester.

Known as Hippie Hill, the place is often followed by a trail of assumptions—that they’re all drugged out Deadheads, that they’re a cult, that they’re jobless, that they stay holed up on the hill and never come down. Last month, the Pulse visited Hippie Hill just to see what it’s re-ally like, and as it turns out, those assumptions are more than a little off-base.

“If Jesus Christ himself came up here, I’d invite him in, ask him if he wanted something to eat, and in the springtime, he’d be working outside, planting the garden with the rest of us,” Hippie says. Hippie has overseen life on the hill with his wife, known to everyone as Mama Jeanie, for the past 12 years, offering food and shelter to kids who need it.

Both Hippie and Mama know what it’s like to be homeless, which is what inspired Hippie Hill and kept them running the place for more than a decade. Kids that come to the hill are given help—whether it’s help giving up drugs, or help fi nding employment—and are taught how to live off the land as much as possible. They learn to sew, they learn to build. Everyone contributes. Everyone is treated the same. Some stay at Hippie Hill just for the night, others are there to stay.

It’s a steep climb to the earthy

haven. A sign at the base of the hill proclaims the simple slogan: Helping Hungry Kids. Fur-ther up the path, a clutter of old cars, including a Volkswagen van, hide in the grass. The fi nal climb is potholed and easier on foot.

At the hill’s summit, people are playing with their dogs, talking to each other or just milling around, sleepy-eyed. It’s early still. Though the woody area has largely been cleared, tall trees loom over the hilltop. The trailer where Hip-pie plucked the guitar sits near the entrance; further in, there is an array of trailers and teepees. Most of what you see is what they’ve built. There are the trailers where most resi-dents live, and there are teepees, one of which houses a pool table, that were built by people on Hippie Hill. There is a shack with a stove,

oven and sink. A shower house is under construction and nearly complete. Their port-o-potties, referred to as “shitters” around here, are emptied weekly. There is a garden, which is tended with everyone’s help. Everyone pitches in, because, essentially, Hippie Hill is a family.

The family has been grow-ing and changing for 12 years, since Hippie and Mama took up residence on the land (114 acres),

which is owned by a close friend. Drugs are not tolerated. Hippie and Mama are more than will-ing to help someone kick an addiction, but, as Hippie says, the kids have to want to kick it.

There’s more than just youth on the hilltop, though; all ages reside or travel through the area. Several homeschooled children are staying temporarily with their parents.

Yes, it’s a humble abode. They live through modest means. But people come there, they opt to live there, because they want to. And no one appears to be doing without the necessities. In the summer, there are air conditioners in the trailers and fans. In the winter, they have wood stoves in the trailers and the kitchen, as well as propane heaters and fi re pits.

Mama turns to a resident named John Brit-tain, also known as Yohn, who has lived on the hill for three years

“You ever go hungry?” she asks him.He shakes his head. Yohn is a booking agent,

which brings up important aspects of life on the hill: art and music.

Hippie Hill has hosted a lot of concerts. Some are very impromptu jam sessions, others

have showcased Murfreesboro greats like The Corbitt Brothers and The Great Barrier Reefs.

A well-built stage is centered in the clearing with a white sound booth recently built and situated not too far off. In June, Hippie Hill will be hosting its annual Afteroo, a week-long music fest right after Bonnaroo. In late March, they hosted their fi rst Metal Fest.

Yohn talks about shows at Hippie Hill as we walk down a path on the hillside. We stop at the prayer circle, where residents come to medi-tate. Flat stones encircle a sort of shrine where people have stuck fl owers, pictures.

On the edge of the hill, the scene is unreal. Pale green is pushing up through the tree branches and on the surrounding hills that curve below the mountain. Hippie refers to it as “God’s view.”

In the summer, the leaves are so thick they hide the view, and it’s pitch-black at night. But now it’s spring.

Living here, there must be something to it.For more information, visit hippiehilltn.com.

Donations can be sent to HHK, 8627 Burks Hollow Road, Christiana, TN 37037.

OUT & ABOUT

Hippie and Mama invite all to come to Hippie Hill, just for a show or permanently.

VIEW FROM THE HILL

CHECK OUT A GREAT BAND ON THE HILL:

Sugar Lime Blue @ Hippie HillFriday, April 20 at 8 p.m.8627 Burks Hollow Road, Christiana$10

“

story by JESSICA PACE

photos by BRACKEN MAYO

Whether it’s the view, the company or the peace and quiet, dozens of good folks have taken up residence atop Hippie Hill, nestled between Murfreesboro and Manchester.


Bamboo fi lls the jungles of Southeast Asia; it’s the food of the panda bear and the great plant of China, having been used for paper, buildings, musical instruments, food and more for thou-

sands of years.Though it is not native to Middle Tennes-

see, more and more homeowners are using the hardy plant, not only as a nice ornamen-tal touch to their property, but as a living pri-vacy barrier. Many bamboo varieties quickly grow to 20 feet and beyond. These stalks can be yellow, green or red, and be as small as a pencil or as large as four inches in diameter, and the tops of the hollow shoots fi ll with thick, green leaves.

While some plants can lose some leaves in the winter, plenty of species are fully capable of surviving the Tennessee cold.

Luckily, one doesn’t have to reach out to the other side of the globe for specimens of the plant; in fact, Rutherford County is home to a farm that specializes in growing bamboo, Almaville Bamboo Company, located just off of State Route 840’s Almaville Road Exit (Exit 47).

“There are 1,200 species of bamboo worldwide; of course we picked ours based on what we believed would grow best here,”

says ABC owner Chris Buker. “Not all species will do well in all condi-tions. The amount of space, shade/sun depth of soil, wind, etc., plays into it. The customer needs to talk to us in detail before buying.

“Many customers come back for more species. They just fall in love with their bamboo.”

One happy customer put a few dozen plants in the ground back in the fall. Now, shoots are shooting.

“This plant is amazing. The shoots can literally grow a foot in one day,”

he said. “We can’t wait to see what our row of bamboo will look like in a couple of years.”

Most residential purchasers have a desire to hide something, Buker says, “be it a new construction site, an ugly building or an ugly neighbor (fi guratively speaking, of course).

“I’m from East Tennessee, so the fi rst thing that comes to mind for us would naturally be a moonshine still, but I digress,” Buker says. “You can plant a line of new balled-in-burlap specimens in a row a few feet off of the property line, or you can plant around a particular privacy area (such as a patio, secret garden, hot tub or deck). That way your neighbor doesn’t have to see every detail of your life.”

The more plants, the quicker and thicker your lush privacy barrier grows.

“You balance your patience against your budget. Bamboo will grow together between the plants if you provide the right conditions, such as lots of mulch between plantings,” Buker says.

Almaville Bamboo Company is not Buker’s fi rst exposure to small businesses. Shortly after completing his B.A. in psychology at the University of Tennessee in 1974, he began sales of pension and profi t sharing plans for Aetna in Nashville. By 1979, he was a CLU and an enrolled agent with the Treasury. His estate planning and employee plan admin-istration allowed him the opportunity to see the inside of many mid-state small business-es. Watching what caused them to fl ourish or dissolve gave insight into what would make an ideal business venture.

One of the most important ingredients he witnessed was hard work (and long hours). In order to justify doing that, there would have to be one more thing: fun. And he claims that he now has that abundantly.

“Trading starched white shirts for dirt under your fi ngernails is the easiest way I have found for dropping your blood pres-sure,” he says. “I like what Paul told the folk at Thessalonica, ‘Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will

OUT & ABOUT

Native jungle plant thrives in Tennessee sun, is farmed right

outside Murfreesboro.

story by BRACKEN MAYO

A TOUCH OF THE TROPICS

the fall. Now, shoots are shooting.

A secluded, shady trail

leads to the Bukers’

backyard hideaway.

(Top) A look up among giant timber bamboo. These can get up to four inches in di-

ameter in Almaville! (Above) This beautiful display is a screen hiding an old barn

from view. (Right) Bamboo can come in a variety of col-ors, including this nice red.


not be dependent on anybody (NIV).’“It is such a delight to work with people

who are seriously considering changing their backyard into an oasis of privacy,” Buker con-tinues. “We can show them examples of just what awaits them. The smiles they display as we walk into a small grove with a hidden teahouse, or my wife’s garden surrounded by a wall of gorgeous iridescently golden-stemmed plants is just fun! You saw that some of our largest plants are on the far side of the creek which we refer to as “paradise.” The sign on the bridge leading over says ‘Sola Gratia.’ Explaining that meta-phor to those who don’t get it right off is a joy too.” (translation: “by grace alone”)

Buker says he fi rst explored the idea of growing bamboo after seeing the plant grow taller than 40 feet in the Yorktown, Va., area.

“Research was diffi cult because there are no defi nitive books on our area—microclimates are critical for selecting the right plant. It turns out that all those years researching tax codes paid off when doing the research on plant material,” he says. “Thankfully, Richard Waldron (now deceased) of St. Augustine, Fla., was willing to haul me around parts of Florida and Georgia to teach me, advise as needed and even help collect plants. He was retired and had plenty of time. And like most people in the American Bamboo Society, he absolutely loved the plants.”

Bamboo is a very determined plant, evi-dently; one that can even do well in the rocky soil of Rutherford County.

“There are very few evergreen plants that can do well in shallow soil, and sometimes you don’t know you have a chunk of rock hidden

one foot below the hole you just dug. I’m sure you’ve seen 10-15 percent dead trees in a line of evergreens planted for privacy. That would not have been the case with bamboo. When a tree starts out fi ne and three years later hits rock—well, you know what it looks like. By compari-son, we have had bamboo growing in eight inches of soil on top of a solid slab of rock. It is a very ecologically effi cient plant.”

However, he stresses that his experience in bamboo ranching has not been easy.

“It’s probably easier than dairy farming (which is what this property once was used for), but we fi gure we had about 8,000 man hours in before we made our fi rst dollar. All you have to do is drive to McMinnville and look around to see that the nursery business is tough. There are many abandoned nurseries there. Some of those folks were our friends. We are blessed to be in a niche that is underserved,” Buker says.

While there’s plenty of competition in the bamboo market with mail-order companies for smaller plants, “They can’t touch us on the specimen (more mature) plant pricing, Buker says. “One fi eld specimen will fi ll in way faster than two smaller potted plants and will cost less than they would.”

If you’re interested in visiting Almaville Bamboo Company and learning more about the varieties of bamboo that can grow in Middle Tennessee, self-guided tour maps are available in a plastic container in the parking area for those who want to drop in, and more detailed tours can be arranged by appoint-ment. For more information, call (615) 907-2571 or visit abcbamboo.com.

When you get those bamboo plants in the ground or for any other mulching needs, the City of Murfreesboro’s Solid Waste Department gives and loads it for free at its 4765 Florence Road location.

Ever wonder what happens to the tree limbs and plant waste the city collects?

It’s collected, taken to the facility, chopped and ground and made available for those in the area to pick up. Keep our earth in the county.

The department is open from 6 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Just pull your truck in and wait for the loader. No payment, no need to even get out of the truck.

For more information, call (615) 893–3681.

FREE MULCH

There’s not much that’s free, but if you’re ever in need of mulch for your gardening and landscaping projects, the City offers it free for pickup.

Spring has arrived, bringing warmer weather and longer days. It’s time to get out that bicycle, check the brakes, fi ll the tires and gear up for the annual Tour de Fun on April 14.

Free and open to the public, the event is a festival of a unique nature. More than 40 local bands will be performing at various houses and venues throughout Murfreesboro, also featuring displays by local artists. Following a schedule, participants will travel to each stop on bicycle, beginning at 11 a.m. with a cook-out and live music at Murfreesboro Outdoor and Bicycle (MOAB), continuing all day and into the wee hours with a fi nale at multiple venues around the historic downtown Square.

Organizer Tyler Walker and his team of volunteers are pumped for what will likely be the biggest turnout in its three-year his-tory. According to Walker, the fi rst year saw approximately 400 participants, which increased to around 900 last year. With such an exponential growth, this city could likely witness a traveling brigade of 1,500 to 2,000 cyclists this year. The mission of Tour de Fun is to have fun while helping the community to become more aware of cyclists and cyclist street laws.

“When people see this many cyclists, it’s going to get them a little riled up, I think,” said Walker. “Some people might get angry, but I feel most people, when they see a huge hoard of bikes in springtime, there’s no rea-son to get mad; you’ve got to smile. Probably some of the people that were angry at us the fi rst year will be at this year’s Tour de Fun riding a bike.”

In addition to cyclist awareness, Walker enjoys helping to build the music and art community with this event.

“I’m trying to get more of the bands around town to know each other. Murfrees-boro’s music scene is really good about be-ing friendly. Punk bands can play with a folk band that’s playing with some crazy techno band, and everybody’s cool with it; no one’s going to argue about it.”

On its offi cial website, tourdefun.net, available for free download is the Tour de Fun 2012 Mix Tape. The compilation features songs by artists performing at this year’s event, providing a sample of what participants can expect, musically, through-out the day. A full schedule of bands and locations is also on the website, including a map of the tour route.

Food and beverage vendors will be set up along the route, including vegan options pro-vided by Pa Bunk’s Natural Market & Café.

Participants will receive a free offi cial event T-shirt while supplies last and will

have the opportunity to enter a raffl e with prizes donated by local businesses. Last year’s grand prize was a bicycle worth around $400, donated by MOAB.

“All I ask from people is to have fun, use common sense, and be respectful,” said Walker. An MTSU graduate, he formulated the idea for Tour de Fun by combining his

experience of booking house shows and organizing bicycle events with friends while he was in school. He intends to carry on the event each year and hopes to see it grow in popularity, with support from the city and more businesses getting involved.

Those interested in volunteering may e-mail [email protected].


SOUNDS

FUN’S THE WORD

Honoring a recently started spring tradition, bicyclists will ride through the ’Boro on a Saturday afternoon, taking breaks to hear dozens of local bands perform.

Tour de Fun 2012 expected to be biggest yet.story by RYAN NOREIKAS photos by RYAN GREEN

TOUR DE FUN 2012 SCHEDULE11 a.m.–2 p.m.MOAB—310 N. Maple St.Creature Comfort, Spirit and the Spire, TronAteMyBaby, Mantra Mantra Man-tra, Yer Heart!

2:30–3 p.m.The Cubby Hole—1002 Leaf Ave.Bad Back, Don Coyote

3:15–3:45 p.m.Lion’s Den—2971 Middle Tennessee Blvd.The Utterly Impossibles, Frojan Horse

4–5:30 p.m.Tiny House—809 Ewing Blvd.Duo, Daykids, Self Help

4–5:30 p.m.Frankie Avalon—815 Ewing Blvd.Tetsuo, Ayatollah Gold, Guide

4–5:30 p.m.Hausu—914 Ewing Blvd.Crayons and Antidotes, Baby Breath, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt

4–5:30 p.m.Trap House—812 Ewing Blvd.Duperocho, Body of Light, T.Rust

5:45–6:15 p.m.The Boro—1211 Greenland Dr.Langoliers, Waterfi ght

6:30–7:15 p.m.Fortress of Solid Dudes—1109 Old Lascassas PikeOne Big Owl, The Joy of Painting

7:30–8:30 p.m. Grandma’s House—2415 Yearwood Ave.ChristLove, Seth Moore, Kids Are Goats

8:45–9:15 p.m.The HandleBar—2601 E. Main St.Awesome Shirt, Young Wolves

9:45–10:45 p.m.Neutral Skate—17 S. Public Sq.Special Events, Dark Sister, Meth Dad, Fake Brad

11 p.m.Walnut House—116 N. Walnut St.King Arthur, Pujol, Echo Group, Mom & Dad

Midnight3 Brothers Deli—223 W. Main St.Isles, Netherfriends

Midnight Social—114 N. Church St.O Youth, Hanzelle, Technikiller

Fake Brad performs at the 2011 event; (right) Kate and Carter at Grandma’s House


SOUNDS

SThis fair town of ours set another precedent for following St. Patrick’s Day shenanigans yet again this year. But on the corner of Lytle and Maney, the holiday’s

traditional green hues took a back seat allowing the red, white and blue of the Tennessee state fl ag to ride shotgun while holding the rustic browns of old barn wood, raccoon tails and custom-made showpiece bikes on its lap for the March 17 FINX Fest exhibition in the old bar turned glass-paned art house, Dunaway’s Gal-lery, at 312 Maney Ave.

The show was inspired by and honored FINX Bike Club President and Gaskill Hop Shop Owner Adam Gaskill’s gnarly-welded, chain and gear inspired metal and wood-work. Everything from old skis converted to longboards, the occasional gun on the wood-paneled walls, his truck parked out in front, and of course, the custom bikes propped against and hanging all over Dunaway’s were all detailed with his signature intricate pinstripes too. Musical guests The Piscottis, Tennessee Scum and Polekatt Molasses set a soundtrack to the dimly lit, laid-back and mostly ideal-weathered street party for the rugged bike venture as the consistently waxing crowd of all ages gathered in the street (until about 9 p.m., when parents put the babies to bed and snuck back for a few minutes).

FINX Bike Club began about two years ago as a play on the late ’60s Australian motorcycle gang. The club was spawned from a growing group of Southern artists. Contributing to the exhibit’s success that night included members ranging from their own architects who scoured old Middle Tennessee barns for display plat-forms, stage materials and good ole Tennessee decor, to musicians headlining such as FINX Vice-president Blake Becker of Polekatt Molas-ses. Also, their photographers covered for the FINX-related blogs and ran the merchandise tables with a few attractive and well-placed ladies who contributed some of the bikes and artwork as well. Warmly thanked by them all, though, was the owner of the ideal-for-the-occa-sion Maney shop, Leslie Roberts, who stepped up for the organization, provided the venue and helped block off the 300 block of Maney.

Outside the woodsy old store front was everything a good bike shop would have for all ages, such as skating platforms and grinding rails to the left of the entrance, a graffi ti wall inviting BYO spray paint to the right, and in the middle of it all before the front doors was a generous shotgun grill setup serving burgers, hot dogs, sodas and beers for a buck. And of course, the 50 some-odd bicycles Gaskill Hop Shop show patrons rode in from all over.

Ah, the fi xings for a fi ne block party.“The keyword behind FINX is ‘value,’” said

club contributor Christoph Hill. “[We’re] do-ing this as kind of a going away thing before [touring] around the U.S.” And as they all put in good work, a huge amount of attention was giv-en to Gaskill, who recently graduated from the MTSU art department with the skills to supply the beautiful two-wheeled monster creations that can almost be heard gnarling through their jagged metal edges when admired up close. It’s Gaskill’s art that will hit the road heading north this summer to cities in the Michigan and Min-nesota areas, so far, blogging on the way.

“I’m graduated a couple of years now, but I went to school for art and built bikes as half of my degree. […] I just kind of evolved inside of this bike club called The FINX and my shop started getting on,” Gaskill said about his Franklin, Tenn., based Gaskill Hop Shop where he produced material for the show including another evolving idea impressively previewed: a movie trailer titled Death Truck, fi lmed at Rac-coon Mountain on a little handheld Elf camera and projected onto the front of Dunaway’s under the roof ’s peak as the sun began to set. Gaskill’s old fl at-black Ford pickup stars in the movie-in-progress (as well as propped up the projector across the street) looking as jag-ged as the bikes and growling, too, through its custom-welded, toothy grill and red headlights.

The Piscottis set up in the back of the room on the small, handmade stage lined with what appeared to be the old Opry-esque lanterns. They looked like the ones Johnny

Cash kicked, but upon closer inspection, they were electric Christmas candles with mason jars overturned on top of them epitomizing the ingenuity of the whole night. And if anyone were to kick them out, it looked like the young, rambunctious trio of bass, drums and female screamer/guitarist would, all decked out in ca-sual punk attire screaming “Who’s drunk yet?!” before playing. Instead of property damage, though, The Piscottis provided ear damage with a six-song set of California-ish, Atari Teenage Riot inspired punk songs starting the trend among bands that evening to keep everything turned up to the brilliant level of 11.

After equipment was swapped out, Murfrees-boro’s own extremely hungover quintet of a couple guitars, bass and drums with a tambou-rine kicker, Tennessee Scum hunkered down and rang out whammied surf-grunge in very decent fashion rocking well-placed guitar fuzz, feedback and string screeches over all the Scum singing along with one another, having a blast.

Next, FINX Vice-president Blake Becker and

his drummer/grillman for the event, Dave, gave the crowd a taste of their fi rst time playing in public together. Becker stuck with chill blues riffs on an old black Gibson, looped over each other through the effects pedal at his feet and out of a small wooden Gaskill-detailed amp as Dave the drummer set up his kit. Once set up, though, Becker, with his long beard, dedicated drunken eyes and denim jacket, reached down and retrieved an old-school lever-action See-N-Say, but instead of barnyard animal sounds like “The Cow says Moooooo”, it spoke bike safety rules. Becker used this as a turntable for the rest of the evening, free style rapping along until the duo melded back together to fi nish out a somewhat calming blues jam.

“This is kind of a sneak preview of what the future holds,” said Becker, as the barbed-wire chandelier gently swayed.

Updates on the FINX Bike Club’s summer tour, merchandise (T-shirts, stickers, raccoon tails), and other Gaskill endeavors can be found through gaskillhopshop.com or fi nxbc.com.

A life subliminally arranged against big oil: artist gives Murfreesboro a homely glimpse

of “Backyard Bike Kulture.”story by BRYCE HARMON photos by JONATHAN WESENBERG

FINX ROCKS MANEY

For more FINX Bike Club events and activities, visit fi nxbc.com

Though not on the official performance schedule, the Piscottis showed up to share their sounds with the crowd.

All were encouraged to let their creativity spray at the St. Patrick’s Day event.


ALBUM REVIEWS

Painter Bob Ross inspired the name of this band, and I had as much fun listening to their new record, Asterisk, as I had watching the show as a kid. No sarcasm here. The Joy of Painting, to put it simply, knows what to do, and does it well. It’s funny that the band describes its sound as garage pop, because that’s precisely how to describe countless phenomenal ‘60s bands who never became household names, but paved the way for punk with a grittier sound that still had the delight-ful hooks of jangly ‘60s pop.

Some bands, like Arcade Fire, consciously make anthems out of their songs, and it’s great. Other bands, like The Joy of Paint-ing, just seem like their sound is accidently grandiose and bursting with color and energy. Fast moving and catchy, there’s the cute-pop 1960s sentiment that bands like The Flamin Groovies had and a roughness and attention to guitars like Weezer.

Asterisk, a collection of seven “songs written and jammed by the Joy of Painting,” according to the album’s credits, was recorded live to 2” tape at The Brown Owl in Berry Hill, Tenn.

The best are all of them. The best of the best are “Old Love,” “No Bones” and “My Person-ality.” Lyrics aren’t hard to decipher, which is fortunate, because the tracks tell specifi c stories, like in the sad bastard tune (which is simultaneously triumphant) “My Personal-ity”: “So loneliness is OK/just as long as it’s in spurts/I don’t need to fi nd love/I’ll just run with whatever works.”

The Joy of Painting plays April 14 as part of the Tour de Fun festival (see page 20 for the full schedule) and will appear at The End in Nashville on April 18 with Kansas Bible Com-pany and One Big Owl.

For more information on the Joy of Paint-ing, or to listen to Asterisk for free or purchase downloads, visit joyofpainting.bandcamp.com or fi nd them on Facebook.

— JESSICA PACE

Bound to a working man’s journey, New York farm-country born singer/songwriter, Rod Richmond, reveals the day-to-day mindframe of true patriots in the typical heart-on-your-cowboy-boot Nashville sound throughout his second full length album, Livin’ in the USA, released out of Red, White and Blue Records. But appropriately so. Richmond has been instilled with that true American ethic in Livin’ through farming, volunteering and assist-ing; working as an architect, fi refi ghter, EMT and truck driver; and serving as an award-winning marksman for the National Guard. It’s been a pretty full run through life so far that’s motivating more than half of this straight country album, while the remaining inspiration comes from dedicated family and friends. Proving the sincer-ity of well-rounded Americana intentions not only through the music, lyric and a prerequisite lifestyle to the album, he is also donating proceeds of every album sold to The Gold Star Mothers to help families that have lost children in our country’s recent wars.

Stereotypically, Livin’ in the USA, is everything already heard coming out of the Nashville country machine: heavy on G, C, D country licks backed by bass and drums while each individual track is accented with the likes of the fi ddle showing up on songs like “Buy American,” mandolin on “The Rest is History,” a nice honky-tonk piano on “God’s Job” and a little lap guitar in every other track. A basic song structure of two verses, refrain, third verse, give or take a coda are set to a strate-gically placed track masking the monotony of only three tempos: loving ballad to folkish drone, and the heel-toe paces. But the style has stayed around all these years for a reason. It’s a catchy platform to express your ideas.

In a voice resembling Ronnie Dunn, the fatherly com-passion towards the subject matter outweighs the stereo-typical as Richmond genuinely sings “Guitar Strings”; “After the Shock and Awe,” dedicated to soldiers overseas right now; “Girls That Never Work Out”; and the radio treat, a bluegrass rendition of “Buy American.”

Upcoming shows are mainly in Lebanon, Tenn., April 6, 13 and 20 at RW’s Roadhouse, with an April 19 ap-pearance at the Commodore Lounge on West End in Nashville. Livin’ in the USA can be found at Amazon, CDBaby and redwhiteandbluerecords.com.

— BRYCE HARMON

The Joy of PaintingAsterisk

Rod RichmondLivin’ in the USA


Kentuckian turned local poet, painter and grin-worthy picker Aaron Raitiere leads the same loving intention for the furry buddies this publication has in the direction of a sound medium on his latest fi ve-track EP Rescue Dog Blues out of One Tooth Records.

Raitiere pulled inspiration for the album from his own pet, a saved and sweetened ex-fi ghting pit bull named Snow, after the two found one another. Rescue Dog Blues obediently sits as a perfect listen for the entire family as well as this solo bluegrass-blues-folk musician’s third musical venture with co-writer Julie Stein to follow up another animal musing in 2011, Bear Country (about bears).

Immediately on Rescue, happiness ensues hearing his zeal for Snow and hers for Raitiere in the leading title track sung through Raitiere’s depiction of Snow’s endearing and grateful post-rescue thoughts accompanied by his clanky, fi nger-picked bluesy acoustic and overdubbed back-up vocals remi-niscent of an 11-year-old’s birthday party performance sans overdub. The following “Love is an Ability” offers a deeper, enlightening perspective of the relationship, pondering a way dogs teach humans to be good, but in a similar musical styling as the preced-ing track. Raitiere pulls out the tempo-stops in Blues Park while dueting with Snow herself in “Good to the Bone,” and praising her for all she’s become, including a bodyguard, workout partner and best of all, chick magnet. If you’re wondering how to tell it’s a her, give a listen to the fi nal track “Pound Puppy” right after the tamed guitar plucks of the continuing praise and introspection of “I Think my Dog is a Person Too” just before it.

If there’s ever a selling point for rescuing an animal from the shelter (or if an animal shelter ever needed jingles), this album certainly provides it in every ener-getic word and strum. Rescue Dog Blues can be found on CDbaby, Amazon and iTunes for a fair price or through aaronraitiere.com along with his other artistic endeavors, such as poems, paintings, photos and past pickings. — BRYCE HARMON

Aaron RatiereRescue Dog Blues

I’ve thought for a long time why I like Aaron Rai-tiere so much. It’s not because I love everything he’s released—I don’t. It’s because it is easy to see where he’s coming from, and he’s not the type of songwriter to tell a lie. There is little that’s annoyingly cryptic in any of Raitiere’s records, whether he’s earnestly fi ngerplucking with Julie Stein on Strange Angel or drunk and making up songs on the spot on Rocks Out (it doesn’t). The beauty is that they’re not all mas-terpieces—some even purposely not—but they’re real whether he writes a beautiful song, a stupid one or doesn’t even seem like he really tried to write a song.

Raitiere joins friend/cowriter Rodney Golden on Forty Different Me’s, which is, once again for Raitiere, a great record for what it is. Both musicians

are Southern-born, and what struck me is that a century ago in the South, nobody would have thought their music was extraordinary because it was everywhere. Unrecorded, but everywhere. Everymen like Raitiere and Golden commonly used music as a means to tell a story.

The album is composed of nine stories that stream out of their writ-ers like the Buffalo River, which was where Raitiere and Golden nested in

March 2011 in a riverside cabin to write the record. “By the Buffalo” opens the record appropriately at the Buffalo River; Raitiere sings a tale of a murder and riverside burial like it’s no big thing. The record has its share of weepers about inner demons, divorce and domestic abuse as well as hillbilly odes in the name of hard labor (“Keep On,” “Hillbilly Revival”). The title track brings the record full circle in telling all the colors of its writers’ personalities, which appropriately refl ect the diversity of Raitiere’s records too.

If someone was to ask who in the Nashville area can spin a yarn into a song, exaggerate it or keep it exactly as it happened, Raitiere would come to mind. He and Golden couldn’t do anything better than this because they wrote what they know. It’s simple stuff, but it’s often the simple ones that stick. — JESSICA PACE

Aaron Raitiere and Rodney GoldenForty Different Me’s

A CLASSICRATINGS: OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE BELOW AVERAGE AVOID AT ALL COSTS DEAD

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

We’re working hard to promote

good music in Middle Tennessee.*

FRI, 4/63 BROTHERS

Jake Leg StompersFANATICS

Stones River PilotsNOBODY’S

Some Assembly RequiredTHE BORO

The Buddy System, Boo Boo Bunny, Doom Factor

WALL STREETSky Hi, Deep Fried Five

WILLIE’S WET SPOTAtomic Trunk Monkeys

SAT, 4/73 BROTHERS

Kurtis Murfy, Roneway DuoCOACH’S

Simple StaticJOZOARA

Open Mic with MasterMix Productions

THE BORO Flea Market Hustlers

THE GRINDThe Buddy System, Skeetzo N’ Krysis, The Creepy Kids, The Waterfight, Soviet Space Program

WILLIE’S WET SPOTDouble Image

SUN, 4/8BLUE

Jazz Brunch with Avent Lane & Larry Pinkerton

MON, 4/93 BROTHERS

Music Monday MadnessWRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

Stones River Chamber Players

TUES, 4/10WILLIE’S WET SPOT

Freedom Hill

WED, 4/113 BROTHERS

Ryan Coleman’s Writers NightWILLIE’S WET SPOT

Shane & Lenny, Freedom HillWRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

Ben Zolkower, senior percussion recital; MTSU Guitar Ensemble

THURS, 4/123 BROTHERS

Screamin’ Boweevils, Tennessee Scum

BONHOEFFERSZac Anderle, Sarah Turner, Stevie Woodward, Jeremy Robertson

WILLIE’S WET SPOTShane & the MoneymakersWright Music Bldg.Rhett Brewer, junior vocal recital; MTSU Flute Choir

FRI, 4/133 BROTHERS

MTSU Artist Acoustic Show-caseFANATICS

Brian Ashley JonesNOBODY’S

Zone StatusTHE BORO

Skeetzo N’ Krysis, Hybris, Tennessee Scum

WALL STREETMr. Nasti, Opposite Box, Self Help

WILLIE’S WET SPOTGreez Monkeez

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.Brad Keesler, graduate trombone recital; Spring string studio recital I; Spring string studio recital II

SAT, 4/143 BROTHERS

Sugar Lime BlueTHE BORO

Tour De Fun: The Waterfight, The GoldRoom, Spybox

WILLIE’S WET SPOTBacklit

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.Maureen Moeller, senior flute recital; Anna Lynn Vaughan, senior piano recital

SUN, 4/15BLUE


WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.MTSU Wind Ensemble with MTSU Concert Chorale; Joseph Falconer, senior cello recital

MON, 4/163 BROTHERS


Concert Band


Freedom Hill

WED, 4/183 BROTHERS

Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night

WILLIE’S WET SPOTShane & Lenny

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.MTSU Percussion Ensemble


Chicken Little, Wreck of Zephyr

BONHOEFFERSAJ Schubert, Chris Milam, Bizzle

WILLIE’S WET SPOTShane & the Moneymakers

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.MTSU Women’s Chorale

FRI, 4/203 BROTHERS

HamboneFANATICS

Zone StatusLIQUID SMOKE

UberphonicsNOBODY’S

BacklitTHE BORO

The Buddy System, Ayatollah Gold, the Subnovas, Mantra Mantra Mantra

WILLIE’S WET SPOTPhoenix Rising

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.Concert Orchestra; Yifei Wang, graduate piano recital

SAT, 4/213 BROTHERS

Austin PoleFANATICS

Third LevelJOZOARA

Open Mic with MasterMix Productions

WALNUT HOUSELund McVey Group

WILLIE’S WET SPOTJunkyard Funk

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.Heather Loree Finchum, Jarrelle Wolff, joint junior flute recital; flute studio recital; Charley Leann Talley, senior vocal recital; Amanda Gayle Smith, senior vocal recital; Ronnie Robertson,senior vocal recital

SUN, 4/22BLUE


WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.MTSU Symphony Orchestra, MTSU Brass Chamber Ensemble

MON, 4/233 BROTHERS


Christopher DeBerry, senior percussion recital; Laura Ann Ross Woodwind Chamber Ensemble; Lynn Rice-See Studio Recital


Freedom HillWRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

MTSU Symphonic Band

WED, 4/253 BROTHERS


WILLIE’S WET SPOTShane & Lenny

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.MTSU Commercial Music Ensemble Concert


A Secret Policeman’s Ball, I Believe In Hotpants

BONHOEFFERSExit 352 and Friends

SOCIALSpace Capone,

Dirt Tea South, DJ E00 Agent

WILLIE’S WET SPOTShane & the MoneymakersWright Music Bldg.Arunesh Nadgir piano studio and accompanying recital, Student string chamber ensemble

FRI, 4/273 BROTHERS

Humps and PayneFANATICS

Imaginary FriendsLIQUID SMOKE

Meet The SeaversNOBODY’S

Nite TraxxTHE BORO

Now The Never, Deadchain,Stigma Strain, Murder Suicide

WALNUT HOUSEDeep Machine

WILLIE’S WET SPOTSmiley Blind Band

SAT, 4/283 BROTHERS

The Best of Writers NightCOACH’S

Freddie Snell and the White Bay Freddie Band

FANATICSGreez Monkeys

THE BORONoisecult, Doomfactor

THE TEMPTATION CLUBHippie Hill Productions presents Flux Capacitor

SUN, 4/29BLUE


THE BOROAdrienne Frailey

MON, 4/303 BROTHERS

Music Monday Madness

TUES, 5/1LIQUID SMOKE

Bellweather

WED, 5/23 BROTHERS


SPACE CAPONETHRUS. 4/26 @ SOCIALThis spring night at the latest incarnation of 114 N. Church St., Social, of-fers the smooth, fun and funky sounds of Space Capone plus the launch of now-legally-produced Cannon County moon-shine, Short Mountain Shine, out of the Short Mountain Distillery.

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

Aura Lounge114 S. Maple St.396-8328

Blue 810 NW Broad St.410-3383

Bonhoeffer’s610 Dill Lane202-3517

Bunganut Pig1602 W. Northfield Blvd.893-7860

Coach’s Grill127 SE Broad St. 962-7853

Coconut Bay Cafe210 Stones River Mall Blvd. 494-0504

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

Fanatic’s 1850 Old Fort Pkwy.494-3995

Gilligan’s527 W. Main St.439-6090

JoZoara536 N. Thompson Ln.962-7175

Lanes, Trains and Automobiles450 Butler Drive890-3999

Liquid Smoke#2 Public Square217-7822

MT Bottle3940 Shelbyville Hwy. 962-9872

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

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

Social114 N. Church St. 904-7236

Temptation Club2404 Halls Hill Pike 217-0944

The Boro Bar & Grill1211 Greenland Dr.895-4800

Wall Street121 N. Maple St. 867-9090

Walking Horse Hotel101 Spring St., Wartrace (931) 389-7050

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

Wright Music Bldg.1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 898-2493

CONCERT LISTINGSSend your show listings to [email protected]

CHICKEN LITTLE, WRECK OF ZEPHYRTHURS, 4/19 @ 3 BROTHERS

There just aren’t enough spazzy folk punk oufits who like to screech and yowl and pair frenzied rhythms with standard folk instruments. But we guess if there were any more, they’d probably take over and create some kind of rowdy, unstoppable Salvation Army band. But would that be a bad thing? The point is, one of Nashville’s best from the genre, Chicken Little, are at 3 Brothers tonight with Wreck of Zephyr. Bring your ac-cordion and wear your Stooges T-Shirt.

PULSE PICK

View Concert Listings Online:


PULSE PICK

Having been a professional musician and educator for most of my life, I would like to share my experience and opinion on the subject of taking music lessons.

When I was 10 years old, my parents bought me a Magnus chord organ from Campbell’s Appliance and Hardware Store located on the Square in Murfreesboro. I began tinkering on the keyboard at home and soon realized my love for music. As I progressed, my parents purchased me a Lowrey spinet organ, a real piano and fi nally a real B3 Hammond organ. Wow, was I ever excited!

I bought every Booker T and Jimmy Smith record available and started trying to copy their hot licks. I very soon realized my music teacher could not teach me the style of music I wanted to play. I took lessons from a lady up the street but became very discouraged because she could not teach me how to improvise. I wanted to play “Green Onions” and rock ’n’ roll.

I soon realized music was going to be my profession. The fi rst decision by my parents infl uenced my music career. Whether you are a parent of a young aspiring musician or a person who has been playing several years, this is a serious decision that could have great infl uence upon the whole family.

Parents of orchestra or band students will also real-ize that students who take private lessons progress at a much faster pace. This is due to the one-on-one relationship between student and teacher. Young students are easily infl uenced by how they are taught and the positive approach of the teacher. Therefore, it is of the utmost importance to choose a teacher that facilitates the pursuit of excellence and a strong desire for the student to learn.

There is nothing more exciting to a young player than to receive an excellent grade in a Middle Tennessee State Band Orchestra As-sociation (MTSBOA) event. Students who take private lessons are typically better prepared to progress on their instruments and are therefore more likely to sit fi rst chair. Being a band direc-tor of students from beginner to high school has made me realize the need for private lessons. A band or orchestra director can be of great assistance in this undertaking. There are private lessons available from many pro players.

If you want to take guitar, keyboard or trap (drum) lessons, your choice for a teacher may require a completely different criteria. The selection of a teacher is paramount. Take lessons from a professional player. By this I mean someone who has played profession-ally for a living. I do not advise taking lessons

before the age of ten. Muscle dexterity and attention span should be highly considered. I personally prefer an hour lesson but some-times an hour can be too overwhelming for a young beginner. I take the fi rst 30 minutes teaching a student how to read right off the paper. In other words, just as it is written.

Let’s face it, the majority of music that is heard on today’s radio and TV is either pop, country or R&B. If you play in a local band or write songs, you are going to have to learn to improvise. There are some teachers that can teach you all there is to know about reading music, but when it comes to teaching improvi-sation they are completely lost. I have a friend who has a master’s degree in classical piano performance. She can sight-read grade 4 Cho-pin piano sonatas but when it comes to playing by ear she is completely in the dark. My advice is to fi nd a teacher that can teach you both. It is more enjoyable to be able to play songs that are familiar to both student and friends.

I use a set of CDs that utilizes a group of LA session musicians playing in different style grooves. The fi rst CD is devoted to blues and R&B. How cool it is to see a nine-year-old girl playing BB King’s “Thrill Is Gone.” I cannot think of a more enjoyable way to learn diatonic and pentatonic scales. On the CD, a player goes through the groove several times with a part missing. Each time, the

students get to improvise on a part of the blues scale. Students get so excited they cannot wait to get home and practice.

Practice? Yuk! Thirty minutes of correct practice is better than one hour of bad habits. Music theory is like building blocks. You start with the foundation, and sooner or later, everything comes together.

Parents with students involved in band or orchestra should go to a quality music shop to rent-purchase the instrument. Instrument manufactures design most instruments in two categories—home line and pro line. A band or orchestra instrument is designed in either beginner, step-up or pro line. I have actually found professional line instruments online for as little as $150. These instruments retailed for as much as $3,500. If you know what you are looking for, shopping online is a good place to start. Do not go to a place that sells toys.

Tommy McKnight is a veteran professional keyboard player. Call him at (615) 785–1170 if you are interested in taking lessons or for advice on selecting a music teacher or pur-chasing an instrument.


Learn Music from Professional PlayersFind an instructor who can teach improvisation as well as sight-reading. story by TOMMY MCKNIGHT


Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a fresh, delicate doc-umentary by David Gelb that chronicles the astounding work of 86-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, who runs a ten-seat restaurant in the basement of a Tokyo offi ce building.

Jiro’s peers and sons hold him in un-matched esteem for his consistent dedication to the sushi craft. His fi sh and rice merchants are hand-picked, trusted colleagues to Jiro. There must be an understanding of mutual reverence in order for Jiro to let you sell him fi sh. Even at his age, Jiro remarks, “I haven’t reached perfection.” Each day he creates new dishes, dreaming grand visions of rice, tuna and seaweed.

The fi lm delves into the process of mak-ing sushi. In the opening, Jiro and his son, Yoshikazu, taste one of their dishes and are concerned. “How long has it been marinat-ing?” Jiro asks. About fi ve hours. “Not long enough. Let it soak in vinegar. We will taste it again before serving.”

The fi lm is beautifully shot and heartwarm-

ing, and the only source of confl ict stems from Jiro’s unreasonable standards for perfection. He places these standards on the heads of his two sons. His younger son has opened a restaurant of his own. Yoshikazu, however, says, “In our culture, the older son always takes the place of the father. It is what is expected of me.”

A truly remarkable display, Gelb’s docu-mentary shows us every facet of sushi-making in pristine clarity, from live octopi and piles of giant tuna at the fresh market to

the complex system of pressure and baskets, which keeps their rice at the perfect tempera-ture and consistency.

Jiro is a shokunin, a traditional type of Japanese artisan who strives to accomplish the same task every single day, improving a little, yet never faltering. Consistency explains Jiro’s calm jubilance, but his constant dissat-isfaction with his own incredible skill makes him legendary.

—SPENCER BLAKE

There’s a meme going around Facebook of a snapshot from Pulp Fiction showing John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson with the power font reading, “You know what they call The Hunger Games in Paris? Battle Royalewith cheese.” Battle Royale is a Japanese movie from 2000 in which a class of 9th graders are placed on an island to fi ght to the death in the future, and it’s awesome in the way that only a certain class of Asian fi lms can be. The Hunger Games is a Harry Potter/Twilight void-fi ller based on a 2008 novel by a young-adult fi ction author who may or may not have seen the aforementioned Japanese fl ick and may or may not have thought it was a little too awesome to capture the hearts of American preteen girls and their moms.

Coasting on her strong performance in Winter’s Bone, Jennifer Lawrence is a dead-ringer for Katniss Everdeen (minus the olive complexion). Representing Dis-trict 12, the poverty-stricken mining sector

of the future dystopia of Panem, the pouty archer volunteers in place of her younger sister Prim as tribute in the Capitol’s an-nual oppression-cum-televised spectacle The Hunger Games, in which two members from each district are chosen to partici-pate in a last-man-standing arena death match. District 12’s other tribute is the local baker’s boy, Peeta, whose admission to having a timeless crush on Katniss could be genuine, or is it a cunning strategy to get a leg up in the deadly games? As in the novel, the actual game portion of the fi lm is both exciting and a major letdown, seem-ing at once too short and too tame to be the

major draw of the movie. It’s The Walking Dead syndrome: unmet expectations, still watching (dammit!), ad infi nitum.

Having already set the record for third biggest opening of all time (?!), it shouldn’t matter that the fi lm suffers the same fl aws and more as the novel, the most egregious be-ing its unwillingness to explore the implica-tions of its own dark subject matter. With less violence, less relevant dystopian allegories and less character development than the novel, The Hunger Games is like adding water to an already melted glass of Scotch on the rocks (hold the Scotch). Too easy to swallow.

—JAY SPIGHT

America’s love affair with automo-biles continues in the movies with heightened romantic mythology. Here

explored are man’s power over the machine, the machine’s power to drive man’s ambi-tions, and the machine’s ability to inspire the dark depths we dared never to go.

Drive (2011) is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Valhalla Rising) and stars Ryan Gosling. True to his previous work, Refn’s guidance renders a unique art house thriller. Gosling plays a stunt driver who supplements his income with crime. He exudes equal confi dence in his convictions, as he does over the mastery of his machine.Bellfl ower (2011) is directed by Evan Glodell, who also stars along with Tyler Dawson. Inspired by the vehicles from Road Warrior, two carefree lads are compelled to create fun and dangerous toys. Ultimately, even life changing events cannot dissuade their avocation. The stylized look of cross processing and tilt shift photography only serve to elevate the intrigue of this little gem.

Crash (1996) is directed by David Cronenberg, and stars James Spader and Holly Hunter. A group of vehicular collision fetish seekers is discovered after Spader’s character recovers from a near fatal car crash. Cronenberg’s exploration of the subject is detached and unrestrained. The NC-17 rating allowed for the unlikely sexual proclivity to be displayed without judgement. Crash is a masterpiece from the height of the 1990’s independent fi lm movement and is both diffi cult and rewarding.

You can also fi nd Living Room Cinema on Facebook and Tumblr.

LIVING ROOM CINEMA column by NORBERT THIEMANN

[email protected]

Man Drives Car Drives ManTHE HUNGER GAMES

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woddy HarrelsonDirected by Gary RossRated PG-13

JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI

Starring: Jiro Ono, Yoshikazu OnoDirected by George LucasRated PG

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

MOVIESMOVIESMOVIESMOVIESREVIEWSMOVIES


Jasmine “Jaz” Gray is just a woman from Memphis who came to MTSU for undergraduate studies in 2006. She pursued journalism and wrote

for the Murfreesboro Pulse in her freshman year. In 2010, she graduated and continued immediately in pursuit of her master’s degree in TV and film production.

Gray is also afflicted with Arteriovenous Malformations (AVMs), a rare, tissue-de-stroying defect that can cause facial deformi-ties, seizures, strokes, blood clots and, in the worst cases, death.

There is no cure for AVM, but Gray knows someone who is in pursuit of one. Dr. James Suen, who treats Gray, is trying to find a cure for the defect before retiring. This inspired the MTSU graduate to use her journalism and filmmaking know-how to create More Than Skin Deep. The documentary will capture the stories Gray has collected after 32 surgeries and the stories of others with the defect in order to raise awareness and show how ultimately, as Gray says, AVMs don’t define who you are.

The Murfreesboro Pulse was happy to speak with one of its former writers and find out how the film is coming along.How did the film project get started?The day before my thirty-first surgery, my doctor told me that he was on a mission to find a cure for the disease before he retires in a couple years. So I started to think, since I was at home and doing all these surgeries anyway, what if I used my education to start documenting what’s going on with this disor-der and what he’s trying to do? From there, it just expanded. He told me he would have to do one more surgery, which was my thirty-second and hopefully my last, but when I found out about that surgery, I decided to get some help with filming. After that, I decided to start raising some money so I could really tell the stories the right way with the right quality, getting videographers and making sure that we make it something that will have a really big impact and let people know not just about the disease, but about these amaz-ing stories from people that are living with it and still succeeding despite having AVM.Can you explain a little about AVM?

You’re born with the disease, but it doesn’t really start to get bad until you hit maybe 12 or 13. Once you get to that point in your life, it re-ally starts to take off and destroy veins, destroy tissue, destroy organs and really just anything that’s in its way, depending on where it is. It

was mainly in my cheek, my tongue, my chin and lip. All those areas began to grow and get distorted. A lot of my muscles and my face got infected, so I had to have a lot of that removed as a teenager, have parts of my tongue removed and also just had to have surgery after surgery to keep everything under control. There isn’t a cure right now, so basically all they can do is try to control it so you can con-tinue on with your life. If it’s in your brain, you can have a stroke. I know of a couple people who passed away because they had aneurisms and bleeding issues in their brains. I’ve had bleeding issues too. Bleeding is one of the main side effects. So much blood is flowing through that wherever the AVM is, it can just get out of control. You can bleed cups of blood. A lot of times it’s like that.Are you looking for people who will take part in the documentary, or now are you just focused on raising money?

I’m doing both. It’s funny how the more people find out about the campaign to raise money for the documentary, the more people get the confidence to come forward, come out of the shadows and contact me to get involved in some way. I’ve had lots of people tell me their stories so they can potentially be in the documentary, and also, they’ve been helpful doing question-and-answer sort of things for my website so people will know about the different things patients have gone through. It’s helped me shape what the docu-mentary should be and what I should be sure to include, and it’s definitely one of the most amazing parts of it—seeing how people come out of hiding, how they’re proud of who they are and what the future holds for them.How have you gained support for the film?

The main thing I did was start a fundrais-ing site. There’s something called Community

Funding, which basically puts up a site and you post a trailer and offer people incen-tives for donating. I created a site for More Than Skin Deep and offered incentives from thank-you credits to actual producing credits for those who donate. I created an e-mail list to send out to people and asked them to send it to other people they know, and it’s really caught on. In Tennessee, especially, and also within the local media. That sort of attention can really go a long way in creating awareness.How close are you to your goal?

We’ve actually surpassed the goal. It’s amaz-ing. The goal was $5,000 and we’re right at $7,000. On the website, it says about $5,800, but people have also just been sending me checks and cards and all kinds of stuff. People have been really supportive so far. Each dollar that we raise is going toward telling an even better story, interviewing more people and just making it that much better of a documentary.What’s your goal date for the release?

We’re just at the beginning of producing. I want to say at least two years getting every-thing together, because whatever medication they come up with in the next couple years, I

would like to end the documentary with us sort of going to try it out. I thought it would be a really inspira-tional ending. That’s going to take at least two years. So I want to release a short film version either this year or

early 2013, so it can be used to start build-ing awareness about what’s going on with the research, and use it to get funding for the feature-length.How long would the short film be?

At least 20 to 30 minutes. I think that’s doable. Documentaries can get very expensive. There’s just a lot to consider as you’re produc-ing, but each step of the way, people come through. So I’m not worried about getting it done. I’m just trying to tell the best story that I can and release it when it’s ready.Have most of your funds come from individuals who want to get involved, or have organizations contributed as well?

There were a couple of big donations. There’s one organization in Nashville called the Chips Quinn Scholars. It’s a journalism program. The program trains you in the sum-mer and sends you on an internship. After I did that, I kept in contact with them and the guy who runs the program, John Quinn Sr. He donated $500 on behalf of the organiza-tion and made a deal that whoever else in the program donates, he will match their funding to another $500.What’s been the biggest challenge in the preproduction stages of the film?

It never seems like there’s enough hours in the day to get everything done, so I really try to be positive and forward thinking and plunge ahead. There have been times when media organizations don’t see the story and may not want to write an article, or I have set goals as far as how much I want to raise each week, and if we don’t get there, I get discour-aged. The issue to me is it’s a matter of setting

out what I need to get done and just trying to get as much of it done as I can every day and just plowing away. As long as we’re making progress, I guess that’s better than nothing.What’s been the biggest success so far?

I’m loving all of the people reaching out to me and seeing that the documentary is inspiring them. The documentary is not even done; there’s a two-minute trailer online, and those people hear about that and what we’re trying to do, and they’re motivated to do this or do that in their own communities. That’s been a blessing.Are there are a lot of documentaries already out there on AVM?

I don’t think there are. It hasn’t been done the way I’m trying to do. This documentary is unique in that it’s someone with the disorder who’s helping other people tell their own stories. It’s not an outsider’s perspective. People are candid in our interviews and our conversations, and it’s going to make a huge difference in how people relate to the film. If nothing else, what would you like people to come away with when they see this documentary?

I want people to know that even though sometimes in life they face incredible ob-stacles, God has a purpose for your life and you can overcome and you can give your story to others. No matter what you look like, no matter what issues you have, those issues don’t define who you are inside.How can people contribute?

They should go to morethanskindeep.me and there are links to the campaign site where they can donate, and see the trailer.Did you come up with the film’s title?

Yeah, I did. Actually, the easiest thing so far was the title. I thought the phrase was perfect for what the film was going to try to do. Showing that we are all so much more than what society, what other people see when they look at us. There’s more than what meets the eye. It’s a beautiful message.Do you have any plans for marketing?

I’ve had a couple conversations with some TV networks like PBS, Discovery, Documen-tary Channel. Somewhere like that where it can be accessed on TV would be great. We’ll also have screening for different communities and have at least one or two patients in each community we go to tell their stories, then screen the documentary.Do you think you’d do a screening at MTSU?

I’d love to come back to MTSU and show that documentary. I think it would be a great outlet, something that would hopefully inspire students to do something of their own.Is there anything else you’d like to add?

The film has the potential to impact a lot of lives—those who have AVM and also those who are going through a rough time and need some inspiration. Anybody that wants to get involved and contribute should know that their contribution is going to be an empower-ing and motivating tool in someone else’s life.

More Than Skin Deep, A DocumentaryFormer MTSU student says malformations, issues don’t define an individual. story by JESSICA PACE


Hunger GamesHysteriaFans gather at Linebaugh before film’s opening to celebrate popular work.

With The Hunger Games’ highly-anticipated premiere behind us (with a

record-shattering opening weekend to boot) and Read To Succeed’s One Book year coming to a close, hyste-ria for the young-adult novel might be dying down. For now, anyway.But residents of Rutherford Coun-ty have been abuzz about Katniss Everdeen and her bow and arrow for months. Hundreds of fans gathered at Linebaugh Library the night before the fi lm’s midnight premiere decked out as their favorite characters. Local literacy nonprofi t Read To Succeed—along with Greenhouse Ministries, United Way and Barnes & Noble—has been promoting The Hunger Games for its One Book Communi-ty Read, an annual initiative that encourages the community to read a chosen book.

And it must have paid off: Murfreesboro-fans of The Hun-ger Games are among the most fervent in the country. Amazon just released a list of the top 20 cities with Hunger Games hysteria, and Murfreesboro landed the number 15 spot, beating out Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash.

In case you’ve missed the madness, The Hunger Games is a young-adult dystopian tale about a totalitarian state called Panem that has risen from the postwar ashes of North America. Each year, a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 to 18 are chosen from each Panem district to compete in the Hunger Games, a gladiatorial competition in which only one teen can survive. This battle is televised and played throughout all of Panem, forcing its residents to watch with a mix of grisly fasci-nation and tyrannical obligation.

It’s a bloody, at times gruesome, tale wrought with messages about our culture’s fascination with real-ity television, our desensitization to violence and the danger of an all-too-powerful government. And from its intended young-adult audi-ence to their parents and grandpar-ents, we can’t stop reading.

So why are the people of Mur-freesboro—who would live within Katniss’s own District 12 in the futuristic Panem—especially enam-ored with the book? Read To Suc-ceed One Book Co-Chair Kory Wells says she thinks our location might have something to do with it.

“The principal characters in The Hunger Games are from District 12, which is the poorest region of the country located in what we now call Appalachia,” Wells says. “As Rutherford County was once the rural South and is situated just west of the Appalachian region, many of our residents have roots in those areas and may have fi rsthand or an-cestral knowledge of the landscape and hardscrabble life described.”

Linebaugh librarian Carol Ghat-tas says she thinks our commu-nity’s fascination with the book is partly thanks to its ability to cross generational boundaries. Parents and grandparents in Murfreesboro and beyond, Ghattas says, are just looking for some common ground with their teenagers.

“Having a book that deals with hard issues gives [parents] some-thing to grasp onto in conversation with their kids,” Ghattas says.

One Book Co-chair and MTSU English Professor Laura Beth Payne attributes some of the book’s local success to its appeal to men and women.

“I get the sense that Murfrees-boro readers chose The Hunger Games because it provides sub-stantial ideas to consider as well as a gripping story that readers can care about,” Payne says. “We have had so many adult men thank us for choosing a book that they fi nally enjoyed reading. Male students in my English classes tell me that they think Katniss is awe-some—not a wimpy girl—and they like the action and ideas.”

Murfreesboro’s ranking in ama-

zon.com’s top 20 might be, in part, thanks to Read To Succeed’s One Book.

Ingram Content Group donated 200 copies of the books to Read To Succeed to distribute through-out Rutherford County for One Book. These books were marked with stickers instructing the read-er to share it with someone else after they fi nished. The number of people introduced to Katniss through Read To Succeed’s Book Crossing is hard to estimate, but

even these readers weren’t an infl uence on amazon.com’s list.

“Certainly part of our rank-ing is coincidence,” says Michelle Palmer, One Book committee member, “because The Hunger Games phenomenon had just reached its peak during our One Book season. However, there’s no denying that per capita, Mur-freesboro beat out larger cities. We’ve heard that as many as four generations here have read and discussed the book as a family.”

MOVIESMOVIESMOVIESMOVIESNEWSMOVIES

by SARAH PORTERFIELD

Jonathan Parris’ Hunger Games-inspired costumes on display at Linebaugh Library. (Below) Jane and Cliff Sharp with family collecting canned food for Greenhouse Ministries at the movie premiere party.

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Being a regular patron at Out Front on Main, I am always excited to see what each month will bring. March definitely did not disappoint. I was

not familiar with Dinner With Friends when I came to see it, so I had the rare treat of total an-ticipation and surprise. The only things I knew about it were that it was about divorce, it won a Pulitzer and it was made into a movie with Toni Collette (who is one of my favorite actresses) and that kid from Two and a Half Men.

At the first scene we are introduced to Gabe, Karen and Beth. Karen and Gabe are a happily married couple. Beth is their friend whose hus-band is in Washington D.C. on a business trip. The play begins mid conversation that the trio is having about Karen and Gabe’s recent trip to Italy. Karen and Gabe are going on and on and on about their trip while Beth feigns interest. You can tell there is obviously something else on her mind. Beth finally can’t take anymore, and tearfully reveals that her husband is leav-ing her and seeing another woman. Gabe and Karen comfort her and feed her cake, like any good friends would do.

We are soon introduced to Beth’s not so better half Tom, who enters Beth’s room after arriving back in town. From the start of this scene you can cut the tension with a knife. The conversation starts off normal: How are the kids?, etc. The scene then comes to a head when Beth tells Tom she told Karen and Gabe about them getting a divorce. Tom then be-comes livid and they fight, which leads to sex.

Tom then drives to Karen and Gabe’s house, in a blizzard, where they are enjoying a glass of wine and snuggling on the couch. Karen automatically wants nothing to do with him. Tom wants their support, and Karen isn’t hav-ing it. She shuts him down really quick and then storms off into their bedroom leaving Gabe and Tom to talk. Tom tells his side of the story to Gabe over leftovers from the same din-ner only hours before.

After intermission we are taken back in time to 12 years prior to the previous events. Gabe and Karen are newlyweds and they are spend-ing their honeymoon at their beach house in Martha’s Vineyard. They are adorable, as any newly married couple is. Tom enters, and they tell him they are going to introduce them to

Karen’s friend named Beth. Beth comes in from a leisurely day on the beach, and you can automatically sense an attraction between her and Tom. The scene ends in a kiss between the two. I love the way this is done. It begs the question: how did these two become so nasty towards each other?

The acting is absolutely top notch. I found myself thinking back over the play on my drive home. Thank god, these actors were able to make their characters likable; it could be easy to do just the opposite. Molly Breen is fantastic as ever. I have watched her at Out Front every time she has been in a show there. I’ve seen her go from a Mama Rose type Gogo dancer in In The Boom Boom Room, to a lonely paranoid drug addicted waitress in Bug, to a Christian Fundamentalist in Five Women Wearing The Same Dress, and she does not disappoint in this show. Holly Amber is a comedienne who I have seen before in Dead Man’s Cell Phone at Out Front On Main. I absolutely adored her in that show. I have also seen her standup, and she is absolutely hilarious. It is her great tim-ing and sharp wit that really save a lot of mo-ments that could be not so funny in this play. But she also holds her own in the play’s more moving scenes. She made me tear up during the patio scene, and that is hard to do. Tony Hortert is someone whom I was not familiar with but he blew me away. He completely owned the role of Gabe. You just want to hug him each time you see him get hurt. I have had the pleasure of seeing Bryce Damuth’s standup comedy before, and I already know he is hilari-ous. When I found out he was being cast in this, I was excited to see how well he could do. I understand this is his first time doing com-munity theater, and he did an outstanding job. It amazes me how he can go from seemingly normal to full of rage at the drop of a hat.

George W. Manus Jr. never fails to put on a great show. Arguably one of the more “normal” shows he has done in a while, this one shows that he can do everything, and I love to see that in a director. The set design by Ryan Vogel was the technical highlight of the show. I love how he utilized every inch of space. In one swift movement, a couch became a bed. He’d take a couch cover off and it would be a completely different piece of furniture.

It is really refreshing to see people like him in theater. He’s smart, resourceful and never confuses the audience with crazy, elaborate set changes. Ryan Daniel really did a beautiful job with the lighting. I have seen almost every-thing he has done, and believe me, he earned that BroadwayWorld award.

All in all, Dinner With Friends was a major win for Out Front On Main. For a show that could easily turn into Kramer Vs. Kramer Part Two, it never does. It is refreshing to see the story of divorce completely turned on its side when you see it through the friends of the couple who is getting a divorce.

THEATER‘Dinner’ Cast Makes Characters Likable Out Front production makes audience think of divorce from friends’ perspective. column by LILA PARKER

GodspellDirected by Gary Davis

7 P.M. APRIL 6–7, 13–14, 20–21; 2 P.M. APRIL 8 AND 22; 4 P.M. APRIL 8

The Center for the Arts110 W. College St. • (615) 904–2787

boroarts.org

Our Miss BrooksDirected by Wayman Price

APRIL 13–15, 20–22Murfresboro Little Theater

702 Ewing Ave. • (615) 893–9825mltarts.com

Leaving IowaDirected by Greg Wilson

7:30 P.M. APRIL 20–21, 27–28; 4:30 P.M. APRIL 22 AND 29

Lamplighter’s Theatre Company14119 Old Nashville Hwy., Smyrna

(615) 852–TIXXticketsnashville.com or

[email protected]

APRIL PRODUCTIONS

(Above, from left) Tony Hortert, Holly Amber, Molly Breen and Bryce Damuth played in Dinner with Friends at Out Front on Main last month. (Left) Leaving Iowa opens April 20 at Lamplighter’s.

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SPORTS

Irecently read an online discussion amongst runners about the music they listen to while on the road.

“You need to relax,” one said.“I like upbeat Disney music,” said another.Whatever. Run angry. Run furious and confi dent.I have to recommend something more aggressive

and unrelenting, but not the fastest speed metal in the world.

Some of my favorites: Anthrax – “Random Acts of Senseless Violence,” Chimaira – “Clensation,” Rage Against the Machine – “Calm Like a Bomb” (the tempo in this one is a perfect 5k pace for me, in the lower 160-bpms), Marilyn Manson – “Fight Song,” Hatebreed – “Tear it Down,” and fi nally, “Golden,” the hot new song from the amazing Middle Tennes-see group, Vortices.

Something with adrenaline is necessary.

Run, Cougar, RunSo, train now, because

Middle Tennessee Christian School’s Run, Cougar, Run is just around the corner. Set for 7 a.m. Saturday, April 14, the 5k kicks off at MTCS, at the corner of Memorial Boulevard and MTCS Road in Murfreesboro.

The event will benefi t the Middle Tennessee Christian School Patrons’ Organization, Special Kids, The Journey Home and Matthew 25 Club.

A fun run follows at 8 a.m., but the festivities last all day. A shopping bazaar will open at 3 p.m., a spaghetti dinner runs from 4 p.m.–6:30 p.m. and a trivia contest will begin at 7 p.m. All proceeds from the trivia contest support the MTCS School Band & Patrons’ Organization.

To register for the 5k or more information, visit mtcscougars.org/patrons.htm.

Stones River RelayThat same morning, in Cannon County, the

Stones River Relay consists of 22 miles of running,

biking and paddling along the East Fork of the Stones River.

Event proceeds benefi t Stones River Watershed conservation projects.

Enter solo or as a team, with each member com-pleting a different stage of the race.

The race begins with a view from the highest point in Middle Tennessee on Short Mountain and fi nishes on the river at the historic Ready-ville Mill. The relay starts at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 14, with check-in at 8 a.m. at the Arts Center of Cannon County. 1424 John Bragg Highway, Woodbury.

For more information, visit stoneswatershed.org or contact Neal Appelbaum at [email protected] (615) 563–3276.

Country Music Marathon and HalfThen, for the distance runners, the St. Jude Country

Music Marathon & 1/2 Marathon is Saturday, April 28, up in Music City. This event features live bands on 28 stages along the courses; the musically themed road race annually attracts more than 35,000 racers.

For those who want to be part of Middle Tennessee’s annual marathon event, but are not up to a half or full marathon yet, this year, for the fi rst time, a mini-marathon will be offered. At 10 percent the marathon distance, or 2.6 miles, this race begins at Centennial Park and ends at LP Field as do the full and half.

All participants will receive a ticket to the post-race concert featuring Rodney Atkins and Gloriana at the Bridgestone Arena.

Proceeds benefi t St. Jude and its mission of re-searching and treating cancer, blood disorders and infectious diseases in children.

Race weekend kicks off with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo on Thursday, April 26, at the Nashville Convention Center, then the ING KiDS ROCK run on Friday night.

For more information or to register, visit runrocknroll.competitor.com/nashville.

Run Angry, Run Often column byBRACKEN MAYO

Run, Cougar, RunSo, train now, because

April 14, the 5k kicks off

of Memorial Boulevard and MTCS Road in Murfreesboro.

It is not my intent to persuade expect-ing mothers to join a gym and start hitting the weights and cardio to look good in those pregnancy pictures.It is my intent to reassure mothers

that, during pregnancy, health is a concern for the mother and child and in that broad subject of health, including mental, physical and spiritual, the physical piece of the puzzle matters just as much as the others.

In the past, it was thought that exercise would harm the fetus and that rest was the main recommendation during pregnancy, and that can still be true depending on con-dition at time of pregnancy. The mothers’s age, medical conditions and current physical condition all play factors in determining their best plan for action. All mothers wanting to implement a physical activity plan should consult their doctor before starting.

Many women have reported exercise during pregnancy can boost en-ergy levels, help with sleep, improve mood and aid in a speedier recovery and a quicker return to the pre-pregnancy weight.

Working out has also been shown to have positive effects on the child. Studies have shown that the IQ of children from women who are active during preg-nancy tend to be higher than those children of nonactive women. Studies also show that mothers who exercise during pregnancy have babies with lower body fat (not low birth weight).What should I do If I want to start work-ing out?

In a perfect world one would start exercis-ing before pregnancy in order to establish baseline fi tness levels to work from dur-ing pregnancy. A resting heart rate, fi tness level (ability to recover to resting heart rate following exercise) and an overall body awareness (susceptibility to soreness, differ-ence between soreness and injury) should be recorded. Once the baseline has been set, you can observe how pregnancy affects these numbers and plan your workouts. Remem-ber, your resting heart rate increases during pregnancy.What if I’m already pregnant?

It would still benefi t you to record the same information laid out above as soon as you can to track your progression. Even if your plan is to only to start walking three days per week, you should evaluate your heart rate and monitor your body each day.

Use the common sense approach and pay

attention to your body when you work out. Exercising just to the point of being able to talk but not being able to carry on a conver-sation (more commonly known as the talk test) or being a bit out of breath will show you are working with enough intensity.How long should I work out?

The U.S. Surgeon General recommends that individuals exercise for 2.5 hours per week (30 minutes per day, 5 days a week) for weight management and general health. This is also applicable to pregnant women. Remember that your intensity (level you are working) and duration (time you are working) will both lower as you get closer to delivery. Women already used to a strenuous exercise routine can continue with adjust-ments to intensity and a review and removal of any exercise that is dangerous and or causes danger due to likelihood of a fall or

loss of balance.Different workouts for different trimesters

In short, remember to be the most conservative at the beginning of your pregnancy and at the end. Current knowledge shows us that it is safe to increase your work load, both the intensity and duration, dur-ing your second trimester. During the early develop-ment (four to fi ve weeks) chronic exposure to high temperature can disrupt the closing of the neural tube,

so an increase in exercise intensity at this time would not be optimal in the fi rst trimes-ter. Intensity and duration should actually be reduced in the third trimester toward the end of gestation, with exercise being canceled all together if the individual feels fatigued.What type of workouts can I do?AEROBIC: Aerobic-based workouts (car-dio) should be the staple of your plan. The intensity will change due to the upward rise in your resting heart rate throughout pregnancy. You will notice your susceptibility to fatigue will change and things you could do easily pre-pregnancy (briskly walking, climbing stairs) could cause you shortness of breath now. Using the “talk test,” discussed earlier, will allow you to match the body’s capability throughout instead of trying to put a numerical value on the speed or incline that would have to be changed repeatedly.

As with healthy non-pregnant individu-als, pregnant mothers are recommended to do 2.5 hours of cardio per week (5 days, 30 minutes per day) with no more than two con-secutive days of strenuous aerobic exercise. The mode you use for the cardio can range

vastly (treadmill, rowing machine, brisk walk), but rapid change in direction and/or bouncing movement should be avoided.WEIGHTS: Pumping the iron is just as important to keep the body physically ready for delivery. Exercises should been completed with moderate resistance and a rep range of 10-15, allowing time to recover between sets. Again, exercises that demand a sudden change of direction, bouncing/ jarring or unstable footing should not be part of your plan. Holding your breath and exercising the back should also cease. Strength training is recommended two to three days per week

with no consecutive days.Benefi ts of working out while pregnant

• More energy• Improved fl exibility• More likely to avwoid C-section and other pregnancy intervention• Lower risk of gestational diabetes• Less leg swelling• May shorten labor• Immune system boost• Mood elevator• Sleep better• Recover quicker• Return to pre-pregnancy weight quicker


Exercise to Stay Healthy During Pregnancy

Barry Campbell, CPT, is co-owner and trainer of TriFit Murfreesboro. To contact TriFit Murfreesboro with any questions or comments, e-mail trifi [email protected].

column by BARRY CAMPBELL


MURFREESBORO NATIVE NAMED NEW VOICE OF WENATCHEE APPLESOX SPORTS

I WANT NCAA FOOTBALL MADNESST

he Train is back, and the Madness of March has run the wheels off this high-speed locomotive. The proof is in the pudding, and the NCAA tournament is the most exciting form of playoff system in sports. Imagine a smaller tourna-

ment bracket for college football where there are 16 of the top teams in the country, and then imagine the excitement and pandemonium that the fi nal four would cause in America. All of the money hungry big wigs out there would still be able to convert these games into bowl games and bring money to themselves and whatever cities host them. Just like basketball has the NIT (the Not In Tourna-ment), college football could do the same—another tournament bracket for the smaller bowl games and everyone gets paid.

I know that format would work and be 100 percent more excit-ing than it already is with no question of who was the true national champion. Every year someone gets left out of the big game; 11 undefeated Division I teams have been left out of a title shot since the BCS was created.

The past few months have been pretty rough to the New Orleans Saints organization, and the paid-to-hit bounty program is fuel to the fi re. After the facts came out, Commissioner Goodell took no time to begin punishment; HEAD COACH SEAN PEYTON was banned from coaching for a year, GM Mickey Loomis for eight games and former Defensive Coach

GREGG WILLIAMS was suspended indefi nitely. The Saints also lost two second-round draft picks and were fi ned $500,000.

According to investigation, the fund for the bounty program reached as high as $50,000, and players got paid $1,500 for a hit knocking a player out of a game and $1,000 for a hit resulting in

an opposing player needing help off the fi eld. Dur-ing playoff time, the cash prize was tripled.

There are 27 players that are being investigated, and it sounds like these boys better lawyer up. The commissioner and the NFLPA are warning these players they may face criminal charges, even though most legal scholars agree it’s very unlikely

to happen. Goodell can punish however he deems fi t, but proving this stuff in court, come on! First off, the legal system tends to let sporting leagues police themselves. Second, it’s too hard to say who, where, what or when a tackle injured another player. This is

a diffi cult situation because I believe purposely injuring a player is wrong and a system paying players is wrong, but how bad is it, really? The NFL is violent, and all teams focus on taking out star players; you play to win the game!

A thousand dollars to me is a lot; to a NFL player, it’s change, so money is a non-factor here. People say, “They put bounties on Farve, Rodgers, Warner and Newton. They could have killed them.” All opposing defenses playing those quarterbacks think the same—hit the QB, and hit him as hard as you can.

SPORTS TALKcolumn by [email protected]

The Wenatchee (Wash.) Apple-Sox have announced the addition of JONATHAN BARDEN as the

newest member of the team’s front offi ce. In addition to serving as the AppleSox radio broadcaster, Barden will work year-round for the team as communications director and in sponsor sales.

“We received over 75 ap-plications from throughout the country. The talent level was impressive. But Jonathan’s enthusiasm and energy made him stand out in the crowd. We’re very happy to have Jonathan join our orga-nization,” said AppleSox owner/general manager Jim Corcoran.

The native of Murfreesboro, Tenn., will graduate in May from Mississippi State University, where he co-hosted The Sports Zone television show and worked as the public address announcer for the MSU baseball and softball teams.

“I’m ecstatic to be a part of the Apple-Sox organization and can’t wait to move to Wenatchee in May,” said Barden. “I look forward to working with a great group of people and having a strong presence in the community. I promise I will do the best I can to deliver quality broadcasts.”

Fans can hear Barden broadcast every AppleSox game online at kpq.com. The AppleSox open the 2012 season at home June 1 against the Bellingham Bells.

Poor old Bud Adams; he put it all on the table, and I applaud him for it. He knew it was his only chance for a possible quick Super Bowl title. The old man put an empty check in front of Peyton and pretty

much told him he could fi ll it out. I was hoping for it also, but does Peyton really have a $100 million arm still? I am a fan of Manning, but I have real doubts he has it in him after 13 years of amazing play at Indy.

The old Bird Flicker Bud Adams knows that he has something special

in Jake the Snake Locker and I am excited to see it. He showed some amazing play in his short fi ll-ins last season. I wanted to see three or four years of Peyton while Jake learned behind him, but I am just as excited to throw Jake right into the lions’ den. Matt Hasselbeck took it in stride and shows no signs of being upset over the situation. The guy is a class act pro athlete. I am glad Matt decided to stay around. He would be a fi ne fi ll-in and backup for the kid. Jake, Chris Johnson, Kenny Britt and Jared Cook could be the next Steve McNair, George, D-Mason and Wycheck, you never know. The group is young and full of fl avor. Let’s fi re up the pot and hope the stuff tastes scrum-diddly-umptious! — Z.M.

The Kentucky vs. Kansas title matchup was rough. I’ve been a Kansas fan since I was a baby,

and the Jayhawks made a comeback but ultimately were de-feated by Kentucky’s defense. I still have the cloth “It’s great to be a Jayhawk” wall hanger that’s hung over my bed since I was a kid. I was born in Kansas and I still ride with Kansas.

Both schools have great history, but Kentucky was just too much. On all sides of the ball, the Wildcats were the all-around better team and Coach Calipari finally got his much deserved first championship.

I’ve also been a fan of Tennessee basketball over the years, but most of that love was for Pat Summit and the Lady Vols. Pat is a legend. I wish her well with her Alzheimer’s and hope she brings another title to Tennessee before she retires. Once Baylor’s Brittney Griner gradu-ates after next season, it will be possible. The negative attention Bruce Pearl brought to UT was no good, though fans and players loved him; he lied to the NCAA and got caught. The program needs a few signings and some serious motivation from new coach Cuonzo Martin.

UK TOPS KU

PEYTON TO DENVER, SORRY BUD

Anthony Davis

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

april 2012 murfreesboro pulse

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