the pulse 12.32 » august 6, 2015

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2 • The Pulse • august 6-12, 2015 • chaTTanoogaPulse.com

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WHERE SUMMERSKIN RULES

chaTTanoogaPulse.com • august 6-12 • The Pulse • 3

THE FINE PRINT: the Pulse is published weekly by Brewer media and is distributed throughout the city of chattanooga and surrounding communities. the Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on music, the arts, entertainment, culture and local news. the Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. no person without written permission from the publisher may take more than one copy per weekly issue. the Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors. contents copyright © 2015 by Brewer media. all rights reserved.

Features4 BEgINNINgs: “States’ rights” is just another way to justify racism and hate.

6 sHRINK RaP: Getting rid of internalized negative messages.

12 aRts CaLENDaR

16 MusIC CaLENDaR

18 REVIEWs: Expert Alterations gets snappy, Flandrew Fleisenberg gets atmospheric.

19 DIVERsIONs

20 sCREEN: Crass, misfired “Vacation” is a definite save-your-money.

22 FREE WILL astROLOgY

22 JONEsIN’ CROssWORD

23 ON tHE BEat: Why kids should only play with toys that look like toys.

Due to space considerations, "Sushi & Biscuits" is online at chattanoogapulse.com

EDITORIALManaging Editor gary Poole

Contributing Editor Janis hashe

Music Editor marc T. michael

Film Editor John DeVore

ContributorsRob Brezsny • matt Jones

mike mcJunkin • Tony mraz ernie Paik • Rick Pimental-habib

Rachael Poe • Terry stulce • alex Teach

Editorial Internsashley coker • shaun Webster

Cartoonistsmax cannon • Rob Rogers

Jen sorenson • Tom Tomorrow

Cover Photo Piotr lewandowski

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BREWER MEDIA GROUPPublisher & President Jim Brewer II

august 6, 2015Volume 12, issue 32

8 Still Not Sparing The RodAs summer draws to a close, parents across Hamilton County are preparing to send their children back to school—but in a

school district that still allows corporal punishment, what type of environment will these students actually be a part of?

10 An Artist’s Journey Out of DarknessWhen I visited Ashley Hamilton’s studio at Mercy Junction to

learn about her prolific body of work and its origins, we talked as she added red paint to a series of turquoise canvasses. What she

had to say makes her work even more fascinating.

14 Short, Sweet, Fast and CrunchyImagine the Ramones as a pop group—and Mythical Motors is

the result. A bold comparison perhaps, but the four-man group’s approach to music making, “Keep it short, sweet, fast and

crunchy,” has an awful lot in common with the approach of their punk forebears.

ContentsCHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

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Op-Ed: The “Heritage” Argument Debunked“States’ rights” is just another way to justify racism and hate

When Republicans began to pander to racists in the South, ‘states’ rights’ was the loudest of the racist dog whistles.”

“Lately we have heard a lot about

“Confederate heritage.” You can al-most see Scarlett and Rhett sitting on the porch of the plantation house sipping mint juleps while the happy slaves sing and dance under the live oaks. Believing this portrait requires a powerful suspension of disbelief, willful distortion of reality, and a healthy measure of ignorance.

The central reality of the Confed-eracy was the oppression of African-Americans with 222 years of legal slavery, and it was followed by 100 years of Jim Crow terrorism and dis-enfranchisement. Even after civil

rights legislation was passed, the South con-tinued to support racist oppression that was more covert, but just as pernicious.

In the interest of full disclosure: I grew up in a family that was “a house divided against itself.” My mother’s family fought for the Confederacy and my father’s family fought for the Union. One of my maternal great-great-grandfathers was a slave holder and a captain in the Confederate Army. Snow Hill was named for him. One of my great-grand-

fathers was his executive offi-cer.

When the C o n f e d e r a t e Army came

through Georgetown “recruiting,” one of my paternal great-great-grandfathers hid from them.Then he ran away and joined the Union Army. He was a private that died of pneumonia during the war. I have never felt that my personal identity or self-image was determined by either history.

The “heritage not hate” crowd would have us believe that the Civil War had nothing to do with slavery; it was all about “states’ rights.” But not-so-oddly enough, “states’ rights” has consistently been associated with the oppression of African-Americans. Free-dom and equality for African-Americans have been blocked consistently by whites screaming “states’ rights” and waving the Confederate flag.

Over the 396 years of African-American oppression, whites have used “states’ rights” as camouflage, rationale, and excuse. When Republicans began to pander to racists in the South, “states’ rights” was the loudest of

the racist dog whistles.Even if you blind yourself to

the racism of the Confederacy, there are still more damning realities to acknowledge. The Confederacy was an insurrec-tion against the United States of America.

When I was sworn into the U.S. Army, my oath was to “de-fend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and do-mestic.” It was the same oath that Robert E. Lee and many of his generals took before they chose to commit treason and join a rebellion against the U.S.A.

That heritage is nothing to elicit pride. There is not enough antebellum denial in the world to paint over the shame of being a traitor.

The most undeniable real-ity is that the South lost the Civil War. Not only did it lose the war, but it lost the battle to keep African-Americans “in their place.” Blacks withstood KKK terrorism, lynchings, cross burnings, bombings, and church burnings. They sur-vived Jim Crow, segregation, disenfranchisement, and mass incarceration.

Southern racists have fought a losing battle since the Civil War. It’s time to surrender…and turn in your battle flags.

Viewsterry stulce

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EdiToonby Rob Rogers

Our cover story on coporal punish-ment in Hamilton County schools

is by Rachael Poe. A writer, photographer, and unabashed Tolkien fanatic, she recently graduated from The Univer-sity of Tennessee at Chatta-nooga with a major in English literature and a minor in art

history. She was co-editor of the National Collegiate Honors Council monograph entitled “Housing Honors” and a copyeditor for The Heroic Age, an academic journal about early medieval Northwestern Europe. In her spare time, she volun-teers with UTC’s Women’s Action Council and listens to film scores. Oh, and she once accidentally attended a Spanish wedding in Seville. But that’s a different story.

Rachael Poe

— Janis Hashe

Our "Op-Ed" column this week is writ-ten by regular contribu-

tor Terry Stulce. A native Tennessean, Terry was born in Birchwood and raised on a farm in Ooltewah. He gradu-ated from Ooltewah High in 1963. His senior year he was P\president of the student

council and captain and MVP of the football team. He at-tended the University of Ten-nessee on an ROTC scholar-ship and graduated magna cum laude in 1967. He was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies. He served two com-bat tours in Vietnam, one with the 101st Airborne and one with the 69th Border Rangers. He was an LCSW and owner of Cleveland Family Counsel-ing before retirement in 2009.

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Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, author, minister, and educator in private practice in Chattanooga. Contact him at DrRPH.com, visit his wellness center at WellNestChattanooga.com and follow his daily inspirations on Twitter: @DrRickWellNest

Over the years I’ve worked with many folks who, un-fortunately, were raised with a damaging version of “right” and “ w r o n g . ” Their well-m e a n i n g parents (or w h i c h e v e r authority fig-ure) would impose unrealis-tically high expectations, or simply not know that posi-tive reinforcement works infinitely better—and cre-ates higher self-esteem—than negative reinforce-ment.

A typical example is the kid who earns a great school report, but does poorly in, say, one subject. And that’s the subject that gets all the (negative) parental at-tention. Common refrains in this household might go something like: Let me do it, you won’t get it right. Can’t you be more like (fill in the blank). Why do you always have to be like that/say those things/make poor decisions? Can’t you do anything right??

You get the idea. With that kind of dialogue rumbling around in a person’s head, he/she will inevitably begin to live up to (or down to) those messages. Their self-

fulfilling prophesy guides them to do exactly what they’ve internalized: make poor decisions, always get

it “wrong,” fail and fail again.

Who is the one to say if this or that is the “right

thing” to do? The right thing for whom, and under what conditions? Is what’s right for me also right for you—and vice-versa? And are the right things learned in childhood the same things that qualify as right in adulthood?

Many, of course, find their moral blueprint in religious or spiritual teachings. Some find guidance from their Higher Power in programs like AA. And we are living in the Bible Belt...need I say more? While certain religious beliefs may work for some, when it comes to a personal moral code, peo-ple have to use what works for them, what has intrinsic meaning and significance to them. Otherwise, it’s hollow; it doesn’t fit or feel right.

Most rights and wrongs are pretty much common sense, aren’t they? If some-

one is hurt, help out. If someone drops their bag of groceries, help out. If a friend is in crisis, help out.

I came across an interest-ing talk by author and mo-tivational speaker Kimberly Alyn. It’s called “Up Time,” and offers solid, helpful re-minders about personal re-sponsibility. I want to share with you an excerpt from her talk.

No matter what your in-spirational source of right and wrong might be, I think you’ll find the following contains useful wisdom and plenty of common sense. See if they ring true for you.1. If you see injustice,

stand up.2. If you make a mistake,

fess up.3. If you’re overstepping,

back up.4. If they knock you

down, get up.5. When the fight is over,

make up.6. If your heart is closed,

open up.7. If you make a mess,

clean it up.8. If people fall down,

help them up.

9. If your words are vulgar, clam it up.

10. If your words encour-age, keep it up.

11. If you made a promise, back it up.

12. When life’s boring, shake it up.

13. When life’s good, soak it up.

14. When life’s unfair, suck it up.

15. When life’s funny, yuck it up.

I suggest that finding, or creating, one’s own personal moral compass isn’t that difficult once we give our-selves permission to do it our own way. Maybe it’s not about someone else’s rules, but about our own ability to turn inward, meditate/pray/ponder on what constitutes our “highest self,” and do the best we can. Without guilt for our choices or the stumblings along the way.

Until next time, from Thich Nhat Hanh’s The En-ergy of Prayer: “We don’t have to go anywhere to ob-tain the truth. We only need to be still and things will re-veal themselves in the still water of our heart.”

Whose “Right and Wrong” Are We Talking About?Getting rid of internalized negative messages helps to make changes to your life

“Maybe it’s not about someone else’s rules, but about our own ability to turn inward, meditate/pray/ponder on what constitutes our ‘highest self,’ and do the best we can.”

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The use of corporal punishment—commonly known as paddling—in public schools is illegal in 31 states. The 19 holdouts are concentrated in the South, and, with the exception of Virginia, all of Tennessee’s neighboring states still allow corporal punishment.

According to Tennessee Code Annotated 49-6-4103, “Any teacher or school principal may use corporal punishment in a reasonable manner against any pupil for good cause in order to maintain discipline and order within the public schools.” In Ten-nessee, however, Hamilton County is the only large district to still allow physical discipline in the school sys-tem, and policy can vary depending upon the school.

The Hamilton County Student Code of Accept-able Behavior and Discipline states, “Corporal punishment is defined as physical discipline. Corporal punishment must be approved as policy for the school by the principal, and students must be notified what misconduct could result in this type of discipline. It is not intended to be used as a first method of discipline, but after several other methods have been used to modify a student’s behavior. Corporal punishment must be witnessed by a second school official or teacher. A parent can then request a written explanation of the reasons for the punishment and the name of the witness.”

This brief paragraph is the only statement concerning corporal punishment that appears in the Student Code. Meanwhile, Hamilton County’s school suspension procedures take up nearly half of the pamphlet. It’s worthy of note that a form of physical punishment apparently warrants less ex-planation and discussion than the school system’s

equivalent of a time-out.Not every school in the Hamilton County system

utilizes corporal punishment. As the above corporal punishment procedure states, it “must be approved as policy for the school by the principal.”

According to David Testerman, Hamilton County School Board member representing Dis-trict 8 and a former school principal, “Schools are not encouraged to use corporal punishment. And, in my view, children should not be disciplined outside of the parents’ knowledge.” However, he notes that certain disciplinary actions that involved physical activity, such as being asked to clean up a bathroom that the child has trashed, can mistak-enly be recorded as corporal punishment.

How many schools in Hamilton County actu-ally employ corporal punishment? The answer is not exactly clear. Even where paddling is allowed, it can be used sporadically or not at all. For hard answers about corporal punishment in Hamilton County, one has to look farther afield.

Since 1968, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has collected data on key education and civil rights issues in our nation’s public schools. The OCR uses this data to enforce and monitor efforts regarding equal educational

opportunity.The most recent statistics available from the

OCR indicate that in 2011, corporal punishment was practiced in nine Hamilton County schools: Brainerd High School; Calvin Donaldson Envi-ronmental Science Academy; Daisy Elementary; Hillcrest Elementary; Lakeside Academy of Math, Science, and Technology; Nolan Elementary; Ooltewah Elementary; Woodmore Elementary; and Washington Alternative School.

When reporting statistics about corporal punish-ment, the OCR divides the student population into

two groups: students with disabilities and students without disabilities. In 2011, 74 students without disabilities in Hamilton County schools received cor-poral punishment. Of those students, 84 percent were male and 65 percent were black. Additionally, 11 students with disabilities received corporal pun-ishment. Of those students, 82 percent were male and 36 percent were black. This makes for a total of 85 students who received corporal punishment in

Hamilton County schools in 2011.These statistics reflect points made by corporal

punishment opponents across the country: Male students are more likely than female students to receive corporal punishment, and black students are more likely than white students to receive corporal punishment. Moreover, on the national scale, poor children and children with disabilities are more likely to receive corporal punishment than their peers.

Voices for and against

Despite the uneven socioeconomic distribution of paddling, some view physical punishment as a justifiable and necessary form of punishment. Those who have grown up in the Bible Belt have probably heard the phrase “spare the rod, spoil the child” before; it is a common mentality regarding child-rearing in the South. (The saying comes from Proverbs 13:24, which reads, “Whoever spares the

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Hamilton County schools continue to allow ‘paddling.’ Why?By rachael Poe

Still Not Sparing The Rod

“Male students are more likely than female students to receive corporal punishment, and black students are more likely than white students to

receive corporal punishment.”

as summer draws to a close, parents across Hamilton County are preparing to send their children back to school—but in a school district that still allows corporal punishment, what type of environ-ment will these students actually be a part of?


rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.”)

Proponents of corporal punishment often depend on this philosophy and an-ecdotal evidence to support the physical punishment of children. “My father spanked me, and I turned out all right,” is often heard.

David Nixon, principal of John C. Calhoun Elementary in Calhoun Hills, South Carolina, and a supporter of cor-poral punishment in schools, was quoted in an article by Eric Adelson in Newsweek saying that “as soon as the student has been punished he can go back to his class and continue learning, in contrast to out-of-school suspension, which re-moves him from the educational process and gives him a free ‘holiday.’”

According to the conservative Family Research Council, “while loving and effective discipline is quite definitely not harsh and abusive, neither is it weak and ineffectual. Indeed, disciplinary spanking can fall well within the bound-aries of loving discipline and need not be labeled abusive violence.”

Yet a study reported by Christie Nicholson in Scientific American con-cluded, “Those parents who approve of corporal punishment contend that they only spank as a last resort, do it only for serious misbehavior and only when they are calm. But the recordings often revealed the opposite. Parents seemed angry when striking their child, they did it reactively and for minor transgres-sions… Parents who said they supported corporal punishment did it often and with little provocation.”

Some see both sides of the issue. Wayne S. Brown, a mentor at Wood-more School, resident of the area, and a community activist states, “Corporal punishment is an old debate. Both sides use statistics and testimonies to prove their case. Therefore the debate will continue probably into the next millen-nium.

“Fortunately, corporal punishment is a choice. Parents can opt out if they disagree. As a volunteer at Woodmore Elementary, I know parents who agree and some who disagree. How a child is disciplined is a parent’s responsibility. Perhaps ensuring parents are equipped

with knowledge on the many methods of discipline may enable more positive out-comes outcomes than debat-ing on the yea or nay of corporal punishment.”

What’s the future of corporal punishment?

Adhering to child-rearing max-ims of the past is not a guarantee of success in the present, and those who ascribe to a “spare the rod, spoil the child” mentality can overlook the fact that paddling is by no means the only form of discipline. Moreover, it is certainly not proven to be the most effec-tive. Most child-rearing experts agree that corporal punishment does not teach children alter-native behaviors to replace an undesirable behavior; rather, it teaches them to be sneaky in order to avoid punish-ment.

According to the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, “The use of corpo-ral punishment in schools is intrinsi-cally related to child maltreatment. It contributes to a climate of violence, it implies that soci-ety approves of the physical violation of children, [and] it establishes an unhealthy norm...Its outright aboli-tion throughout the nation must occur immediately.”

Many childcare experts believe that paddling teaches children to obey authority figures out of fear, not respect, these experts conclude,

eliciting feelings of dis-tress, anger, and shame. They object that physical

punishment also teaches children that violence is a way

to solve problems and reinforces aggression as an acceptable means of eliminating unwanted behavior. Through corporal punishment, they believe, adults teach children that those who are bigger and stronger can use physical coercion to impose their will on those who are smaller and vulnerable.

Hamilton County’s use of cor-poral punishment is just a drop in the national bucket. Accord-ing to the OCR, Tennessee is among the top five states for cor-

poral punishment in schools, ranking behind only Missis-

sippi, Texas, Alabama, and Arkansas. In 2009, 16,645

students in the state of Tennessee were pad-

dled—and 2,285 of those children had disabilities.

Efforts to ban corporal punish-ment at the state and national level have made little progress because many people sim-ply do not realize that paddling is still allowed, much less practiced, and it is difficult to pass corporal punish-ment legislation without public support.

On the national level, recently retired U.S. Repre-sentative Carolyn McCarthy fought to ban corpo-ral punishment nationwide for the past five years without success. Now that she has

retired, it is unclear

if another representative will take up the cause.

In Tennessee, the most recent bill that dealt with the issue was House Bill 0689 (HB 0689/SB 0664), aimed at pro-hibiting corporal punishment in public schools by amending Titles 37, 39, and 49 of the Tennessee Code Annotated.

You probably did not hear about HB 0689 on the news; it certainly did not make any headlines when it was introduced or when it failed to pass. In February of this year, Tennessee Representative Jason Powell introduced the bill, and it was assigned to the Education Administration and Planning Subcommittee. After idling there for more than a month, it failed to pass or even provoke discussion, so it lived and died quietly in the Tennessee House of Representatives within the span of a few weeks.

This, however, does not mean that change is not coming. The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) has issued a position statement regard-ing corporal punishment, proclaiming, “National PTA will support efforts to abolish corporal punishment and ef-forts to develop alternative discipline programs to provide an orderly climate for learning.”

Said David Testerman, “Corporal punishment could disappear in a short period of time. It could happen this year. Those who believe it should disap-pear should contact their representa-tives in Nashville. They will do what is prudent for the times.”

Local government Contact Information• City Mayor and City Council:

chattanooga.gov• County Mayor and County

Commission: hamiltontn.gov• Hamilton County Department of

Education: hcde.org• Tennessee State Board of Education:

tn.gov/sbe

Pta Contact Information• Hamilton County PTA:

hcptacouncil.org• Tennessee PTA: tnpta.org• National PTA: pta.org


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fri8.7IN-TOWN ART

Opening Reception: “Outside/In-Town”chattanooga's oldest co-op art gallery kicks of their latest showing with a reception open to all art lovers in the city.5 p.m.In-Town Gallery26A Frazier Ave.(423) 267-9214intowngallery.com

sat8.8STRIkE A POSE

Artful Yoga on the Rowthe Artful yoga folks take their popular event to Warehouse row for a special event to help get you (and keep you) in shape. 1:30 p.m.Warehouse Row1110 Market St.(423) 267-0968huntermuseum.org

thu8.6FRUITS & VEGGIES

Ooltewah Farmers Marketeven in the heat of summer, there are still plenty of fresh fruits and veggies to choose from.3 p.m.Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co. 5829 Main St. (423) 238-9775ooltewahnursery.com

Framed Up On FrazierAVA All-Member Salon Show gives the big picture

Businesses come and go. so do fads in art. But good businesses and good art—well, that’s another easel altogether. For more than 25 years, the Association For Visual Arts stu-dio has been showcasing the work of emerging and professional artists in the chattanooga area.

On display from August 7-28 is AVA’s annual All-Member show. Over 40 pieces of original non-ju-ried artwork will be on view. It’s a chance for guests to get a real in-sight into the inspirations and the different perspectives of the entire AVA community.

this isn’t your typical gallery dis-play, however. Artwork will not be sectioned off, given its little spe-

cial space, and spoon-fed attention. Instead, guests may have to crane their necks a little to scan through the collection as all pieces will be gathered together and hung from the floor to the ceiling in true, old-style salon fashion.

the opening reception will take place at the studio on Friday, August 7 at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.

— Shaun Webster

All-Members Salon Show Opening Reception 5:30 p.m.Association for Visual Arts30 Frazier Ave.(423) 265-4282avarts.org

I’ve always been fascinated with street art, but what I’m more interested in is the defacing, the covering up, the ripping apart.”

“

ArtstONy MrAz

An Artist’s Journey Out of DarknessAshley Hamilton’s work reflects her personal history and progress

the Pulse: What are your earliest memories of making art?

ashley Hamilton: I’ve always been completely infatuated with drawing and painting. It was the only time I truly felt at ease—in my own little world. I remem-ber especially being drawn to abstraction, and at a young age I’d make sculptural paintings by using a whole paint tube to make thick marks that came off the can-vas. I also have memories of making ab-stract sculptures out of straws.

tP: What do you think about when painting?

aH: I go into this subconscious state where I am both here and not here. My mind runs a million miles per hour when I am painting, yet I have no clear thoughts in the process; it’s just a continuous series of reactions. However, there are concep-tual themes that run through my practice, and they are always somewhere in my thoughts.

Conceptually, my work is rooted in Lacanian psychoanalysis—specifically theories regarding the phenomenon of “repetition compulsion,” “death drive,” and various theories of semiotics. My work is derived from the intrinsically hu-man struggle of understanding “self.”

I attempt to understand “self” by first understanding the world around me. I turn towards the street and traumatic times in my life as aesthetic source material. While painting, my mind filters through all these things: critical theory, looking inward, and the streets.

WHEN I VISITED ASHLEY HAMILTON’S STUDIO AT Mercy Junction to learn about her prolific body of work and

its origins, we talked as she added red paint to a series of turquoise canvasses. What she had to say makes her work even more fasci-nating.


tP: What materials and processes do you use?

aH: I mainly use acrylic, spray paint, charcoal, and collage. My process always starts with walking along the streets to find what I call “traces of humanity.” Peeling paint on building walls. A cov-ered up sign, questioning its own ex-istence. Fragmented objects. Failed attempts. Suspended signification. Questionable origin. I’ve always been fascinated with street art, but what I’m more interested in is the defacing, the covering up, the ripping apart.

My process sort of sublimates the street by simulating its process; I paste grid paper to the canvas and continu-ously cover it up and rip it apart, leav-ing traces of each layer along the way. Any text that may be in my work is from old journals, but is hardly ever able to be read.

tP: What do the vertical marks rep-resent?

aH: The repetitive vertical marks in my work originated from my personal journey through addiction: in this case, my addiction to self-harm. When I was first trying to stop, I’d make these marks to fill a huge wall in my studio as a dis-traction and a way to refrain from cut-ting. It allows me to have that obsessive repetitive motion without being self-destructive.

I suppose it was a way of processing the trauma during those darkest times, but now they are part of my history and I still use the marks in my recovery pro-cess. Most people would probably never know the semiotics of my work unless

they knew me personally. I like the idea of people thinking about them as sim-ply a design, or counting numbers while incarcerated, or even a repetitive “I”.

tP: How has recovery affected your work?

aH: It has been quite the journey. While in active addiction, my life was completely chaotic and unmanageable. I was severely suicidal, and it showed in my old work. It was mainly black and white with very little hints of dull col-or—and, of course, those repetitive red marks. Any legible text was haunting.

I remember one gallery owner jok-ingly told me he’d have to hire a thera-pist for people who come see my solo show. Through recovery, my work has changed significantly. It’s starting to be-come much more playful and colorful, with just little hints of the past.

tP: Any observations about the art scene in Chattanooga?

aH: I’m a graduate of the UTC art program, which is a gem with some of the most outstanding professors I’ve ever met; there are some really great artists coming out of that program! My only wish is that there were more afford-able studio spaces in town and more gal-leries that show challenging work.

tP: Any advice for other artists? aH: Say yes to every opportunity!

Look at other artists. Talk to other art-ists. Think critically. And keep making work, no matter what!

See more of Ashley’s art at ashleyham-iltonart.com or at AVA’s Gallery Hop on Sept. 12. To arrange a studio visit, email her at [email protected]

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thursday8.6 Aquarium Adventures: The Quest for Colors 9:30 a.m.tennessee Aquarium1 Broad st.(423) 267-3474tnaqua.org Thomas & Friends: “Explore the Rails” Exhibit10 a.m.creative Discovery Museum321 chestnut st.(423) 756-2738cdmfun.orgHomeschool Science Club1 p.m.creative Discovery Museum 321 chestnut st. (423) 756-2738cdmfun.orgOoltewah Farmers Market3 p.m.Ooltewah Nursery & landscape co. 5829 Main st. (423) 238-9775ooltewahnursery.com“Craft & Crop”6 p.m.Heritage House1428 Jenkins rd.(423) 855-9474chattanooga.govJazzanooga Presents: “What Happened, Miss Simone?”6 p.m.green|spaces63 e. Main st.(423) 648-0963jazzanooga.org“Big, Loud, And Live 12”

6:30 p.m.east ridge 185080 south terrace(423) 855-9652carmike.com“Fat Shirley’s: A Trailer Park Opera”7 p.m.Mountain Arts community center 809 Kentucky Ave.(423) 886-1959fatshirleys.com“Mystery of the Nightmare Office Party”7 p.m.Vaudeville café 200 Market st.(423) 266-6202funnydinner.comAlice Wetterlund 7:30 p.m.the comedy catch3224 Brainerd rd.

(423) 629-2233thecomedycatch.com

FrIday8.7 Opening Reception: “Outside/In-Town”5 p.m.In-town Gallery26A Frazier Ave.(423) 267-9214intowngallery.comSalon Show Opening Reception 5:30 p.m.Association for Visual Arts30 Frazier Ave.(423) 265-4282avarts.orgOpening Reception: Amanda Brazier & Kelly Jan Ohl6:30 p.m.

river Gallery400 e. second st.(423) 265-5033river-gallery.com“Fat Shirley’s: A Trailer Park Opera”7 p.m.Mountain Arts community center 809 Kentucky Ave.(423) 886-1959fatshirleys.com“Mystery of Flight 138”7 p.m.Vaudeville café 200 Market st. (423) 266-6202funnydinner.comcolonnadecenter.org Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Mobile BayBears7:15 p.m.At&t Field 201 Power Alley(423) 267-4849lookouts.com“And Then There Were None”7:30 p.m.Go Georgia Arts studio7787 Nashville st., ringgold (770) 380-0420facebook.com/gogeorgiaartsAlice Wetterlund 7:30, 9:45 p.m.the comedy catch3224 Brainerd rd.(423) 629-2233thecomedycatch.comThe Floor Is YOURSBarking legs theater.1307 Dodds Ave.(423) 624-5347barkinglegs.org

Pulse PIck: alIce WetterlundWetterlund has performed her non-yelling brand of comedy on stages such as Comix, Broadway Comedy Club, UCB theaters, San Francisco's Punchline and The Hollywood Improv. Alice Wetterlundthe comedy catch 3224 Brainerd rd. (423) 629-2233thecomedycatch.com

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Jaguar Day at the Chattanooga Zoo

saturday8.8 Chattanooga River Market10 a.m.tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad st. (423) 267-3474chattanoogarivermarket.comCool Down Chatt Town10 a.m.Highland Park commons 2080 union st. (423) 648-0963greenspaceschattanooga.comJaguar Day10 p.m.chattanooga zoo301 N. Holtzclaw Ave.(423) 697-1319chattzoo.orgArtful Yoga on the Row1:30 p.m.Warehouse row1110 Market st.(423) 267-0968huntermuseum.org“International Dota 2 Championship” 5 p.m.east ridge 185080 s. terrace(423) 855-9652carmike.com“Fat Shirley’s: A Trailer Park Opera”7 p.m.Mountain Arts community center 809 Kentucky Ave.(423) 886-1959fatshirleys.comChattanooga Sings For Hope3:45 p.m.

IccM Miracle theater6425 lee Hwy. (423) 333-0490chattanoogasingsforhope.comStation Street Sip & Savor 5 p.m.chattanooga choo choo1400 Market st. (800) 872-2529stationstreetsipandsavor.com “Sharknado”7 p.m.IMAX 3D theater 201 chestnut st.(423) 266-4629tnaqua.org/imaxChattanooga Lookouts vs. Mobile BayBears7:15 p.m.At&t Field 201 Power Alley(423) 267-4849lookouts.comAlice Wetterlund 7:30, 9:45 p.m.the comedy catch3224 Brainerd rd.(423) 629-2233thecomedycatch.com

sunday8.9 Chattanooga Market: Five Star Food Fight 11 a.m.First tennessee Pavilion1826 reggie White Blvd.(423) 266-4041chattanoogamarket.comOpen Dance Night 2 p.m.chattanooga Dance theatre 5151 Austin rd.

(423) 760-8808chattanoogadancetheatre.comChattanooga Lookouts vs. Mobile BayBears2:15 p.m.At&t Field 201 Power Alley(423) 267-4849lookouts.comAlice Wetterlund 7:30, 9:45 p.m.the comedy catch3224 Brainerd rd.(423) 629-2233thecomedycatch.com

MOnday8.10 Learn to Ride a Bicycle 6 p.m.Outdoor chattanooga200 river st.(423) 643-6888outdoorchattanooga.comVintage Swing Dance7 p.m.clear spring yoga17 N. Market st.(931) 982-1678clearspringyoga.comChattanooga Lookouts vs. Mobile BayBears7:15 p.m.At&t Field 201 Power Alley(423) 267-4849lookouts.comGood Old-Fashioned Improv Show8 p.m.Barking legs theater1307 Dodds Ave.

(423) 624-5347barkinglegs.org

tuesday8.11 Chattamovies Meetup 6 p.m.Downtown Public library1001 Broad st.(423) 757-5310chattlibrary.org Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Mobile BayBears7:15 p.m.At&t Field 201 Power Alley(423) 267-4849lookouts.com

Wednesday8.12

Middle East Dance10:30 a.m.Jewish cultural center5461 N. terrace(423) 493-0270jewishchattanooga.comMain Street Farmers Market4 p.m.325 e. Main st. mainstfarmersmarket.comWednesday Night Chess Club6 p.m.Downtown Public library1001 Broad st.(423) 757-5310chattlibrary.org

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

Join us for old time, blue grass, and country music with a Seven States viewduring Summer Music Weekends. Come

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The Roadrunners Wile e. coyote, supergenius, could only hope to catch up with this fast band. Beep beep!9 p.m.The Office @ City Cafe901 Carter St.citycafemenu.com

sat8.8WHISkEy TIME

The Whiskey GentryIn an alternate universe, Dolly Parton joins X in 1979 and punk-spiked country sweeps the nation.7 p.m.Ross's Landingriverfrontnights.com

thu8.6WOLF PACk

Pack of WolvesHowl at the moon in the dog days of August tonight with the music of Pack of Wolves.6 p.m.Hunter Museum of Art10 Bluff Viewhuntermuseum.org

Merging Rap And Small Town PrideUpchurch the Redneck plays Rhythm & Brews August 6

As more and more country music stars dabble in the sounds of rap and hip hop, breakout sensation upchurch the redneck jumped straight in.

Brimming with southern pride and comprised of lyrics you would only expect to find slowed down and showcased on a standard coun-try album, upchurch’s first release, “cheatham county,” is shocking. It’s also a hit.

ryan upchurch, a 24-year-old from Middle tennessee, first made his debut in 2014 through lighthearted, funny videos in which he portrayed upchurch the redneck. He posted the videos to social media, and the response was incredible. One short year later, upchurch has released a successful album, crafted a clothing line and is scheduled to appear on a

sitcom next year. He may be a true overnight suc-

cess, but it looks like upchurch’s fame is going to last a lot longer than 15 minutes. He’s answered the call from a niche group of music listeners: southerners with a lot of hometown pride and a lot of dislike for the sounds of “typical country music.”

If you’re bored with today’s coun-try music scene, you’re a hip hop fan with a redneck side or you’re looking to hear something new, up-church may be just what you need.

— Ashley Coker

Upchurch The RedneckThursday, 9:30 p.m.Rhythm & Brews221 Market St.rhythm-brews.com

MusicMArc t. MIcHAel

It’s not an approach that would work for everyone, but for Mythical Motors, the result is a collection of catchy, up-tempo tunes that are just long enough to leave you wanting more.”

“

Short, Sweet, Fast and CrunchyMythical Motors’ new album will be shown off at JJ’s Bohemia

IMAGINE THE RAMONES AS A POP GROUP—AND Mythical Motors is the result. A bold comparison perhaps, but

the four-man group’s approach to music making, “Keep it short, sweet, fast and crunchy,” has an awful lot in common with the ap-proach of their punk forebears.

Of the 16 tracks from their latest al-bum, Long Live High Energy, 10 come in under the two-minute mark. It’s not an approach that would work for everyone, but for Mythical Motors, the result is a collection of catchy, up-tempo tunes that are just long enough to leave you wanting more.

Long Live High Energy is scheduled for release on Saturday, Aug. 15 at JJ’s Bohemia. This will be the band’s third album in the last 15 months, marking them as one of the more prolific re-cording acts in the area. Any debate on quality over quantity is quickly laid to rest with one listen, as the band’s com-mitment to solid writing and produc-tion is second to none.

The level of musicianship and lyri-cal craftsmanship would be impressive in any context, but when you take into consideration the sheer volume of work and the rapidity with which is written, rehearsed and recorded, Mythical Mo-tors is a phenom.

In what I believe is becoming a part of Mythical Motors signature sound, most of the tunes on this album feature a juxtaposition of vocals and guitar. The vocals tend towards a light, airy, Beatles-esque quality, while the guitar is just good old grungy, garage-band guitar with a tone that 10,000 would-be guitar heroes would kill to have.


It’s an earth-and-sky dichotomy between ethereal words and worldly power chords. Plainly put, it wouldn’t work for everybody, but Mythical Motors has mastered the technique and uses it to great effect.

The self-described “power pop” quartet has been referred to by one particularly stunning reviewer as “too pretty for punk, too punk for pop.” Another good way to put it is “fast and dirty,” so it’s mildly ironic that my per-sonal favorite track from this new collection is “Royal Dreams Take Wing,” a song that flies in the face of what we think we know about the band. A rare acoustic number, the song is soothing and dreamy, more akin to the psy-chedelic movement than the proto-punk and pop roots of the band.

As such, it is a nice touch that illustrates a whole other facet of Mythical Motors. Like an exotic spice, is probably best if used sparingly, but a sprinkle here and there among the faster and more furious tunes enhances the overall flavor of the album.

At the official release party, Mythical Motors will be joined by the Vamptones from Mur-freesboro as well as Hogpig (this will be their first show in several years). In the meantime, you can sample this latest entry from Mythical Motors at their bandcamp page. Congratula-tions are also in order for band member Mat-thew Addison, who just recently became a proud papa for the first time (though one won-ders where he found the time given the band’s work ethic).

Well done, Matt, and well done, Mythical Motors.

There are two “can’t-miss” shows this week. The first is Friday, after Nightfall, when The Scar-let Love Conspiracy will be joined by Caney Village and Blues Frog and the Georgia Rhythm Crickets at JJ’s Bohemia.

Local favorites TSLC are well known for their straightforward rock-and-roll, while Caney Village has been described as Southern alt-folk. Blues Frog and the Georgia Rhythm Crickets will round out the night with their version of Southern Fried Hippie Rock.

Show number two is Sunday at the Honest

Pint, when The Wolfhounds, Chattanooga’s newest Irish pub band, will take the stage for their first

solo gig. The Wolfhounds (Christopher Arm-strong and Brian Davis) play a wide variety of high-energy Irish tunes, ranging from the Clancy Brothers to the Pogues and everything in-between.

The boys are part of the Honest Pint’s new rotating lineup of Sunday night Celtic music, including The Secret

Commonwealth, Celtic Keg Stand and The Molly Maguires. The show starts at 7

p.m. and there is no cover charge.

Scarlet Love Conspiracy, Wolfhounds Hit the Clubs

— MTM

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thursday8.6 All American Summer: Pack of Wolves6 p.m.Hunter Museum of Art10 Bluff Viewhuntermuseum.orgJames Crumble Trio 6 p.m.st. John’s Meeting Place1278 Market st.stjohnsrestaurant.comJimmy Harris7 p.m.the coconut room6925 shallowford rd.thepalmsathamilton.comJesse James & Tim Neal7 p.m.Mexi Wings VII5773 Brainerd rd.(423) 296-1073Open Mic with Hap Henninger9 p.m.the Office @ city cafe901 carter st.citycafemenu.comUpchurch The Redneck9:30 p.m.rhythm & Brews221 Market st.rhythm-brews.com

FrIday8.7

Summer Music Weekends8:30 a.m.rock city1400 Patten rd. seerockcity.com

Jason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats5 p.m.chattanooga choo choo1400 Market st.choochoo.com Eddie Pontiac5:30 p.m.el Meson2204 Hamilton Place Blvd.elmesonrestaurant.comBinji Varsossa6 p.m.cancun Mexican restaurant & lounge1809 Broad st. (423) 266-1461John Lathim 7 p.m.Miller Plaza850 Market st.nightfallchattanooga.comJimmy Harris7 p.m.

the coconut room6925 shallowford rd.thepalmsathamilton.comTim Lewis7 p.m.el Meson248 Northgate Parkelmesonchattanooga.comAmerican Watermelon8 p.m.clyde’s On Main122 W. Main st.clydesonmain.comDavid Mayfield Parade 8 p.m.Miller Plaza850 Market st.nightfallchattanooga.comRoughwork8:30 p.m.the Foundry1201 Broad st. chattanooganhotel.comDark Horse Ten

9 p.m.the camp House149 e MlK Blvd.thecamphouse.comThe Roadrunners 9 p.m.the Office @ city cafe901 carter st.citycafemenu.comThe Scarlet Love Conspiracy, Bluesfrog, The Georgia Rhythm Crickets9 p.m.JJ’s Bohemia231 e. MlK Blvdjjsbohemia.comArson10 p.m.Bud’s sports Barbudssportsbar.comDeparture: A Tribute to Journey, Matt Stephens Project10 p.m.rhythm & Brews221 Market st.rhythm-brews.comRoshambeauX10 p.m.raw409 Market st.rawbarandgrillchatt.com

saturday8.8 Summer Music Weekends8:30 a.m.rock city1400 Patten rd. seerockcity.com David Elliott12:30 p.m.chattanooga river Market

Pulse PIck: davId ellIOttWith a collection of original tunes compiled from creative chord progressions and melodic fingerpicking, David Elliott displays his own unique approach to the instrument.

David Elliottsaturday, 12:30 p.m.chattanooga river Market1 Broad st.chattanoogarivermarket.com

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The Whiskey Gentry

1 Broad st.chattanoogarivermarket.comJason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats5 p.m.chattanooga choo choo1400 Market st.choochoo.comEddie Pontiac5:30 p.m.el Meson2204 Hamilton Place Blvd.elmesonrestaurant.comBinji Varsossa6 p.m.cancun Mexican restaurant & lounge1809 Broad st. (423) 266-1461The Whiskey Gentry7 p.m.riverfront Nightsross's landingriverfrontnights.comTim Lewis7 p.m.el Meson248 Northgate Parkelmesonchattanooga.comJimmy Harris7 p.m.the coconut room6925 shallowford rd.thepalmsathamilton.comHusky Burnette8 p.m.sky zoo5709 lee Hwy.skyzoochattanooga.comRoughwork8:30 p.m.the Foundry1201 Broad st. chattanooganhotel.com

Dead Soldiers9 p.m.JJ’s Bohemia231 e. MlK Blvdjjsbohemia.comVelcro Pygmies10 p.m.rhythm & Brews221 Market st.rhythm-brews.comRoshambeauX10 p.m.raw409 Market st.rawbarandgrillchatt.comKara-Ory-Oke!10 p.m.the Office @ city cafe901 carter st.citycafemenu.com

sunday8.9 Summer Music Weekends8:30 a.m.rock city1400 Patten rd. seerockcity.com The Do Rights12:30 p.m.chattanooga Market1829 carter st.chattanoogamarket.comOpen Mic with Jeff Daniels 6 p.m.long Haul saloon2536 cummings Hwy.(423) 822-9775ForeverAtLast6 p.m.cloud springs Deli4097 cloud springs rd., ringgold

cloudspringsdeli.comChuckie Campbell and the Phaction8 p.m.JJ’s Bohemia231 e. MlK Blvd.jjsbohemia.com

MOnday8.10 Monday Nite Big Band7 p.m.the coconut room6925 shallowford rd.thepalmsathamilton.comSouthside Casual Classics7:30 p.m.the camp House149 e. MlK Blvd.thecamphouse.comVery Open Mic8 p.m.the Well1800 rossville Blvd. #8wellonthesouthside.com

tuesday8.11 Troy Underwood, Ben Durham, Ben Honeycutt6 p.m.the Heritage House1428 Jenkins rd.chattanooga.govBill McCallie & In Cahoots6:30 p.m.southern Belle riverboat201 riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.comOpen Mic with Mike McDade8 p.m.

tremont tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com

Wednesday8.12 Eddie Pontiac5:30 p.m.el Meson248 Northgate Parkelmesonrestaurant.comThe Other Guys 6 p.m. springHill suites 495 riverfront Pkwy. (423) 834-9300Jimmy Harris7 p.m.the coconut room6925 shallowford rd.thepalmsathamilton.comDan Sheffield7:30 p.m.sugar’s Downtown507 Broad st.sugarschattanooga.comWednesday Night Jazz8 p.m.Barking legs theater1307 Dodds Ave.barkinglegs.orgBlues Night with Yattie Westfield8 p.m.the Office @ city cafe901 carter st.citycafemenu.com

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

Happy Hour: Mon-Fri: 4-7pm$1 10oz drafts, $3 32oz drafts,

$2 Wells, $1.50 Domestics, Free Appetizers

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

Thursday, August 6: 9pmOpen Mic with Hap Henninger

Friday, August 7: 9pmThe Roadrunners

Saturday, August 8: 10pmKara-Ory-Oke!

Tuesday, August 11: 7pmServer/Hotel Appreciation Night$5 Pitchers ● $2 Wells ● $1.50 Domestics

Wednesday, August 12: 8pmBlues Night feat. Yattie Westfield

citycafemenu.com/the-office

Since 1982Since 1982


Record ReviewsERNIE PAIk

Jangly, Bright Indie-Pop, Found-Object PercussionExpert Alterations gets snappy, Flandrew Fleisenberg gets atmospheric

Since the British Invasion of the ’60s, listeners have no-

ticed that often, British singers sound like they are American; linguists explain this partially by pointing out that the physi-cal activities of singing and speaking are different, and singing can smooth out accents toward the more general, neu-tral American accent.

Listening to the self-titled EP from the Baltimore trio Ex-pert Alterations without prior knowledge about the group, one might waffle between de-ciding that the members are Americans or British people sounding like Americans.

That’s not only due to the vocals, provided by guitar-ist Patrick Teal, but also the pop style, which owes more than a tip of the hat to certain mid-’80s British acts—some of which were lumped into the “C86” category, named after the influential NME compi-lation cassette—but without the dated recording styles that sometimes infected those re-cordings.

Originally issued as a self-

released cassette last year, this 5-song EP is now available as a one-sided 12-inch record on Slumberland Records or as a digital download on Kanine Records, and what immediate-ly grabs the listener is its snap-py sense of economy, without a morsel of fat.

Its jangly, ringing guitars, bright bass lines and jittery, bustling drumbeats are precise but not perfect, and the casu-ally drifting vocal intonation on “Midnight Garden” makes it clear that Autotune was not used here.

Like the flawless 82-second C86 opener “Velocity Girl” by Primal Scream, the first track “Venetian Blinds” seems to make a pointed statement by being less than 90 seconds long, leaving the listener to want to hear it again, immedi-ately.

The lyrics are hard to discern with the vocals possibly low in the mix on purpose, and the final number, “Three Signs,” borrows heavily from the sci-ence fiction novel The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by

Philip K. Dick, which rumi-nates if an “interesting illu-sion” is better than a “miser-able reality.”

Perhaps it is fitting for this song, informed by classic indie-pop, to reference a book that contemplates artificiality—the “three signs” being various prosthetics—but for this writer, any negative thoughts of possi-ble appropriation are overshad-owed by the group’s invigorat-ing spark, delivered with its own voice.

For an unconventional per-cussionist like Flandrew

Fleisenberg, it’s important to be distinguished in his broad field, which typically involves either the use of found objects or the use of novel techniques to play “normal” drums and percussion instruments.

Arguably there has been unconventional (if perhaps un-intentional) percussion since the dawn of man, and there are numerous figures in the avant-garde from Ben Bennett to Z’EV; even theater troupes like Stomp and the Blue Man Group have brought it to main-stream audiences. What Flei-senberg has managed to do on his latest solo percussion album Crash is to impart his own musi-cal personality in his playing in several notable, distinguished ways.

The listener can sense that he is constantly adjusting, un-afraid to start with a sound technique and then tweak it to coax out as much variation in timbre as possible. Fleisenberg also has a sense of structure to his performances, with an un-

derstanding of space and tran-sitions between sounds. And, most important to this writer is the ability to generate atmo-spheres where imaginations can run free.

Take for example, the track “Window,” on which Fleisen-berg creates eerie squeaks by scraping a window frame. When his noises bounce between low frequencies and high, piercing shrieks, this writer imagines a violent dialogue between two abstracted individuals: a calm, cold punisher and his victim of torture (to all you armchair psy-chologists out there: go ahead, do your worst).

Other listeners may hear a scene that isn’t so sinister. Oth-er listeners may not even make it through the track, with occa-sional sounds that are like nails on a chalkboard.

On “Spinning Cymbal” Fleisenberg spins cymbals (surprise surprise) on the floor until they come to rest, but what unfolds isn’t just random clatter; Fleisenberg allows the cymbals to succumb to grav-ity in various ways, eventu-ally dropping them halfway through the piece with crash-ing sounds and then generating churning rapids.

The complex “Wall” fea-tures aggressive scrapes that resemble barking, followed by nuanced work on a drum head using his hands, rattles with subtly changing timbres and balls rolling in metal bowls. The mood needle on Crash swings wildly, from meditative moments to agonizing screech-es to the restless scampers of an artist constantly exploring.

Expert AlterationsExpert Alterations(Slumberland/Kanine)

Flandrew FleisenbergCrash(lifeoffleisenberg.blogspot.com)

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Consider Thiswith Dr. Rick

“You are enough. You are so enough, it is unbelievable how enough you are.” — author unknown

You’ve heard me say it often: choose your friends wisely. make your own decisions, to the best of your ability, as to who you spend time with. surround yourself with people who love you unconditionally, and sup-port your life goals. I can’t stress this enough.

sure, we may be stuck with our families, and some families are won-derfully supportive and loving, while others aren’t very good at believing in you, and all you are capable of.

however, you also have the family you choose. and if you surround yourself with negativity, or people who give you the message that some-how you aren’t good enough, or smart enough, or undeserving of love, then guess what? You’re with the wrong crowd.

lift yourself up, and in the process, lift up others. and allow them to do the same for you. To paraphrase maya angelou, this bright morning is dawning for you.

by Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.


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so, you like to make movies? One local group is working hard to bring together writers, directors, produc-ers, actors and crew to help foster the ever-growing local film community.

chattamovies hosts a monthly meeting at the downtown public li-brary, with their next meeting hap-pening this tuesday at 6 p.m. on the library’s Fourth Floor.

As they explain on their website, “We welcome all storytellers. the writer tells the story to the director, the director to the actors, the actors to the director of photography, the

director of photography to the editor, and the editor to the audience. the producers and the crew make sure the stories get told. the goal of the meetup is to help us all meet others that we can work with to create our stories together.”

lights, camera, action...meetup!

Chattamovies MeetupTuesday, Aug, 11, 6 p.m.Chattanooga Public Li-brary 4th Floor1001 Broad St. meetup.com/Chattamovies/

✴ ✴ ✴ ✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴ ✴ ✴ ✴

Fantastic FourFour young outsiders teleport to an alternate universe that alters their physical forms. the four must learn to harness their new abilities and work together to save the earth.Director: Josh trankstars: Miles teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell

Shaun the Sheep MovieWhen shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A lot more than he bargained for. Directors: Mark Burton & richard starzakstars: Justin Fletcher, John sparkes, Omid Djalili, richard Webber

Chattamovies Monthly MeetupLocal filmmakers gather to discuss their latest projects

“

ScreenJOHN DeVOre

For a film rooted in nostalgia, this year’s ‘Vacation’ doesn’t trust its own memory enough to do the original film justice.”

“

TODAY’S CULTURE IS DOMINATED BY NOSTALGIA. The current purveyors of socially driven media find that peo-

ple respond positively to lists featuring popular toys from the ’80s, or fringe characters from ’90s Nickelodeon shows, or songs that are mostly terrible but for some reason defined a minor moment in an otherwise trivial life. It seems that the current generation is ob-sessed with the things they once owned, or watched, or otherwise consumed during their childhood.

Is It Gone Yet?Crass, misfired “Vacation” is a definite save-your-money for a better movie

However, anyone that’s seen a “Va-cation” movie knows that millennials don’t have exclusive rights to wistful remembrances (hell, establishment Re-publicans tend to base their entire po-litical ideology on it).

Clark W. Griswold waxed nostalgic in each and every “Vacation” film, hop-ing to recreate the beautiful family mo-ments he remembered from his child-hood with his largely uninterested and longsuffering family. The joke wore thin as the sequels rose in number, but both the original “Vacation” and the surprising “Christmas Vacation” cap-tured something timeless and universal: quality family time is shared misery that is endured, processed, and regurgitated many years later as unabashed happi-ness.

The new “Vacation” movie, starring Ed Helms and Christina Applegate, is a retread on these themes, but with an overdose of vulgarity. The original “Va-cation” films walked the line between the crass and the acceptable, likely pushing those boundaries more in 1983 than it seems now. And yet, while I’m no prude when it comes to content, the reboot is overwhelmingly coarse and the tone just feels wrong.

In 2015’s “Vacation,” Rusty is a grown man with a family of his own, a nice house in the Chicago suburbs, and bor-


ing job as a regional airline pilot. His marriage, it seems, has grown stale. In order to shake things up, Rusty de-cides to take his family to Wally World in California, despite no one in the family having ever heard of the theme park.

Rather than using his connections to fly west, Rusty rents an Albanian sedan with amusingly dangerous fea-tures (and six ash trays!) to take his family on what he hopes will be the trip of a lifetime. It is, essentially, a carbon copy of the plot of the 1983 film with more f-bombs and sex jokes.

The largest problem with the film is that the eccentricities are spread throughout the family rather than concentrated in one character. In the 1983 film, Chevy Chase (and to a less-er extent Randy Quaid) carried the absurdity on his shoulders.

The family essentially played the straight man forced to deal with a cra-zy person. In the reboot, each mem-ber has their own thing—the young-est son is a foul-mouthed bully, the older son a weak, nerdy poet, and the mother is a former sorority girl nick-named “Debbie Do Anything.” Rusty is the straight man in his own “Vaca-tion” film. This sounds like typical Hollywood sequel writing. You can almost hear the conversation inside the studio:

“How about instead of a crazy dad…

there’s a crazy family?”“That’s gold! It’s turning the whole

franchise on its ear!”“We’re geniuses!”Instead of allowing a capable comic

actor like Ed Hems to use his talent, the filmmakers chose to coast by on weak jokes about genitalia. This isn’t to say that the film is devoid of humor. The humor is, as it always was, found in the familiar situations. An awkward father trying to help his son with a girl. Getting advice from a local. An unfamiliar vehicle with a broken GPS.

These moments are relatable and recognizable. Most frustrating is that the filmmakers seemed to understand the importance of shared experi-ence—and deliberately chose to be crass rather than clever.

That said, if you are a diehard “Va-cation” fan, the reboot won’t anger you any more than “Vegas Vacation,” although the 2015 film might feature too much Chevy Chase, only onscreen for three or four minutes. But for a film rooted in nostalgia, this year’s “Vaca-tion” doesn’t trust its own memory enough to do the original film justice.

I’d say it’s a shame, but then I’m not sure how much the country was clam-oring for more antics involving the Griswold family. Perhaps it’s best to just let the franchise stay where it be-longs—repeating over and over again on basic cable.

BREAKAWAY

U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAMTAKES ON COSTA RICA

BLOCK PARTY

AUGUST 18-19GAME DAY AUGUST 19TH | 6:30 PM


Copyright © 2015 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 0739

ACROSS1 Banned, poshly5 Lou who sang “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine”10 Baby ___ choy13 Fuzzy memory14 Believed without question15 “Game of Thrones” actress Chaplin16 It’s called for claims17 Elevated18 Ventilation shaft19 Dude who’s extremely chummy?22 “Friends” family name24 Tennis icon Arthur25 The Atlantic, e.g.26 “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” star Jim30 Yorkiepoo, e.g.31 Make actress Sobieski’s hair stick straight out?36 Burden38 No right ___39 “There is no try” utterer

40 Me playing some hand drums?43 Health supp.44 Toledo’s home45 Kagan of the Supreme Court47 Bahama ___ (rum cocktail)49 Visit, as an inn50 Toy train enthusiast?55 Shaving gel additive56 Muhammad’s pugilistic daughter, with 2-down57 Chain items60 1/1760th of a mile61 Poker announcement62 Ample Aussie avifauna63 Boise-to-Billings dir.64 No-strings-attached they aren’t65 Cable channel since 1979DOWN1 “We’re not sure

yet,” on a schedule2 See 56-Across3 Bazooka insert4 Author ___ K. Le Guin5 Down time, briefly6 “The washing machine is not ___”7 Spud of NBA fame8 She’s back in town, in a Fats Waller song9 Reached 65, in some places10 Big branch11 Just as planned12 “Firework” singer Perry15 Homeric epic20 Bear lairs21 Ice Bucket Challenge’s premise22 Beckett’s no-show23 “Low-priced” commercial prefix26 One may be silent but deadly27 “The Rubber Capital of the World”28 “There’s ___ terrible mistake!”

29 “Ye” follower, on shoppe signs32 “___ and Circumstance”33 They may be written to your schmoopy34 Patsy’s “Absolutely Fabulous” sidekick35 Gnaw away37 Like wine glasses41 “___ can you see...”42 Green heard in “Family Guy”46 “Check this out!”47 “The Last Supper” location48 Dino’s love49 Imaging center images50 “The Gong Show” panelist ___ P. Morgan51 Modeling material52 Golden ring53 Like some salads54 Mishmash58 “Uh-huh!”59 ID where you might reveal the last 4

Jonesin’ Crossword MATT jONES

“Dual Roles”—we’re going to name names.

Free Will Astrology ROB BREzSNy

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “What are the best things and the worst things in your life, and when are you going to get around to whis-pering or shouting them?” This question was posed by Leo author Ray Bradbury in his book Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Cre-ativity. Even if you’re not a writer yourself, you will benefit from responding to his exhortation. It’s one of the best things you could possibly do to activate your dor-mant creativity and intensify your lust for life. This is one of those times when working with your ex-tremes is not only safe and healthy, but also fun and inspirational. So do it, Leo! Get excited and ex-pressive about the best and worst things in your life.

VIRgO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): It’s time to leave behind the golden oldies. You’d be wise to tiptoe away from tradition, and give the ghosts of the past one last kiss goodbye, and wean yourself from nostalgia for the good old days. Frankly, my dear, you’ve got nu-merous appointments with the future, and it would be a shame to miss them because you’re muck-ing around with memories. In the coming weeks—for that matter, in the coming months—you’re most likely to thrive if you become an agent of change. And the most important thing to change is your relationship to the person you used to be.

LIBRa (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In In-donesia, the term gotong-royong is defined as the “joint bearing of burdens.” In practice it means that you and I and our allies get together voluntarily to help each other achieve a shared goal. It may also be an agreement to provide mutual aid: I help you do what you need to have done, and you help me with my task. Gotong-royong also implies that we enjoy working together. The emotional tone that we cultivate is affection and care. By sharing a burden, we lighten the load that each of us has to bear. I bring this to your attention, Li-bra, because it’s the gotong-royong season for you and yours. Be the ringleader who initiates and sus-tains it.

sCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In one of his poems, Jack Gilbert mentions “the incurably sane,” who are “uncrippled by beauty” and “unbutchered by love.” When I read those lines, I felt a surge of protest. Is there a single person on the Earth who fits that description? No! I was miffed by such starry-eyed idealism. Later, though, as I studied the astrological omens for you Scorpios, my attitude soft-ened. I realized that the coming weeks may be a time when many of you will at least temporarily be incurably sane, uncrippled by beauty, and unbutchered by love. If you’re one of these lucky ones, please use your blessed grace to

spread an abundance of blessed grace everywhere you go.

sagIttaRIus (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you’re not skirting the edges of the forbidden zone, you’re play-ing it too safe. If you’re not serving as a benevolent mischief-maker for someone you care about, you’re shirking your duty. Your allegiance should be with X-factors and wild cards. You will thrive to the degree that you cultivate alliances with mavericks and instigators. Are you shrewd enough to mess with time-tested formulas? Are you restless enough to rebel against habits that stifle your curiosity?

CaPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): How to be a Capricorn, accord-ing to my Capricorn reader Sadie Kennedy: When you are younger, take yourself too seriously. Look and act older than you actually are as you serve what’s most practical. Sacrifice fun and frivolity, working doggedly to achieve the goals you yearn for, until you reach some level of accomplishment. Then re-alize, as if struck by a thunderbolt, that fun and frivolity have practical value. Begin to age backwards like Benjamin Button as you balance work with play and discipline with leisure. Enjoy the fruits of your in-tense efforts as everyone tells you how relaxed and supple and resil-ient you are becoming.

aQuaRIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Cracking open the shell of a soft-boiled egg is a tricky task. You must be firm enough to break the shell, but sufficiently gentle to avoid making a mess. If you live in Germany, you have access to a metal instrument that pro-vides just the right measure of soft force. It’s called an Eierschalensoll-bruchstellenverursacher, translated as “soft-boiled egg shell cracker.” Your assignment in the coming weeks is to cultivate a talent that is metaphorically similar to an Ei-erschalensollbruchstellenverursacher. I believe you will need that blend of sensitivity and power on numer-ous occasions.

PIsCEs (Feb. 19-March 20): Americans often regard Cuba as impoverished and backwards. There is an element of truth in their prejudice, primarily because the U.S. has imposed a stifling embargo on the Caribbean nation for over 50 years. That’s why, for example, many Cubans drive cars that were manufactured in the 1950s. But I wonder how my fel-low citizens would respond if they knew that in some ways Cuba’s healthcare system is better than America’s. The World Health Or-ganization recently congratulated Cuba for being the first country on earth to eradicate the transmission of syphilis and HIV from mothers to babies. Can you identify a meta-phorically similar situation in your personal life, Pisces? Are there people you regard as inferior or un-

developed who could teach you an important lesson or motivate you to grow? Now is a perfect time to benefit from their influence.

aRIEs (March 21-April 19): Charles de Lint is a novelist whose stories are influenced by folklore, myths, and science fiction. In his book Yarrow, a wizardly character named Toby is skilled at conjur-ing. He can make small objects appear and disappear, for example. But Toby yearns for more. “I want to be magic,” he says. “I want to be a friend of elves and live in a tree. I want to marry a moonbeam and hear the stars sing. I don’t want to pretend at magic anymore. I want to be magic.” If you have ever wished for a comparable upgrade, Aries, now is an unusually favor-able time to work on it.

tauRus (April 20-May 20): An imaginative Welsh man named Liam Bennett has developed a “dausage,” which is a blend of a doughnut and sausage. One of his most requested treats is pork meat stuffed with strawberry jelly. Even if this novel blend doesn’t appeal to your taste buds, it serves as a good prompt for my advice: The coming weeks will be a favorable time to expand your notion of what types of nourishment are fun and healthy for you. I mean that in the metaphorical as well as the lit-eral sense. Experiment with new recipes, both with the food you provide your body and the suste-nance you feed your soul.

gEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the woods, living matter isn’t segregat-ed from the decaying stuff. Rotting tree trunks are host to teeming colonies of moss. Withered stems of ferns mingle with cheerful saplings. Audacious mushrooms sprout up among scraps of fallen leaves. The birds and beetles and lizards and butterflies don’t act as if this mix is weird. They seem to be at peace with it. I suspect they thrive on it, even exult in it. That’s the spirit I suggest you adopt as you enjoy the paradoxical mélange of your life in the coming weeks, Gemini. Celebrate the mysterious magic that emerges as you simulta-neously fade and flourish, decline and increase, wind down and rise up.

CaNCER (June 21-July 22): Here are some tips on being the best Cancerian you can be: 1. Cultivate your sensitivity as a strength. Regard your emotional vulnerability as a superpower. 2. Nurture yourself at least as much as you nurture others. 3. Learn to know the difference between your golden hunches and the glimmering delusions that your demons stir up. 4. Be kind, but don’t be exorbitantly nice. 5. Re-member that others’ unhappiness is rarely your fault or responsibil-ity. 6. Keep reinventing the way you love yourself.


There are things that I consider to be true to the point of bordering on being “facts,” but alas, they are not. They are merely opinions. I’m not talking about poli-tics or reli-gion or favorite colors here, though, I’m talking about that hinterland we refer to as “common sense.”

Firetrucks should be red. Dudes should not wear skirts. I don’t believe preg-nant women should smoke cigarettes. And kids should not play with toy guns—not replicas, at least.

Be as offended as you choose if you’re a supporter of “high-visibility green” for the nozzle heads, if for whatever reason you want their rides to look like TDOT Help Trucks, or if you think the kilt should be worn by anyone other than a guy actively playing the bagpipes. My passion for the latter, however, is such that I’d take it to the floor of any legislative body in the nation.

A recent settlement was reached in New York State by its attorney general with Amazon, Kmart, and Walmart for selling realis-tic guns online in contra-vention of state law, which

mandates the toy guns sold there be brightly colored or otherwise distinguishable from real weapons.

I’m see-ing articles, c o l u m n s , and opin-ion pieces popping up

everywhere regarding the claws of “The Nanny State” being sunken yet further into our collective throats by this treachery.

Am I a supporter of “The Nanny State?” Far from it. But in researching exam-ples for this week’s diatribe, I realized that with decade after decade worth of exam-ples of kids being shot over toy guns, it is so common in our culture that I don’t even need to bring up specifics; you know it happens.

Yet here we are, still buy-ing replica pistols for our children and then shak-ing our fists at the heavens when the all-too-common planetary alignment of wrong places and wrong times puts them into con-tact with law enforcement by well-intended neighbors or flat-out random encoun-ters with patrol officers.

A cop perceives a deadly weapon, not the age of the possessor of such. This is called “reality.” If possible a verbal command is given,

and in most cases a “child” (from a five year old to a 15-year-old 195lb. “baby”) freezes as young people tend to do—and they are wounded or killed for not dropping it or pointing the “gun” towards officers as they have been indirectly taught to so by their par-ents—because what else are toy guns used for other than pointing at each other to simulate shooting?

Are cops trained to shoot 5 to 15 year olds? NO. Don’t start that. But they are trained to react to deadly weapons, and I can tell you from experience, we don’t usually get to inspect the other guy’s pistol or rifle prior to a firefight.

And given these weapons’ historical tendency to kill or maim, cops have to err on the side of caution. And is it difficult? Well, let’s point a pistol at your head and see where your concentration goes. (*Hint: That $@#% is downright distracting.)

I have a home with hand-guns in it. I’ve raised two boys. My point?

At no time did I think it was reasonable to expect a

child who thought the pup-pets on “Sesame Street” were real to know that there is a difference between a fake gun and a real gun. And conversely, as that child got older?

At no time did I expect a police officer to have to look at a 12-year-old “child” and decide if it’s a fake gun or a real gun.

The world is more com-plicated than you think it is, particularly during the one-to-two split seconds when you believe someone may be trying to kill you, and kids should not be set up to fail by their parents, no matter how good their intentions are.

Guns in my opinion are not toys. I actually believe most people would agree on that. So, despite this, when parents insist on teach-ing kids that they are with the purchase of a “realistic fake one,” at least give the kid (and the cop) a fighting chance by making it yellow or orange or both, and leave the attorney general alone.

The parents really are the problem in this case—not the laws.

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

When Fake Needs To Show Its Colors

On The Beat

AleX teAcH

“Here we are, still buying replica pistols for our children and then shaking our fists at the heavens when the all-too-common planetary alignment of wrong places and wrong times puts them into contact with law enforcement.”

Officer Alex points out why kids should only play with toys that look like toys. Obviously.

Photo by Travis Grawey

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CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

the pulse 12.32 » august 6, 2015

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