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It practically gallops!

Mars Attacks

Bruno Mars burst onto the scene through two hit singles that weren’t his. He was merely a featured artist on “Nothin’ On You” and “Billionaire.” I think the lead artists on those tracks, B.o.B and Travie McCoy, are likely to be forgotten while Mars has the potential to be a megastar. The short clips from his solo debut, “Doo-Wops & Hooligans” that I heard on “Fresh Air” on Tuesday inspired me to listen to the whole album over the weekend.

It’s been some time since I cared to listen to an album all the way through. I think we may have still used these things that we called “compact discs” back then. Yesterday, I listened to “Doo-Wops & Hooligans,” on two of my devices, the MP3 player I received in 2008 and the WiFi clock radio I received in 2009. It was an easy process to upload the files to my locker at MP3tunes.com and then stream them on my radio.

I had already been impressed by the single “Just the Way You Are,” which rocketed to the top of the charts. Most of the other songs are fantastic too. Mars has a voice that glides effortlessly through the notes that he sings and through an assortment of pop-music styles. The next single will probably be “Grenade,” which puts a slightly more graphic spin on the I-would-die-for-you theme that has been around for ages.

If he doesn’t blow it (pun intended), Mars could rule the top-40 charts for years to come. My least favorite song on the album makes me think of his arrest in Las Vegas last month. A duet with Damian Marley called “Liquor Store Blues” has a typical reggae sound that doesn’t appeal to me. In it, Mars sings: “get messed up today, I’ll be okay tomorrow.” The lyrics have the unfortunate effect of lowering my hopes and expectations for Bruno’s career.

In addition to “Just the Way You Are,” my favorite tracks are the bouncy “Runaway Baby” and “Marry You.” In one song he tells his girl to leave, in the other he proposes an elopement. The video for “Just the Way You Are” is pretty cool and worth a look you haven’t seen it.

October 24, 2010 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment 

Rhapper’s Delight

It was impossible to find a parking place in the State Street garage on Friday night. Downtown Knoxville was full of people going to restaurants or, like my wife and me, the Tennessee Theatre. Traffic was reduced to one lane on State Street by the presence of several large tour buses. We eventually found a spot on the street and walked past the buses and the police cars parked next to them. The KPD escort made me wonder if some foreign dignitaries had been touring the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and were now about to enjoy the same Knoxville Symphony Orchestra concert as my wife and me.

While we waited in line at the ticket window, the usher at the front door received a message that there would be a five-minute hold. In other words, the show would start a little late to allow patrons extra time to get to their seats. In his opening remarks, Maestro Lucas Richman apologized for the delay. He said the traffic delay was because the University of Alabama football team was down the street watching a movie at the Regal Riviera. It was just as well that the Tide weren’t at the concert, Richman said. The music would get them too pumped up for Saturday’s game. He finished by saying, “Go Vols!”

To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the Knoxville Symphony is playing many of classical music’s greatest hits throughout the season. The all-Gershwin show on Thursday and Friday featured “Rhapsody in Blue” and selections from “Porgy and Bess.” The clarinet player’s face seemed to turn more red and almost purple as he put everything into his performance. “Rhapsody in Blue” is easily one of my favorites and would have made a fine finale for any concert. Piano soloist Norman Krieger got a standing ovation and then played an encore. I was reminded of the circus which usually stages a big number right before intermission so parents can trick their younger kids into thinking the show was over.

Norman Krieger signs copies of his Gershwin CD during intermission of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra performace at the Tennessee Theatre on October 22, 2010 Stephanie Burdette, Jennifer Barnett and Jennifer Crake selling prints of a Mike C. Berry painting of the Tennessee Theatre during intermission of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra performace on October 22, 2010 During intermission, Krieger signed copies of his CD, “Gershwin in Prague,” in the lobby. At another table, Stephanie Burdette, Jennifer Barnett and Jennifer Crake sold prints of a Mike C. Berry painting of the Tennessee Theatre. My wife joked that the orchestra in the painting was lacking a chorus behind them. She sings with the Knoxville Choral Society which will join with the KSO for another of classical’s greatest hits, Beethoven’s Ninth, in April.

The second half of the show featured great vocal performances from “Porgy and Bess” by the Carson-Newman A Capella Choir, Denisha Ballew and especially Michael Rodgers. During one of the movements, I heard the sound of a banjo and looked quizzically at my wife. She knew I was wondering if the violinists were creating the sound by plucking their strings. Then we noticed the neck of an actual banjo peeking up from behind the violin section. In his opening remarks, Maestro Richman sang a Jewish prayer chant and asked if we recognized the tune. He then pointed out that Gershwin had used the ancient melody in “It Ain’t Necessarily So.”

October 23, 2010 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off 

Beaver Fever

Karns Lady Beavers coach Kynette Williams rewards players with soda Karns Lady Beavers volleyball players enjoy their first soda in four months The Karns Lady Beavers volleyball team cracked open the bubbly after their three-game sweep of Sullivan South on Thursday night. The high school students were celebrating their advancement to the state finals with 2-liter bottles of Dr Pepper and Coca-Cola. Coach Kynette Williams had challenged them to give up all soda as a test of their discipline.

Karns Lady Beavers celebrate after defeating Sullivan South to advance to state finals Karns Lady Beavers volleyball roster Kelsey Handel, one of the top players on the team, is the daughter of Stacey Handel of Garde Bien Spa Salon. Stacey has been telling me of her daughter’s success for a couple of years. Kelsey will attend Wingate University next year. After being Coke-free since June, Kelsey was eager to chug some cola. She had to slow down when the phosphoric acid was stronger than she expected.

October 22, 2010 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off 

Surf and Turf

Of all the states that need a body farm, Florida would have to be near the very top of the priority list. It is a constant source of weird news stories, it has alligators and is home to everyone’s favorite fictional serial killer, Dexter Morgan. Fortunately for criminologists, Florida Gulf Coast University is considering creating an “Environmental Forensics Facility” six miles from its campus.

It’s no surprise to me that the idea came from someone with experience at the original Body Farm in Tennessee. Dr. Heather Walsh-Haney of the Division of Justice Studies proposed the study of decomposition in Florida’s climate. Bodies would tend to decay faster there due to the higher temperatures.

Meanwhile in Knoxville, Abby Ham of WBIR featured Dr. Bill Bass on her weekly feature “Your Stories.” My favorite line has to be “skulls are allowed on the dinner table.”

October 21, 2010 | Filed Under Body Farm | 2 Comments 

Here Now to Hear Later

Schoolwork should be my son’s top priority at this time of year. He has midterm exams next week in several subjects including Materials Science and Environmental Chemistry. As a result, I will not suggest that he take 37 minutes to listen to a podcast. Or take half an hour to watch me on last night’s “Bowl of Oh!” However, I do want him to download Tuesday’s episode of “Fresh Air” and save it on his iPod. He can listen to it on his way home for Thanksgiving.

Parents of college-age boys can especially identify with the “Toy Story” trilogy. My son was a couple of months shy of his sixth birthday when the first movie came out. This past summer, I was astounded by “Toy Story 3,” in which Andy Davis heads off to college. On “Fresh Air” yesterday, Terry Gross interviewed “Toy Story 3″ director Lee Unkrich and screenwriter Michael Arndt. They talked about the challenge of using improved technology while still maintaining the stylistic look off the first two films. Arndt described how he looked for human parallels for the toys. For example, Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear is like a bitter divorced man who thinks all marriages are doomed.

The last segment of the show was a review of Bruno Mars’ debut album. His current number one single became my new favorite song the first time I heard it. The clips of the other songs makes me want the whole album, which is a phrase I haven’t said in a long time.

Psst.. Frank Jr… here’s the link for the mp3.

October 20, 2010 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off 

Empowering Women

YWCA Knoxville - Week Without Violence - Walk a Mile in Their Shoes YWCA Knoxville - Week Without Violence - Walk a Mile in Their Shoes Elizabeth Bonilla, a victim’s advocate at the YWCA, was my classmate last year during the FBI Citizens’ Academy. When she asked me to support the YWCA’s “Week Without Violence,” I was happy to agree. On Monday, I participated in a “Walk a Mile in Their Shoes” around downtown Knoxville. It was a memory walk to honor victims of domestic violence. I learned that Tennessee has the unfortunate distinction of being ranked fifth in homicides of women by men.

October 19, 2010 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off 

Coffin Talk

Lincoln Museum - Lincoln Museum - Frank in front of replica of Lincoln's casket “Want to see a replica of Lincoln’s casket?” I asked my wife. They have one on display until Thursday at Lincoln Memorial University, about an hour and a half away. My wife loves history and sometimes feels she would have enjoyed living in the 19th century. She even follows Half-Pint Ingalls on Twitter. When I checked my calendar, I realized that the only day we could go was Sunday.

The official press release from the Lincoln Museum said:

Harrogate, Tennessee, October 14, 2010- The Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum (ALLM) of Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) has welcomed a traveling exhibit including an authentic replica of Abraham Lincoln’s coffin from the Batesville Casket Company on Thursday. The replica is on display in Harrogate, Tenn., for just one week. It takes its place beside the Museum’s permanent Lincoln Funeral display.

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CAPTION: Batesville Casket Company's Lincoln Replica takes its place among the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum's permanent funeral display. The Replica will be at the Museum through the end of this week. The authentic replica is six foot six inches long and is constructed of solid walnut and completely covered in black broadcloth with a white satin interior. It is not lined with lead and adorned with a silver plate (inscribed with Lincoln’s date of birth and death), as President Lincoln’s coffin was. The outside is adorned with silver colored handles and silver tacks extending the entire length of the coffin’s sides.

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The Batesville Casket Company has four traveling displays that are loaned to funeral homes and museums throughout the country. The replicas have visited more than 100 cities. The Lincoln replica’s busiest months are February and April coinciding with the months of the president’s birth and death.

Lincoln Museum - guide Duane Roop and Frank Murphy Self-taught museum guide Duane Roop regaled the tourists with stories about Lincoln’s life and death. He showed us a book with a photo of John Wilkes Booth at Lincoln’s second inauguration. He also told us about the Curse of Tippecanoe that is said to have affected the presidents elected in 1840, 1860, 1880, 1900, 1920, 1940 and 1960. They all died in office.

October 18, 2010 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Comments Off 

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