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It practically gallops!

In Plain Sight

Allison Kropff left WVLT four months ago. I hadn’t heard any official word about her replacement but I wasn’t looking in the right place. The news has been on Twitter for over a month.

Amanda Hara of Newschannel 5 in Nashville posted a tweet on December 30th stating that she is headed to Knoxville to be the main anchor for WVLT. She starts her new job on February 13. I wonder if they will put her on the air right away or if they will wait until the end of February sweeps. It wouldn’t surprise me if she’s in the audience at Star 102.1’s Dancing with the Knoxville Stars to support her colleague Lorena Estrada.

Amanda has posted a few things about visiting the area and house-hunting in Knoxville. She is already familiar with Appalachian moonshine legend Popcorn Sutton.

Amanda displayed a sense of humor while chasing a stray peacock in a 2010 report. Her bio has some jokes in it too:

  • Amanda Hara is an Emmy and Associated Press Award winning Journalist whose parents violated child labor laws when they allowed her to start a small neighborhood newspaper at the age of 8.
  • In an attempt to ditch Amanda in Seattle, Washington (their hometown) her parents moved to Williamson County six years ago. Much to their dismay, Amanda followed.

Here’s a recent example of her work:

February 4, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

Bacon Power

An article about a cookbook prompted me to buy a cupcake yesterday. The photo on the cover of “The Butch Bakery Cookbook” shows a cupcake topped with bacon. I immediately remembered reading a blurb about maple bacon cupcakes being sold at The Cup this month.

I had some errands to run, one of which put me in the same shopping center as The Cup’s Bearden store. I bought one cupcake to split with my wife, despite the staff’s suggestion that I buy two.

Maple Bacon Cupcake from The Cup - 2/1/12 It was a great cupcake, that I would highly recommend. Candied bacon is used as a garnish on top. If there was more bacon under the icing, I didn’t notice it. Pecans were infused into the cake and more were placed on top. The delicious maple icing was the most dominant flavor. The combination of tastes reminded us of breakfast, not dessert. I had poured us each a glass of milk but my wife said she would have enjoyed a glass of orange juice instead.

February 2, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

Zahn Meditation

A tragic Knoxville murder was the subject of an hour-long report on the Investigation Discovery show “On the Case with Paula Zahn” last night. It’s been seven years since Johnia Berry was stabbed in her apartment.

I often think of Johnia when I drive by her apartment complex and the Weigel’s store where her roommate ran for help. The show made me realize I had forgotten many details of the case. At the time, I followed the case in the news and tried to help Johnia’s brother and mother spread the word as they kept pressure on the police to make an arrest, which they did almost three years after Johnia’s murder. “On the Case” pointed out that Johnia’s roommate was a strong suspect until he was finally cleared by a DNA test and by a revised analysis of his polygraph test.

In case you missed it, the Johnia Berry episode will be repeated on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Investigation Discovery is on HD channel 387 and SD channel 111 on Xfinity TV in Knoxville.

January 30, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

One Who Presides

Dennis Reedy, president of the FBI Knoxville Citizens Academy Alumni Association, asked for a motion to approve the slate of new officers on Thursday night. The motion was made, seconded and then approved by voice vote. With that, I was elected to be the new president of the group.

The rest of the evening consisted of making plans for the year ahead. Our next meeting will be held in the William M. Bass Forensic Anthropology Building, which should insure a good turnout. Special Agent in Charge Richard Lambert said he would give us a briefing on cyber-terrorism threats at an upcoming meeting.

A few events are already on our calendar. The Alumni Association will help promote the Law Enforcement Memorial Run on May 12. Our annual field trip to FBI Headquarters and Quantico is locked in for August. I found out that one of my responsibilities as chapter president will be to attend the National Citizens Academy Alumni Association annual conference in Denver this September.

On a sad note, we learned of the death of FBI Chief Division Council Martin J. King. We all knew Mr. King from his annual presentation to the Citizens Academy on the legal powers and limitations of the FBI. The Alumni Association voted to make a donation to the memorial fund being set up to benefit his family.

January 27, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

Hip to Be Square

Dinner with the Bone Doctor 4 - Dr. Bill Bass brings a different set of bones to each “Dinner with the Bone Doctor.” The fourth such event at Echo Bistro & Wine Bar was held last night. Guests enjoyed sea bass and veal while staring at various bones from the Body Farm. I have had the good fortune to serve as emcee for each of the dinners.

Dinner with the Bone Doctor 4 - Dinner with the Bone Doctor 4 - The first bone of the evening was a native American skull that was about 400 years old. Dr. Bass could tell that the person’s skull was flattened by a cradleboard during infancy. As he placed the skull on each table in the restaurant, guests grabbed their cameras and cell phones to take a picture. Melissa Treece posted her photo to Twitter right away.

Dinner with the Bone Doctor 4 - One of the bones came from the neck of a bison. It had a huge hump spine. Dr. Bass compared it to the same bone from the neck of a human. Before the dinner, Susan Seals of the Bone Zones team said to me, “when Dr. Bass holds up the buffalo bone, be sure to mention that they serve bison steaks here at Echo.” When the time came, I grabbed a menu and read aloud: “Bison Strip Steak ‘Denmark,’ broiled to perfection then topped with sautéed shiitake mushrooms, country ham and blue cheese crumbles.”

Dinner with the Bone Doctor 4 - In the past, Dr. Bass has  shown what remains of an artificial hip from a person who was cremated. Last night he showed an artificial hip from someone who decomposed at the Body Farm. The number 31-05D is visible on the pelvis. According to the Body Farm numbering system, the bones came from the 31st body donated in 2005.

Dr. Bass gave a few hints about the next Jefferson Bass novel, “The Inquisitor’s Key,” which will be released on May 8. It involves the Avignon Papacy, the Shroud of Turin and a mysterious set of bones.

January 24, 2012 | Filed Under Body Farm | 1 Comment 

Monroe Doctrine

It’s the time of year when my wife and I make an effort to see some movies that are likely to be nominated for Academy Awards. Not all of them are shown at the local multiplex. Fortunately, we have an alternative.

The Regal Downtown West Cinema has gone digital since the last time I took notice. Plus,they sell beer and gourmet candies to enjoy while watching an art film with crystal-clear projection. For a market our size, Knoxville is lucky to have an art house theatre. Of course Regal Entertainment Group’s headquarters just so happen to be in Knoxville too.

I was delighted to see a digital-projection sign on the door as my wife and I went to see “My Week with Marilyn” with our friend Terry Morrow. Eddie Redmayne plays a young Colin Clark, who gets a job as third assistant director on “The Prince and the Showgirl”, starring Sir Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe. It took a few moments to recognize Kenneth Branagh as Olivier. Michelle Williams plays Monroe. Both of them are deserving nominees for Screen Actors Guild Awards. Williams is especially radiant as the legendary screen goddess.

The story is set in England. My wife loves British movies and she saw some actors that were familiar to her. I enjoyed the real-life characters portrayed in the film. Olivier’s wife, Vivien Leigh, was played by Julia Ormond. Monroe’s husband, Arthur Miller, was played by Dougray Scott. I liked seeing Dame Judi Dench steal a few scenes while portraying Dame Sybil Thorndike. It was nice to see Emma Watson playing a girl in the costume department who goes on a few dates with Colin before all his time gets consumed by Marilyn.

They briefly mentioned that Colin Clark’s father was a famous art historian. I remembered watching Sir Kenneth Clark, who gained international fame as the host of  the TV series “Civilisation.”

January 23, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

Musical Truth

The music chosen as the Mass setting in the Diocese of Knoxville is okay but it’s not my favorite. As I wrote at the start of Advent, I was looking forward to hearing different settings when I traveled.

I was in St. Louis a week ago, at a church that uses the Mass of St. Ann by composer Ed Bolduc. It has a much more joyful sound and is ideal for youth choirs. In the old days, we might have heard that sound at a “folk mass.” You can hear a demo version of it by clicking on the play button to the left.

In conversations with Fr. Gary Braun in St. Louis and Fr. Michael Woods in Knoxville, both priests mentioned the misguided video entitled “Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus.” In it, Jefferson Bethke begins with the erroneous claim that Jesus came to eliminate organized religion. Jesus actually said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” He said to Peter, “upon this rock I will build my church.” He instructed the disciples to carry on without him, forgiving sins (the sacrament of penance) and commemorating the Last Supper (the sacrament of the Eucharist).

This morning, Fr. Michael Woods suggested I read a column by fellow parishioner Bob Hunt in yesterday’s Knoxville News Sentinel. A week earlier, I had told Fr. Gary that Catholic blogger Frank Weathers (another All Saints parishioner) said organized religion is like the military. It may not be perfect, but you need it to fight evil.

A blog called “Bad Catholic” posted a great repudiation of Bethke’s video. Perhaps even better, they shared a link to the following response video by a priest in Evansville, Indiana, named Fr. Claude (Dusty) Burns aka Fr. Pontifex.

January 22, 2012 | Filed Under Catholic | Leave a Comment 

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