205 - Valley Planet
Transcription
205 - Valley Planet
VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 #021915031115 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: READ THE PLANET, IT’S FREE WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM (256) 533 • 4613 FEBRUARY 18 - MARCH 11, 2015 From Kenya with Love, Interstellar, That Game Show Thing, The Original Public House, Humorist Tired of Sitting Down... Tries Standing Up, Marley from the Darkside, Best Bartender in the Valley, Dr. Anarcho: Tony Joe White, The Greatest Calendars on Earth!!! 2 WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM #021915031115 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 THE VALLEY PLANET In The Planet february 19 - march 11, 2015 NEXT ISSUE: MARCH 12, 2015 203 Grove Ave., Huntsville Al, 35801, phone 256.533-4613 THE VALLEY PLANET VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 #021915031115 Table of Contents 3 On the Cover 3 Letter From The Publisher 4 Humorist Tired of Sitting Down, Tries Standing Up, Tim Benton 4 Providence’s Little Free Library, LaDawn Edwards 4 Sci-Fi Review: Interstellar - The Official Movie Novelization, Matthew Kresal 5 On a Mural Mission: From Kenya with Love, Lori J. Connors 5 Zee’s Rocket City bEAT, Jim Zielinski 5 Unchained Maladies, Ricky Thomason 6 News of the Weird, Chuck Shepherd 7 The Original Public House – A Nice Upgrade, Mike Ragoza 7 The Jazz Lounge, Jackie Anderson 7 Dr. Anarcho’s Rx For Old Stuff That Don’t Suck: Tony Joe White – Any and all. 8 From The Darkside, Marley 8 Gal About Town: That Game Show Thing, Tina Leach 10 Music Calendar Begins 11 Music Calendar Continues 12 Music Calendar Ends 12 Regional Concert Calendar 12 Gay Marriage in Alabama (Photos) 13 Calendar of Events Begins 14 More Calendar of Events 15 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY, Rob Breszny 15 On The Lam 4, Shawn Bailey 16 Events Calendar Concludes 16 Unleash Your Inner Awesomeness 17 What Then Must We Do? Bonnie Roberts 17 Best Bartender in the Tennessee Valley? Diamond’s Sportsbar’s Jennifer Peters! 17 New Lit, Ricky Thomason & Lisa Gray Thomason 18 Music Exchange 18 The Single Guy: Communi-Date, Aaron Hurd 18 To Yuno From Yunohoo 19 Valley Planet Demographics Publisher Jill E. Wood Calendar Joanie Williams Graphic Design Douglas A. Lange Contributors Bonnie Roberts Elaine Nelson Ricky Thomason Jim Zielinski Tim Owen Aaron Hurd Tina Leach Jackie Anderson Tim Benton LaDawn Edwards Matthew Kresal Lori J. Connors Mike Ragoza Shawn Bailey Letter from the Publisher W hat a memorable week we have had in Alabama! We witnessed legal gay marriages in Huntsville, Alabama’s Big Spring Park and Temple B’nai Sholom! It IS a big deal. I never thought it would happen in my lifetime. History was made, right here, last week due to the courage of many. Another Alabama history making moment is being commemorated March 5 – 9, the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March. Alabama is making a new history, one hopefully without ignorance, hatred, and prejudice. Peace, Jill E. Wood D’Licous Dining & Smokehouse Grill American Caribbean Cuisine & Full Bar “I don’t care about wealth. What seems to be upsetting is institutionalising the advantages that wealth gives you.” - John Stewart Tues. - Sat. 10:30am to 9pm 255 Pratt Ave, Hsv 256-469-7271 www.dlicousdining.com On the Cover: Deep by Star Weems S tarr Weems is an artist who enjoys designing colorful, dreamlike watercolor paintings. She has shown solo exhibits at Kentuck Museum’s Clarke Gallery, Lowe Mill, and the Birmingham Public Library. Currently, her work is on display as part of The Arts Council exhibit at the Von Braun Civic Center. When she isn’t painting, she is teaching art to teens at Ardmore High School. To see more of her work, visit www. StarrWeems.com. Jerk Chicken, Ribs, Catfish, Tilapia, Red Snapper, Wings, Chicken Fingers, Burgers, Gumbo, Goat & Homemade Sides Classic Burger & Fries $5.59 Thank you for reading the fine print of the Valley Planet. The Valley Planet and valleyplanet.com are published every three weeks by J W Publications in Huntsville, AL. You can pick up the paper free all over the place or get it free on the web. Copyright 2003 by the Valley Planet, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use without our permission is strictly prohibited. The views and opinions expressed within these pages and on the website are not necessarily those of the Valley Planet or its staff. The Valley Planet is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or art. Back issues are available for viewing on our website www.valleyplanet.com in the archives section. You may reach the Valley Planet office @ 256.533.4613 or by mail at Valley Planet 203 Grove Ave. Huntsville, AL 35801. Contact by email: [email protected]. Subscriptions to the Valley Planet are now available for $50 a year in the USA. 256-533-4613 Valley Planet Deadline for March 12 Issue is February 27, 2015. THE VALLEY PLANET #021915031115 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM 3 Humorist Tired of Sitting Down, Tries Standing Up by Tim Benton “T hat’s not writing, that’s typing,” Truman Capote once said about a writer, of whom he may have been jealous. Capote should have realized that typing is hard enough, particularly when authorwritus sets in, a debilitating condition that prompts some humorists to stop using their fingers and start using their mouths. That’s an endeavor also known as standup comedy. After years of writing my so-called humor, I decided to try saying it. Into a microphone. Standing on a stage. Being stared at. The last part is the most challenging. Because when you orate that masterpiece of humor you’ve so lovingly crafted for the assembled masses, you never know when one of them will say “That’s not joking, that’s talking.” their starts performing at that venerable institution of standup comedy known as the “Open Mic.” Open mic is just what the name implies, open to anybody. If you’ve ever thought about giving comedy a try, just show up at one of the weekly open mic venues in Huntsville and you’ll get five minutes of stage time. Guaranteed. You’ll be introduced as a “first time comedian.” That’s a good thing because you’ll capture the full attention of not only the audience, but the other comics as well. We automatically like you because we’ve been where you are now and we know it takes some nerve to get on a stage and tell jokes and be stared at. And we’re pulling for you because we love the Huntsville comedy scene and always welcome new people to become part of it. There’s an open mic somewhere every Monday through Thursday. Details are at hsvcomedy.com along with all you need to know about feature comedy shows. As for open mics, all you need to do is show up, ask to meet the comedy host, and tell him you would like to give it a try. What are you doing here, Mr. Capote? I thought you were dead. Huntsville, in case you haven’t heard, is delivering some great comedy these days, and I don’t just mean the occasional Jerry Seinfeld that plays the VBC. We have our own comedy scene. It’s vibrant, growing, and it’s all happened in about three years. Touring professional comedians are making Huntsville a regular stop, joining local comedians to perform in sold-out rooms at the Lowe Mill Arts center and other places. But the heart of the Huntsville comedy scene is made up of the local comedians, all of whom got You’ll be glad you did. There’s no feeling like that heartwarming feeling that comes when you give the gift of laughter. And always remember this, if you can tell a joke and just one person laughs, well, maybe you should rewrite that joke. Better to have at least two people laughing. Then you’re on your way! Sci-Fi Review: Interstellar The Official Movie Novelization by Matthew Kresal O ne of the biggest films of last year was Interstellar, Christopher Nolan’s big budget science fiction film with a cast including Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, and Michael Caine. The film has left some scratching their heads over the plot because of occasional bits of drowned out dialogue and the science behind the fiction. As if to answer those questions, there’s the official movie novelization written by science fiction author Greg Keyes. If the book can be criticized, it’s for two things. Being prose, it of course lacks the film’s visuals but Keyes’ seems to make little effort in trying to find a way of getting those visual moments across in prose for the most part, something that can make it difficult to imagine things without having seen the film first. The second is that the book doesn’t quite shake off its screenplay origins when it sometimes cuts back and forth between things like in film, often for just a paragraph or less at a time. Those faults are all fairly minor though and don’t detract much from the book itself. As a whole, the book not only offers insights into the film but is an enjoyable read in its own right. Even without the visuals or performances that are such a large part of the film, the book makes for fascinating reading that adds to the experience of having seen the film. It also shows the power of the story behind the film and why it’s one of the better science fiction films in recent memory. #021915031115 “I ’m rich, I’m rich, I’m rich!” cried a diminutive Daffy Duck as he hugged a gold coin in the classic WB cartoon. That’s how I mentally reacted on a morning dogwalk in January when I rounded the corner and saw a Little Free Library (LFL) smiling at me from its post in front of a white picket fence in Providence. Right there, right then, I knew I could help myself to a FREE book from the juicy smorgasbord of reading material in this lovely houseshaped receptacle. The only identification on the box was a bumper sticker that referenced littlefreelibraries.com. (When I checked it out later I found an interactive map to the thousands of LFLs worldwide, including a half dozen in Madison County, AL.) I told myself that in the interest of spreading the wealth and making a bit more room to properly display the collection, I could borrow more than one. For a friend, you know? The first titles that greeted me were childhood favorites - “The Secret Garden” and beloved dog tale “Where the Red Fern Grows.” Oooh, what else? The LFL was a tad crowded so, I pulled out a few hardback mysteries to better access the bestselling trade paperbacks from the past 20 years now hiding in the back row. But, which one to choose? I was ridiculously curious about the collection and my fellow patrons. Clearly there was at least one child or encouraging parent who would have contributed a picture book on baseball... but we’ve got the thoughtprovoking stuff that’s reviewed on NPR like “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lapp,” Autobiography of Malcolm X, Patterson whodunits and yes a paperback romance set in an exotic destination. Maybe a grownup favorite like “Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood? Nope, I mustn’t be greedy so no taking books I’ve already read. Hey, what’s this? “A Dirty Job” by Christopher Moore, a laugh-out-loud author whose work ranges from modern vampire slaying to gospel according to Biff. That’s one I needed to read! Prize triumphantly in hand, I continued my stroll, pondering what kind of person becomes a LFL “librarian.” A few days later I prepared to return a book that my neighbor passed. But before we reached our LFL my steadfast Springer spaniel greeted the groundskeeper at Providence square and I told him about this new resource. He’s more of a short story fan, but sent me over to our local dry cleaner where his best friend works. The best part of the book might be what it adds to the film. The film is, almost intentionally, a bit vague regarding certain issues relating to how the Earth is in the situation it’s in when the film begins. The novelization fills in some of those gaps, building upon the references made in the film’s first half to explore how our world turns into the agrarian one in the film. The book also explores some of the science involved in more depth than was perhaps possible on-screen, such as explaining a spacecraft maneuver used late in the film and the nature of black holes. The results add, not detract, from the film itself. WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM by LaDawn Edwards Certainly she or he is an avid reader who probably shares my impulse when we close a good book: Now, who do I know who’d like to read this? Now I don’t have to decide, but I can release it into the wild through LFL. Maybe she wanted more interaction with her neighbors, however subtle, the way a nature lover might put a birdfeeder outside the window. Who knows? The novelization is, like the film itself, built around the screenplay by Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan, which gives the book a strong grounding. Some of the strongest elements of the film, its characters and dialogue in particular, are all reproduced here. The book also allows for what’s next to impossible to do on-screen in that it allows the reader to get into the mindset and motivations of the characters, to explore just why it is they make the choices that they do. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of Keyes’ writing is that he manages to capture some of the film’s best and most emotional moments without the benefit of either its myriad performances or its special effects. 4 Providence’s Little Free Library VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 Two minutes later I was showing the title to her. With a smile and nod she said, “I’ve been wanting to read that one.” Now, my work was done here - keeping the book circulating, spreading the word about a new source of books, and doing my bit to nudge my neighborhood towards being a community of readers. THE VALLEY PLANET On a Mural Mission: From Kenya with Love Zee’s Rocket City bEAT by Lori J. Connors O nce upon a time, Jayne Russell sported around town with a 4-foot stuffed Pink Panther on the back of her motorcycle, complete with its own helmet covered with decals. Jayne has always been a renegade, always willing to try something new and creative. It began with stained glass in her spare time. When the physical demands of being a working manager for her cleaning business became too much, Jayne came off the road and expanded her artsy repertoire with oils, watercolors, jewelry making, and just about any media she could get her hands on. Little did she know that one day, her creativity, and resourcefulness would take her halfway across the globe. Through Cove Church, Jayne caught the “mission bug.” Three years ago, she went to Costa Rica to help build a school. Last year, Jayne made her first trip to Kenya with Kenya Relief. As part of an Eye-Team, her duties consisted of instilling pre-op eye drops while praying over the patients. While in Kenya, Jayne took many beautiful photos, which provided the inspiration for many of her paintings. Jayne had hoped to return to Kenya someday. Back in the fall, she attended a missionary presentation at Cove, just to hear what the speakers had to say. One of the speakers spoke about “Going where God sends you.” His words resonated in her heart. Then, there was an appeal from Kenya Relief Founder Steve James. It included a list of jobs needing to be filled. There was a request for a mural painter to help beautify the plain cement walls surrounding the Kenya Relief compound. “That,” said Jayne, “made it pretty obvious to me that I was meant to go.” by Jim Zielinski With only a few months to raise funds, Jayne knew that donations would help, but wouldn’t cover the entire cost of the trip. On a whim, Jayne started posting art for sale on Facebook and started taking orders for stained glass and paintings for the holidays. The response was overwhelmingly supportive. Proceeds from her art sales funded two-thirds of the travel expenses! This kept Jayne busy in the studio, making stained glass crosses, cats, and sunflowers, along with paintings, right up until New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s Day, the Kenya Relief group left Huntsville. The travel itinerary was grueling; 33 hours; starting by air from Huntsville to Atlanta; Atlanta to Amsterdam; Amsterdam to Nairobi, then a 7 hour drive from Nairobi to Migori in Western Kenya. Then, there’s the accounting for a 9-hour time difference. While in Kenya, Jayne worked with JoJo, a local from the Luo tribe. She generated a lot of attention and not just because of the murals; women artists are nonexistent in that region. In 10 days, four murals were completed as Jayne connected with community, made new friends, and took lots of amazing photos. The mission of Kenya Relief is to rekindle hope for a new generation in Kenya through partnership between communities, uniting for a common good. For more information, go www.kenyarelief.org. T HIS WEEKEND: Maslenitsa, the family-friendly Spring Festival, returns from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday, 21 March! Now at Madison’s James Clemens High School [11306 County Line Road], it’s hosted by the International Services Council of Alabama, the City of Madison, and our area’s Eastern European and Central Asian communities. By definition, Maslenitsa is a family event, and this celebration is no exception; moreover, it’s open to the public: admission is $5 per person; cash or checks will be accepted. Families can immerse themselves in the pre-Lenten celebration, indulge in traditional foods, enjoy authentic regional folksongs and folkdances, take part in numerous FREE children’s (and adults!) activities, and experience firsthand an insider’s view of fifteen nations, including Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Russia and Tajikistan! Maslenitsa’s “edible mascots” are Blini (Crêpes), further beautified by lashings of honey, preserves, sour cream, and such. Expect to see mounds of same, courtesy of St. Michael’s Serbian Orthodox Church. Plov, the Uzbeki take on Pilaf, will join the Blini in satiating your hunger…as will an “International Bake Sale.” Food service begins at 10:00 a.m…and three bucks gets you two Crêpes and Fixin’s! Get more info at (256) 585-8354 and olgaosadcii@gmail. com, or by following “Maslenitsa in Alabama” on Facebook. You’ll be hard pressed to find anything like it, anywhere else in the Southeast. NASDROVIA! John and Nose Barisa and I committed a pre-Mardi Gras invasion of Po Boy Factory [815 Andrew Jackson Way, NE; (256) 539-3616; poboyfactory. com]: Herr Barisa is most democratic when devouring, explaining that when he bites into food, he believes “it should bite back.” The spicy Crawdads we shared with Marie Thigpen bit, big time. Get them while they’re in season! Speaking of great food, I threw up most of mine when I saw the parking for the prehistoric VBC Playhouse is $10:00; $7:00 if you trudge from the South Hall. Unchained Maladies On the happy side of life, Creole Gypsy Taco Guacamole and I were introduced to a new menu item by Kelvin Wang, he of Thai Garden [800 Wellman Avenue, NE; (256) 534-0122; ilovethaigarden.com]: Nam Kang Sai! by Ricky Thomason L ike every writer in the Valley Planet I occasionally get requests from readers to write columns on particular subjects, usually the reader’s pet peeve. The presentation of this traditional street food is enticing…shaved, pinkish ice (via Thai Red Syrup) piled atop a mélange of Jackfruit, Mango, Coconut, Grass Jelly, Red Beans, Palm Seeds, and more…you don’t need to know all the secrets. Just how to eat it. Of sufficient size to share, this dessert is great for celebratory events, or just a cooling delight. But why wait? Just mix the shaved ice with the ingredients below it and…have at it. By the time you’re reading this, Hildegard’s Biergarten [1010 Heathland Drive, NW; (256) 5138260] will have opened (6 February). A fasterpaced “beer garden” with lively music, Sabine Collins’ newest venture will entice you with Wurst Shashlik, Bratwurst auf Brötchen, and more. Lizzy B’s Bakery and Deli [7900 Bailey Cove Road, SE; Suite 3; (256) 603-7631] is set to open on the site of the former Coffee Tree Books and Brew. Join owner Liz Behr on her new Facebook site for specifics on her grand opening. Suddenly, I’m craving Lofton’s seafood buffet. But the site of my Lee High School Class of 1979 Tenth Reunion, as well as Ground Zero - and I do mean zero - for a misbegotten series of one-acts involving Gahgee and the Coma Queen (and some really cool prank calls) is now…well…Pompeian in stature. Alas, poor Hilton, we abused thee well. Kaffeeklatsch Klosed? The shockwaves of this surprising development will reverberate for years to come. This venerable site, which I’ve visited, off and on, for around 35 years, has been a home-away-fromhome for many of the theatre set, particularly members of the Twickenham Repertory Company. Lee Deal called it “The Kratsch.” One ancient memory involves Bettinna Student and I whiling away our time on a cold, misty winter Sunday at the Spragins Hall hot tubs, winding up sitting next to the Kaffeeklatsch windows, gazing out into the Londonesque haze whilst sipping hot chocolate. Hardly something most people associate with a blues bar, but there you have it. Maybe sitting in the back of the joint, discovering Ethel and the Shameless Hussies, is more your speed. Already missing Carole Record, Tam-Tam-Let Fichtl called it the “trendiest watering hole in town,” full of “nice, funny, zany clients.” Fortunately, the original coffee shop soldiers on. Everyone chides the French for eating snails; the Mexicans for eating grasshoppers; the Africans for eating grubs; and the Chinese for eating what’s left. When The Apocalypse comes, you’ll be begging for their recipes. The latest entreaty was from some guy wanting me to burn the hair off the Huntsville / Madison County education systems with my thoughts on the Sparkman school kerfuffle. issue was a deal done behind closed doors, lock, stock and barrel before the dog and pony shows for the morons were suffered through. At the end of everything count on the evidence that the rich get the clean end of the stick while the poor get to lick the other. I gladly entertain suggestions of topics from readers, but I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck and land in front of this computer. Let me put this as politely as I am capable; if you write me and don’t have the stones to give me a real email address, name and a working phone number you are a card carrying moron if you think I am fool enough to write a column based on “facts” you quote without sources, facts you probably just pulled out of your butt to suit your agenda. It appears to me that Huntsville and Madison County’s new school plan is “resegregation today, resegregation tomorrow, resegregation forever.” Here’s a suggestion. Write whatever you want and ask Jill Wood, our editor and publisher if she will consider giving you the space to express your views. She may very well do that, but you can bet she also will require correct, pertinent information about you. If you want 40 words or so to rant anonymously, try the VP’s “From Yuno to Yunohoo” section. Fifteen or twenty use the Yunos each issue to throw bouquets and grenades. You can even say Huntsville City School Superintendent Dr. Casey “The Warden” Wardinski has the dull flat, soulless eyes of a shark if you want. Many might agree with you and add that a smile on his face would be like Judge Judy’s smile. It looks like she’s growling. (Not me, of course.) As for my opinion on the Sparkman deal you really are foolish if you think these so called “meetings” to get input from the public are anything more than a show to give you the illusion that your voice counts in the decision making process. Are you naïve enough to believe the school boards and superintendents give a fuzzy, red rat’s butt about what you think? You can bet the farm that the decision on any political THE VALLEY PLANET #021915031115 Thanks to frugality turned mental illness and the shameless personal larceny Alabama’s state government worries more about commandments on rocks and the reproductive rights of women (none of neither my nor their damned business) than education. Schools in Alabama are little more than day cares for zoo animals. After almost 20 years of writing about politics in this state I can say with complete conviction that I would not trust a politician of any ilk in an outhouse with a muzzle on and a bucket over their head. Will someone (like a federal judge) please whack Alabama Supreme Court Justice Roy Moore in the head with a big gavel and put him out of my misery? He’s already been removed from office once for violation of his oath of office and is in danger of it happening a second time. He can’t keep his pie hole shut. He is the cause of all but 9 counties in Alabama NOT marrying same sex couples on Monday, Feb 9th after it being legalized on Friday, Feb. 6. Kudos to Judge Ragland and the other 8. There is a rumor that the Westboro Baptist Church has contacted Moore and offered him a chance to be head idiot in charge there if he is punted from office again. VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM 5 “and produced interesting hypotheses in the ensuing Reddit conversation.” by Chuck Shepherd Weird News You Can Use It turns out that a person having a heart attack is usually safer to be in an ambulance headed to a hospital than to already be a patient in a hospital, according to a study by University of North Carolina researchers. It takes longer, on average, for non-ER hospital staff to comply with hospital protocols in ordering and evaluating tests (nearly three hours, according to the study) than it does for ER (and ambulance) staff, who treat every case of cardiac symptoms as life-threatening. Overall, according to a February Wall Street Journal report, the study found the mortality rate for heart-attack victims treated in emergency rooms is 4 percent, compared to 40 percent for patients already admitted for other reasons and then suffering heart attacks. The Continuing Crisis -- Uh-Oh: The man hospitalized in fair condition in January after being rammed from behind by a car while on his bicycle happened to be Darryl Isaacs, 50, one of the most ubiquitously advertising personal-injury lawyers in Louisville, Kentucky. Isaacs calls himself the “Heavy Hitter” and the “Kentucky Hammer” for his aggressiveness on behalf of, among other clients, victims of traffic collisions. The (soon-to-be-poorer) driver told police the sun got in his eyes. -- Elephants in Love: (1) India TV reported in January that a wild male elephant from an adjoining sanctuary had broken into the Nandan Kanan zoo in Odisha, wildly besotted with a female, Heera. The male cast aside two other females trying to protect Heera and mated with her. The male lingered overnight until zookeepers could shoo him away. (2) A frisky male elephant crushed four cars in 10 days in January at Thailand’s Khao Yai National Park -- the result, said a park veterinarian, of the stress of the mating season. (Only the last of the four cars was occupied, but no injuries were serious.) -- While nearly all Americans enjoy low gasoline prices, residents of sea-locked Alaskan towns (Barrow, Kotzebue, Nome, Ketchikan) have continued to pay their same hefty prices ($7 a gallon, according to one January report on Alaska Dispatch News). Though the price in Anchorage and Fairbanks resembles that in the rest of America, unconnected towns can be supplied only during a four-month breather from icy sea conditions and thus received their final winter shipments last summer. The price the supplier was forced to pay then dictates pump prices until around May or June. The Ever-Valuable Internet In January, “Captain Mercedes,” a registered user of the Reddit.com social media site, announced he had compiled a data file cataloguing every bowel movement he had in 2014 and was offering the file to other users to design hypotheses and visual representations of the data in ways that might improve his relationship with his alimentary canal. According to the data-analysis website FiveThirtyEight.com, the “researcher” used the standard “Bristol stool scale” (seven categories of excreta, by shape and consistency) 6 Suspicions Confirmed -- (1) A January examination of New York City records through NYC Open Data found that the five most common first names of taxicab drivers licensed by the city are five variations in the spelling of the name “Mohammed.” (2) The last McDonald’s burger to be sold in Iceland before the chain abandoned the country in 2009 has been on open display at the National Museum of Iceland and was recently moved to the Bus Hostel in Reykjavik, “still in good condition,” according to the hostel manager. “Some people have even stolen some of the fries.” -- Harvard University medical researcher Mark Shrime documented recently how easily made-up research can wind up in reputable-sounding academic journals -- by submitting an article composed by random-generating text software, supposedly about “the surgical and neoplastic role of cacao extract in breakfast cereals” (and authored by “Pinkerton A. LeBrain and Orson Welles”). Of 37 journals, 17 quickly accepted it, some feigning actually having read it, with the only catch being that Shrime would have to pay a standard $500 fee for publication. Shrime warned that some of the journals have titles dangerously close to highly respected journals and cautions journalist (and reader) skepticism. Wait, What? Ms. Meng Wang filed a lawsuit recently in New York City against Gildan Outerwear over her disappointment with Kushyfoot Shaping Tights. In television ads, Wang wrote, a young model sashays down a city street with her eyes dreamily closed and “moans and utters highly sexually charged phrases” “including ‘That’s the spot’ and ‘so good’ ... passersby (stop) in their tracks to look at her with mouths agape.” Wang said the ad clearly implies that the tights produce an orgasmic sensation of some sort, wrote Gothamist.com, but that she, herself, has come up empty. Cliches Come to Life (1) Margaretta Evans, 63, finally reported her missing son to the Myrtle Beach (South Carolina) Police Department in January. She said Jason Callahan, who would be 38, had been missing since “early June of 1995” when he left home to follow the Grateful Dead on tour in California and Illinois. (2) Riccardo Pacifici, described as the head of Rome’s Jewish community, was accidentally trapped while visiting the Auschwitz prison death camp in January on Holocaust Remembrance Day, after staff had departed. When Pacifici and four associates crawled out through a window, security officers spotted them, provoking the New York magazine headline, “Polish Police Detained a Jewish Leader Trying to Escape Auschwitz.” Least Competent Criminals -- Two men remain at large after stealing an ATM from Casino Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, in January. They had smashed through glass front doors, unbolted the machine, put it on a dolly and rolled it to a waiting car (though it briefly toppled over onto one of the culprits). Managers told police the ATM was empty, disabled and scheduled to be moved to another location later that day. A Calgary police officer expressed bemusement at the city’s recent ATM smash-and-grab epidemic, since the machines are hard to unbolt, hard to open and emptied several times a day. “It’s a very ineffective way to make a living.” -- Unwise Robbery Target: Police in Champaign, Illinois, charged Clayton Dial, 23, with robbery on New Year’s night, for carrying a pellet gun into the Kamakura Japanese restaurant and demanding money from the hostess. However, he fled quickly when chef Tetsuji Miwa walked over, holding his large sushi knife. “He saw the blade,” Miwa said later, and “started running.” (Miwa and two co-workers gave chase and held him for police.) Recurring Themes One of the legendary American lawsuit successes is the 1970 award of $50,000 to Gloria Sykes, whose brain injury on a San Francisco cable car left the previously modest Midwestern woman with an unrestrained libido. News of the WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM #021915031115 Weird reported a similar such case, from London, in December 2006. Now, in January 2015, the British Columbia Supreme Court awarded Alissa Afonina $1.5 million for her auto-accident brain injury. She was apparently a demure, high-achieving student, but following the 2008 collision, she had no impulse control, become “isolated,” had “outbursts,” made “inappropriate sexual comments” -- and was able to earn a living only as a dominatrix. (Alfonina’s mother, also injured in the accident, was awarded $940,000.) Good Ol’ Boy A miles-long traffic jam on Interstate 20 near Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Jan. 25 and on into the next morning was caused by an 18-wheeler that jackknifed and overturned when the 57-yearold driver took his hands off the wheel to pull out a tooth with his fingers. Efforts to haul the truck from the roadside required an hours-long detour of traffic off of the interstate. (The driver’s mission was successful; he had the tooth in his pocket when rescued.) Unclear on the Concept -- Luis Moreno Jr., 26, was pursued by police in Fort Lee, New Jersey, after he entered the carpool lane approaching the George Washington Bridge in January because he appeared to be alone in his SUV. After ignoring several signals to pull over, he finally stopped and, when informed of his offense, told the officer, “I have two passengers in the back” and rolled down a window to show them (in the vehicle’s third row), apparently satisfying the officer. However, as Moreno pulled away, one passenger began screaming and banging on the back door. Moreno sped off with his hostages, but was subsequently stopped again and charged with kidnapping and criminal restraint (but no HOV violation!). -- Mike Montemayor, until recently a county commissioner in Laredo, Texas, pleaded guilty to bribery charges in June and had argued in January 2015 that he should get a light sentence because, after all, he had subsequently helped FBI agents in a sting against three other officials accused of bribery. However, the prosecutor immediately countered that Montemayor had in fact tried to steal the recording devices and Apple computer the FBI had furnished him to do the undercover work. (He got six years in prison and a $109,000 fine.) Compelling Explanations -- Lame: (1) Briton Roberto Collins, 51, was sentenced to 13 months in jail by Manchester Crown Court in January after being caught standing on a ladies’ room toilet and peering into the next stall. He told police he stood up only to better scratch an itch and was in the ladies’ room only because, wearing faulty glasses, he thought it was the men’s room. (2) Scotsman Dean Gilmartin, 25, actually persuaded a judge at Perth Sheriff Court in January of his “innocence” -- that he might not have been masturbating at the front window of his home. He admitted he was nude (changing clothes), but pointed out that he plays musical instruments and was probably just picking out tunes on his ukulele (rather than “holding” his genitals and moving “side to side,” as a neighbor had charged). -- Explanation for Child-Porn Possession Never Before Heard: Poet Les Merton, 70, denied in January that he had ever abused children, but had a more difficult time explaining why a child-porn website had his credit card information. Merton holds the appointed title of Cornish bard in Cornwall, England, and is the author of the Official Encyclopedia of the Cornish Pasty -and explained in Truro Crown Court that he must have mindlessly entered his credit card information while researching the 19th-century Russian figure Rasputin. What Researchers Do “Entomologists are not like other people,” Wired.com reported in January, revealing that two of them had “proudly” issued “birth” announcements for the “Human bot fly” whose larvae one had let gestate beneath his skin for two months. Scientist Piotr Naskrecki and photographer Gil Wizen had been inadvertently bitten while on assignment in Belize and decided the egg-laying “attack” on a human was an important opportunity for research. After all, Naskrecki said, he had never seen an adult bot fly “crawl VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 out” of its host. New World Order -- Last year in Middle East school markets, the worldwide publishing giant HarperCollins was selling a popular atlas whose maps pretended there was no such country as Israel. The space that is Israel was merged into Jordan, Syria and Gaza. The company said it was merely honoring “local preferences” of potential atlas purchasers, whom HarperCollins presumed were Arabs wishing that Israel did not exist. (In January 2015, the company finally changed course, publicly “regretted” its decision and recalled all existing stock.) -- Montanan John Abarr told the Great Falls Tribune in November that his Rocky Mountain Knights of the Ku Klux Klan opposes the “new world order” pushing a “one government” system on the planet -- but also stands against discrimination based on race, religion or sexual orientation. “White supremacy is the old Klan,” he said. “This is the new Klan” (except that, he said, robes and hoods will still be required, along with “secret rituals”). -- The New Normal: In January, Mittens the kitten and Charcoal the Chihuahua mix made news as hermaphrodites whose veterinarians had recommended which gender the sinceadopted strays should retain. Mittens, of the town of Heart’s Desire, Newfoundland, was scheduled for “gender assignment” surgery to become solely male, and Charcoal, of Boise, Idaho, is recovering from mid-January surgery to leave her exclusively female. News reports did not disclose why “male” was chosen for Mittens, but the doctor said correcting Charcoal’s pre-surgery problem, urination, would be less stressful as a female. Fine Points of the Law The Supreme Court of Canada turned down Joel Ifergan’s appeal in January, leaving his winning-number lottery ticket from 2008 worthless. He had bought two tickets seconds before the 9 p.m. deadline on May 23 of that year, and the tickets had started to print on the store’s machine, but only the first one carried that day’s date. By the time the second one -- with winning numbers for the $27 million jackpot -- had gone through the lottery’s central computer system and back to the store’s printer, the program had already kicked over to the following day and to the next week’s drawing. Undignified Deaths (1) Police in Seville, Spain, reported in November that a 23-year-old medical student visiting from Poland accidentally fell to her death at the famous Puente de Triana bridge when she maneuvered herself into position on a ledge to take a “selfie.” It was the third “selfie” death on the Iberian peninsula in five months; in August a tourist couple (both also from Poland) fell to their deaths while posing for their photo at Cabo de Roca, Portugal. (2) In January, a tourist visiting the Spanish island of Ibiza with her boyfriend jumped up joyously as he proposed marriage to her, lost her balance and fell 65 feet off a cliff to her death. Recurring Themes Ultra-Expensive Trysts: The ones reported previously in News of the Weird involved celebrities ultimately nailed for high-ticket child support payments based on a single encounter (e.g., tennis star Boris Becker, who admitted conceiving a child in a restaurant closet rendezvous). British tourist Peter Cousins, 55, is now dealing with a medical bill of $250,000 after deciding that the middle of a Nevada desert was a good place to have sex -- which provoked a heart attack, leading to emergency rescue and a five-day hospital stay (and, eventually, breakup with his then-girlfriend). Send your weird news to WeirdNews at earthlink dot net, and P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, FL 33679. Copyright, Chuck Shepherd THE VALLEY PLANET The Original Public House – A Nice Upgrade by Mike Ragoza W R ecently visited the former Finnegan’s Pub which has been transformed inside and out to the new Original Public House. The restaurant off of South Memorial Parkway near Hollywood 18 has been cleaned up and brightened up on the inside, and the menu overhauled as well as part of new ownership. But what about the food? In short, it was very good and definitely worth a return visit. We started with the Beer Chips with cheese and bacon, but this was the one letdown of the entire meal as the chips came out cold. In talking to the owner later he mentioned that a new timer for their broiler should fix that problem. They did reheat our chips but it wasn’t quite the same. The main courses were much better. The Pretzel Covered Chicken with a honey mustard sauce with a slight kick was tasty and moist. The sandwich was large too, necessitating a take home bag. The Crispy Cod was equally tasty, moist, and hot and our sides of cabbage and homemade mashed potatoes complemented a first-rate meal. Good beer and wine selection including my favorites from Stone Brewery in California. I left room somehow for the dessert a bread pudding that was delicious, nailing my sweet tooth. The service was very good, too. They do not take reservations but offer “call ahead” seating, which we employed on a busy Saturday night. We only waited a minute or two once we arrived. The servers all have tablets that sped up the order and delivery process- their goal is your meal in less than 15 minutes, ours was around 10. The place was packed but the entire wait staff really hustled and I never had to wait for anything. Overall just a great meal, The Original Public House is just a few crispy potato chips away from perfect. The Original Public House won 1st Place for Best New Restaurant in the Valley Planet’s Best of the Valley Readers’ Poll! elcome to the Jazz Lounge. This session will focus on Kenneth Bruce Gorelick, better known as Kenny G. This saxophonist has had one of the most eclectic and dominant careers the music business has ever seen. He has maintained a high level of creative excellence through decades of unprecedented commercial success by never allowing himself to stay in one place too long. That reputation for musical curiosity stays well intact on his latest release – his 14th studio album - ‘Brazilian Nights’. Kenny says, “I’ve been in love with bossa nova my whole life. I think the first song that won me over was Cannonball Adderley’s version of ‘Quiet Nights,” and more recently I’ve been listening (non-stop!) to Stan Getz’s album ‘Getz For Lovers’. I think I’ve listened to that record almost every day for the past 5 years, and it really was the inspiration in making this album. My goal was not only to make a bossa nova album that pays tribute to the ‘Masters’ who I’ve been listening to (Cannonball Adderley, Paul Desmond and Stan Getz) but also to write and record original bossa novas that I hope can ‘hold their own’ in this distinguished company. I humbly say that I feel we’ve succeeded.” Starting with melodious sounds of ‘Bossa Antiqua,” the 10-track album is a mixture of classics and Kenny G originals. Writing five of the ten tracks with longtime collaborator (and co-producer) Walter Afanasieff, the veteran performer plays alto, tenor, and soprano sax, and is especially outstanding on tracks like ‘Bossa Real’, ‘April Rain’, and the title track ‘Brazilian Nights’. This is a very impressive album. Kenny G admits that he took his time making this album, as he wanted to immerse himself into the light and melodic sounds of music from across the globe. He says, “I spent a year and a half study- Dr. Anarcho’s Rx For Old Stuff That Don’t Suck: Tony Joe White – Any and all. W e recently had the pleasure - make that honor – of seeing Tony Joe White perform at the City Winery in Nashville. The “Polk Salad Annie” man is still alive and well. In fact, he is better than ever. Over the decades White has released 16 studio albums and four “live” ones. You can’t go wrong with any of them and they are timeless, each as good as or better than the previous offerings. His latest “Hoodoo” is no exception. While having a number of hits on his own, White is a prolific writer and a rarity these days because his lyrics actually mean something. He is a poet and storyteller. He wrote the soulful, heartbreaking “Rainy Night In Georgia” and it gained international acclaim when picked up by Brook Benton and went to the top of the charts. Rainy Night is so different from “Polk Salad Annie” that many, including me at one point, had no idea that White penned the song. He also has numerous other songs that were covered by other artists including Tina Turner’s version of “Steamy Windows.” His four piece travelling band is magnificent and as tight as any I have ever heard. He also performs solo or with just a drummer, and what a steady drummer, a solid metronome with such steady 3/4 time licks that even white people can dance to them and clap on time. White has a cult following in the US and Does world tours regularly. He is particularly beloved in Europe. I have his entire discography and listen to all of it regularly. They are like visiting old friends. Incidentally, “City Winery” in Nashville is one of the best venues you will ever see a performer. THE VALLEY PLANET ing and embracing the style of the bossa novas from decades ago. I had fun and learned a lot during my wonderful labor of love, and I truly hope you get the same pleasure from this album that I have experienced when I sit down after a long day and put on my ‘bossa nova’ sounds. Words can’t describe that feeling but hopefully the melodies that I’ve played here will.” Melodies and music have long been a signature part of Kenny G’s life. Since releasing his selftitled debut disc in the fall of 1982, he has become the biggest selling instrumental musician of the modern era, and one of the best-selling artists of all time, with global sales totaling more than 75 million records. His biggest album was 1992’s ‘Breathless’ – which sold 12 million copies in the United States alone. In addition, his 1994 Christmas album ‘Miracle: The Holiday Album’ ranks as one of the most successful Yuletide albums ever – with sales of over 8 million copies. Seven of his singles have hit the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. He has also been ranked as one of the most played artists in the Adult Contemporary format – with 9 top ten singles. His biggest hit came with 1987’s ‘Songbird’, which peaked at # 4 on the Hot 100. Kenny G continues to play to sold out venues both here and abroad, with dates on his calendar already filled through mid-2015. Kenny G has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the business during his legendary career, ranging from Michael Bolton to Weezer to Whitney Houston. He recently worked with pop superstar Katy Perry on her single ‘Last Friday Night’. ‘Brazilian Nights’ would make a great addition to your collection. That’s it for this session of the Jazz Lounge. You can always reach me at [email protected]. Until next time, stay cool, & keep it jazzy! They have an acoustically perfect design and you can eat an upscale, white table cloth dinner while some of the top singer / songwriters of today perform. The food is pricey, but the tickets for the shows are not. Twenty–two dollars per seat put us less than 15 feet from the stage. City Winery is one of the new concept “green” wine bars. It has neither bottles nor corks. Wines are shipped in from many of the best vineyards in the world in the casks in which they are aged. A layer or argon gas keeps oxygen away and the wines are on tap, just like draft beers. We will definitely be back; especially if Tony Joe White returns and the place is only 40 miles from Whites country home in Franklin, TN. For the uninitiated White fans, his “Greatest Hits” album is a good starting place, but be warned. It is addictive. Tracks are: 1. Polk Salad Annie 2. Soul Francisco 3. Willie and Laura Mae Jones 4. Rainy Night in Georgia 5. Roosevelt and Ira Lee (Night of the Mossacin) 6. Stockholm Blues 7. High Sheriff of Calhoun Parrish 8. Old Man Willis 9. Train I’m On 10. If I Ever Saw a Good Thing 11. As the Crow Files 12. Even Trolls Love Rock and Roll 13. Backwoods Preacher Man 14. Takin’ the Midnight Train 15. Did Somebody Make a Fool out of You 16. They Caught the Devil and Put Him in Jail in Eudora, Arkansas 17. Saturday Night in Oak Grove Louisiana 18. I’ve Got a Thing About You Baby 19. For Ol’ Times Sake 20. Ol’ Mother Earth #021915031115 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM 7 Marley From the Darkside I t was a typical Sunday, lying around with my human, and indulging in a rousing game of Wake and Bake, I believe it’s called, when the television caught my eye. My human usually keeps some sort of animated thing or blood soaked, guitar heavy naked lady program of sorts on the thing, but today in his apparent stupor the channel sits idle and I saw something I couldn’t believe. It was a little man in a very expensive suit, waving his diamond encrusted fingers in the air, asking other poorer humans to send him money to help. Help who? Well, him, apparently. He spoke of a place called Heaven, to which tickets seem very expensive, and a place called Hell, where you go if you don’t have any money or disagree with Diamond fingers. At any rate the poor don’t seem to get much more than an honorable mention when it comes to these TV guys. About this time my human wakes up, briefly, just long enough to mutter something about the size of the preacher’s house and the sports car he drives, then back to his nap. He does have a point. These men whom we trust to use money given to help the poor are lining their pockets with the hopes and dreams of people giving, and the people hoping to receive. Geez man, these cats are dressed better than a New Orleans pimp, during Mardi Gras. It really is no wonder that I hate most of you humans, especially the dumb ones. Speaking of humans, mine is wide awake now, and the TV preacher is no more. Black Sabbath videos now rule the screen and my human is cursing something called a network for letting these Bible thumping thieves on the air in the first place. “Never trust a preacher wearing a Rolex,” as if I give a s***, but it makes my human calm if I pretend to care. That Game Show Thing: Coming Soon to a Lowe Mill Near You! I f you’ve ever wanted to go behind the scenes of a game show, and just don’t have the means to stand in line wearing a stupid tee shirt asking Bob Barker to put you on TV (which wouldn’t work since he’s retired - at this point that’s just stalking), then I’d suggest you head over to Lowe Mill on February 28 at 8pm (at Prototype Studios near Vertical House Records) for taping (digitaling??) of That Game Show Thing. $8 will get you in. You won’t get to be a contestant/panelist because they’ve already been chosen (Beth Norwood, Sam Ashby, Mark Bentley, and Sam McLeroy have that honor this time), but you can watch the whole process and stay for a Q&A with the cast and crew after. That Game Show Thing was started by host Tom Hand (who had done an earlier version in 2014), and team captains Stephen Claybrooks and Patrick Cunningham, who had previously worked together developing a sitcom. But that didn’t work out for various reasons, and now they’re in the game show biz. They partnered with Prototype Studios to make what they say may be “the only full studio, professional, game show being made in the state of Alabama.” They’re hoping to shop the format around to networks and content generators. Yes, but what is it? The format of the show will be in the vein of British panel games, where it’s more about just entertaining the audience. So, in American terms kind of like @Midnight with more people. There will be two teams, each with 3 people. Round one will involve contestants answering questions in funny/creative ways. Round 2 will be improvisational challenges. Round 3 will be rapid fire quips. Points will be awarded in a somewhat arbitrary system, but who cares? It’s not about winning. It’s not about knowing that the capital of Iceland is Reykjavik. It’s about being awesomely funny and knowing that comedy is going to be judged. Possibly harshly. So check it out. Enjoy some comedy. Wear a stupid tee shirt to get Bob Barker’s attention. And don’t forget to answer in the form of a question. Okay, I’m going to stop here because now I’m just making random references to old game shows and I’ll probably just keep on doing it till I select door number 3, which is the end of this article. Well the magic smoke is filling the air, so it’s time to get up from here and go over there. F*** catnip. Hey preacher, what’s in your wallet?...........Meow. 8 WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM #021915031115 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 THE VALLEY PLANET Thank You for Voting Us #1 Best Liquor/Beer Store!!! On the Corner of Church St. & Pratt Ave 256 539-4333 The Largest Import and Gourmet Beer Selection in Town Over 1200 Different Beers! Check out our 65 new craft beers on tap featuring all of our local breweries. Great Vodka Selection and Top Shelf Liquor Grand Opening Date of our NEW Location to be Released Soon! Open Late 9am – 12am M-TH 1:00am On Weekends THE VALLEY PLANET #021915031115 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM 9 Thursday, February 19 BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Dave Anderson BLUE PANTS BREWERY, Seducing Alice D’LICOUS DINING (SEE AD PG.3), Karaoke FURNITURE FACTORY, Robby Eichman GUADALAJARA (DECATUR), Karaoke w/ DJ Jammin Jeff HICKORY HOUSE, Karaoke HIGHWAY HAVEN, Karaoke HOPPER’S, Karaoke w/ DJ Tara HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Cash Colley MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), The Kid MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke MVP SPIRTIS, Chris & Tommy PINCHI’S PLACE 2 (PRICEVILLE), Karaoke w/ Hit Master D SAMMY T’S, DJ Keibot and DJ Blin SPORTS PAGE, 5ive O’clock Charlie THE BRICK (DECATUR), Tim Cannon THE HOT SPOT, Bike Night w/ Live Music VOODOO LOUNGE, Open Mic W���� E����bo�� El�� G�e�! ENTERTAINMENT Friday, February 20 AMERICAN LEGION POST 176, The Mersey Band BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Red Headed Step Child BISHOP’S WEST, Karaoke w/ Hit Master D BLUE PANTS BREWERY, Dr. Whateva Duo DIAMONDS (SEE AD PG.10), Steady Rollers EL HERRADURA, Edgar FURNITURE FACTORY, Juice HARD DOCK CAFE (DECATUR), Groove HICKORY HOUSE, Karaoke HIGHWAY HAVEN, Karaoke HOPPER’S, Kozmic Mama HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Trick Zipper JEFFERSON STREET PUB, Chad Bradford JUNO, Dave McConnell LEEANN’S, Space Donkeys FRI 02/20 - STEADY ROLLERS SAT 02/21 - ST.VALENTINE’S DAY MASSACRE PARTY MR. CROWLEY FRI 02/27 - “347” SAT 02/28 - CRUSH FRI 03/06 - SPACE DONKEYS SAT 03/07 - BLACK LABEL FRI 03/13 - BIG DADDY KINGFISH SAT 03/14 - WET BANDITS ST. PADDY’S PARTY FRI 03/20 - CHAKA BOOM SAT 03/21 - RELAYER TRIVIA T�� Pla�� T� B� S��� �� S�u�� H�nt������! LIVE MUSIC TUESDAY - SATURDAY Mon- 50¢ Smoked Chicken Wings Saturday Brunch 10 AM Tues 1/2 Price Burgers Happy Hour Everyday 11AM - 6PM Wed - $6 Steak & Side Meadowbrook Shopping Center 11208 Memorial Parkway SW Huntsville, AL 35803 Must Be 21 with Valid ID 10 Saturday, February 21 AMERICAN LEGION POST 176, Karaoke BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Dave Anderson CD PUB, Karaoke w/ Hit Master D DIAMONDS (SEE AD PG.10), St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Party Mr. Crowley FURNITURE FACTORY, Calico HARD DOCK CAFE (DECATUR), Down South HICKORY HOUSE, Karaoke HIGHWAY HAVEN, Karaoke HOPPER’S, Kozmic Mama HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Dirt Circus JEFFERSON STREET PUB, Jeff & Jordan LAS TROJAS, Edgar LEEANN’S, Real Deal LISA’S LOUNGE, Karaoke w Mike B LONE GOOSE, 45 Surprise MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Mayhem MOE’S (DECATUR), Alexa Rankin/Rachel Kate MOE’S (PROVIDENCE), Mike Roberts MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke MVP SPIRTIS, Emma Klein SAMMY T’S, DJ Keibot and DJ Blin STRAIGHT TO ALE, Dawn Osborne Band TANGLED STRING STUDIO, Ricky j Taylor Band THE BRICK (DECATUR), Jeff Whitlow & the Old Barn Band THE HOT SPOT, David Holland and the Bootleggers VOODOO LOUNGE, King’s Haze Sunday, February 22 COTTON ROW, Sunday Brunch w/ Ken Watters & Keith Taylor EAGLES (DECATUR), Karaoke w/ Hit Master D LONE GOOSE, Sunday Night Blues Jam MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke VOODOO LOUNGE, Karaoke w/ DJ Brandon FRI 03/27 - DRIVEN UNDER SAT 03/28 - NO RECESS Every Tuesday – 7:30 PM & Every Friday – 6:30 PM LISA’S LOUNGE, Karaoke w Mac Lawrence LONE GOOSE, Upper Decker MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MOE’S (PROVIDENCE), Cheryl Llewellyn MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke MVP SPIRTIS, Tyler AK SAMMY T’S, DJ Keibot and DJ Blin THE BRICK (DECATUR), Mad Hatters THE HOT SPOT, Karaoke VOODOO LOUNGE, 5ive O’clock Charlie WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM NO COVER CHARGE MON - THURS 11AM - 12 AM FRI 11 AM - 2 AM SAT 10 AM - 2 AM 256-704-5555 109 Washington Street, Huntsville, AL 35801 www.humphreysdowntown.com Monday, February 23 BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Robby Eichman COPPERTOP, Karaoke w/ DJ Wes FURNITURE FACTORY, Open Jam w/ Andrew Johnson and Clay O’Dell MAC’S SPORTSBAR (ATHENS), Hitmaster D Karaoke MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke THE HOT SPOT, Ladies Night VOODOO LOUNGE, Josh Allison Tuesday, February 24 BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Josh Allison FURNITURE FACTORY, Karaoke w/ Super Lou HOPPER’S, Karaoke w/ DJ Tara HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Aaron Bradley MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Karaoke w/ DJ Wes MOODY MONDAYS, Open Mic SPORTS PAGE, Chelvis and the Bean THE HOT SPOT, Karaoke VOODOO LOUNGE, Dave Anderson Wednesday, February 25 BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Microwave Dave BISHOP’S WEST, Karaoke w/ Hit Master D BLUE PANTS BREWERY, We Care HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Zach Mayhall LISA’S LOUNGE, Ladies Night Karaoke w/ KJ Aubrey MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff music cont. on pg. 11 #021915031115 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 THE VALLEY PLANET music cont. from pg. 10 MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Open Mic MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke MVP SPIRTIS, Open Mic NICK’S RISTORANTE, Josh Allison THE FOYER, Open Mic VOODOO LOUNGE, Dr. Whateva Thursday, February 26 BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Dave Anderson BLUE PANTS BREWERY, Aaron Bradley D’LICOUS DINING (SEE AD PG.3), Karaoke FURNITURE FACTORY, Scott Morgan GUADALAJARA (DECATUR), Karaoke w/ DJ Jammin Jeff HICKORY HOUSE, Karaoke HIGHWAY HAVEN, Karaoke HOPPER’S, Karaoke w/ DJ Tara HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Mayhem MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Tyler MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke MVP SPIRTIS, Chris & Tommy NICK’S RISTORANTE, Gus Hergert PINCHI’S PLACE 2 (PRICEVILLE), Karaoke w/ Hit Master D SAMMY T’S, DJ Keibot and DJ Blin SPORTS PAGE, 5ive O’clock Charlie THE HOT SPOT, Bike Night w/ Live Music VOODOO LOUNGE, Open Mic Friday, February 27 AMERICAN LEGION POST 176, The Mersey Band BISHOP’S WEST, Karaoke w/ Hit Master D D’LICOUS DINING (SEE AD PG.3), Karaoke DIAMONDS (SEE AD PG.10), 347 EL HERRADURA, Edgar FURNITURE FACTORY, Relayer HARD DOCK CAFE (DECATUR), Whiskey Straight HICKORY HOUSE, Karaoke HIGHWAY HAVEN, Karaoke HOPPER’S, Groove HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Seducing Alice JUNO, Dave McConnell LEEANN’S, Big Daddy Kingfish LISA’S LOUNGE, Karaoke w Mac Lawrence LONE GOOSE, Permagroove MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Tres Locos MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke MVP SPIRTIS, Dawn Osborne Trio NICK’S RISTORANTE, Dave McConnell SAMMY T’S, DJ Keibot and DJ Blin STRAIGHT TO ALE, Alex Dietrich THE BRICK (DECATUR), Coal Rain THE HOT SPOT, Karaoke VOODOO LOUNGE, Rachel Kate (Nashville) Saturday, February 28 AMERICAN LEGION POST 176, Karaoke CD PUB, Karaoke w/ Hit Master D DIAMONDS (SEE AD PG.10), Crush FURNITURE FACTORY, FD/DC HARD DOCK CAFE (DECATUR), Unbroken HICKORY HOUSE, Karaoke HIGHWAY HAVEN, Karaoke HOPPER’S, Groove HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Sweet Tea Jubilee JEFFERSON STREET PUB, Larry Fleet LAS TROJAS, Edgar LEEANN’S, Tom Cat Bark the Dog LISA’S LOUNGE, Karaoke w Mike LONE GOOSE, Steady Rollers MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Mystery Twins MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke MVP SPIRTIS, Christian Lee SAMMY T’S, Chippendale’s THE BRICK (DECATUR), Plato Jones THE HOT SPOT, Horizon VOODOO LOUNGE, Lance Almon Smith Sunday, March 1 COTTON ROW, Sunday Brunch w/ Ken Watters & Keith Taylor EAGLES (DECATUR), Karaoke w/ Hit Master D LONE GOOSE, Sunday Night Blues Jam MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke THE VALLEY PLANET THE WELL CHURCH (PULASKI), Timothy Davis VOODOO LOUNGE, Karaoke w/ DJ Brandon Monday, March 2 BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Robby Eichman COPPERTOP, Karaoke w/ DJ Wes FURNITURE FACTORY, Open Jam w/ Andrew Johnson and Clay O’Dell MAC’S SPORTSBAR (ATHENS), Hitmaster D Karaoke MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke THE HOT SPOT, Ladies Night VOODOO LOUNGE, James Irvin Tuesday, March 3 BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Josh Allison FURNITURE FACTORY, Karaoke w/ Super Lou HOPPER’S, Karaoke w/ DJ Tara HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Aaron Bradley MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Karaoke w/ DJ Wes MOODY MONDAYS, Open Mic SPORTS PAGE, Chelvis and the Bean THE HOT SPOT, Karaoke VOODOO LOUNGE, Dave Anderson Wednesday, March 4 BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Microwave Dave BISHOP’S WEST, Karaoke w/ Hit Master D HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Tim Cannon LISA’S LOUNGE, Ladies Night Karaoke w/ KJ Aubrey MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Open Mic MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke MVP SPIRTIS, Open Mic NICK’S RISTORANTE, Josh Allison STRAIGHT TO ALE, Bluegrass Jam THE FOYER, Open Mic VOODOO LOUNGE, Dr. Whateva Presented by Valley Planet & Maggie Meyers, in cooperation with Singing River, Trim Tab, & Old Black Bear Breweries Maggie Meyers Marathon O' Mayhem & Merriment 5 days of St Paddy's Fun Corned Beef & Cabbage and other Traditional Irish Foods, Local Craft Beer & Irish Beer Specials, Drink Specials, T-shirts & Giveaways, Darts-Live! p u e n i the l rs astato v e D e th Jig rdue & p e li P S ntest y o C n i o r k T F c i , r s 13th al Lime Bagpipe Drag Show u n n t a A S ty 2nd 14th - Varie ic Comedy & ay n u S each d M s il 15th n a t e e p on - O cker Jacks Facebook for d 16th M a r es - Cr irishpub.com o u T h t s 17 meyer maggie Thursday, March 5 BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Dave Anderson D’LICOUS DINING (SEE AD PG.3), Karaoke FURNITURE FACTORY, Robby Eichman GUADALAJARA (DECATUR), Karaoke w/ DJ Jammin Jeff HICKORY HOUSE, Karaoke HIGHWAY HAVEN, Karaoke HOPPER’S, Karaoke w/ DJ Tara HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Cheryl Llewellyn MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MOE’S (PROVIDENCE), Drew Richter MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke PINCHI’S PLACE 2 (PRICEVILLE), Karaoke w/ Hit Master D SAMMY T’S, DJ Keibot and DJ Blin SPORTS PAGE, 5ive O’clock Charlie THE HOT SPOT, Bike Night w/ Live Music VOODOO LOUNGE, Open Mic Friday, March 6 AMERICAN LEGION POST 176, The Mersey Band BISHOP’S EAST, Blackbird BISHOP’S WEST, Karaoke w/ Hit Master D DIAMONDS (SEE AD PG.10), Space Donkeys EL HERRADURA, Edgar FURNITURE FACTORY, Duane Walker HICKORY HOUSE, Karaoke HIGHWAY HAVEN, Karaoke HOPPER’S, Emily Joseph Band HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Winslow Davis Ensemble LISA’S LOUNGE, Karaoke w Mac Lawrence MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke MVP SPIRTIS, Flux Capacitator Overdrive SAMMY T’S, DJ Keibot and DJ Blin THE HOT SPOT, Karaoke VOODOO LOUNGE, Chop Daddy Saturday, March 7 AMERICAN LEGION POST 176, Karaoke CD PUB, Karaoke w/ Hit Master D D’LICOUS DINING (SEE AD PG.3), Karaoke DIAMONDS (SEE AD PG.10), Black Label HICKORY HOUSE, Karaoke HIGHWAY HAVEN, Karaoke music cont. on pg. 12 #021915031115 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM 11 music cont. from pg. 11 HOPPER’S, Emily Joseph Band HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), 45 Surprise JEFFERSON STREET PUB, Wes Loper LAS TROJAS, Edgar LISA’S LOUNGE, Karaoke w Mike B MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Lost Dog MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke NICK’S RISTORANTE, Dave McConnell SAMMY T’S, DJ Keibot and DJ Blin THE HOT SPOT, Behind the Wire Sunday, March 8 COTTON ROW, Sunday Brunch w/ Ken Watters & Keith Taylor EAGLES (DECATUR), Karaoke w/ Hit Master D LONE GOOSE, Sunday Night Blues Jam MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Slip Jig MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke VOODOO LOUNGE, Karaoke w/ DJ Brandon Monday, March 9 BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Robby Eichman COPPERTOP, Karaoke with DJ Wes MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke THE HOT SPOT, Ladies Night VOODOO LOUNGE, Cheryl Llewllyn Tuesday, March 10 BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Josh Allison HOPPER’S, Karaoke w/ DJ Tara HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Winslow Davis MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Karaoke w/ DJ Wes MOODY MONDAYS, Open Mic SPORTS PAGE, Chelvis and the Bean THE HOT SPOT, Karaoke VOODOO LOUNGE, Dave Anderson Wednesday, March 11 BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Microwave Dave BISHOP’S WEST, Karaoke w/ Hit Master D HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Mike Slaten LISA’S LOUNGE, Ladies Night Karaoke w/ KJ Aubrey 12 MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Open Mic MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke NICK’S RISTORANTE, Josh Allison THE FOYER, Open Mic VOODOO LOUNGE, Dr. Whateva Thursday, March 12 11TH FRAME, Hawthorne Heights BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Dave Anderson D’LICOUS DINING (SEE AD PG.3), Karaoke GUADALAJARA (DECATUR), Karaoke w/ DJ Jammin Jeff HICKORY HOUSE, Karaoke HIGHWAY HAVEN, Karaoke HOPPER’S, Karaoke w/ DJ Tara HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), George Scherer MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke PINCHI’S PLACE 2 (PRICEVILLE), Karaoke w/ Hit Master D SAMMY T’S, DJ Keibot and DJ Blin THE HOT SPOT, Bike Night w/ Live Music VOODOO LOUNGE, Open Mic Friday, March 13 AMERICAN LEGION POST 176, The Mersey Band BISHOP’S WEST, Karaoke w/ Hit Master D DIAMONDS (SEE AD PG.10), Big Daddy Kingfish EL HERRADURA, Edgar HICKORY HOUSE, Karaoke HIGHWAY HAVEN, Karaoke HOPPER’S, Kozmic Mama HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), CBDB Album Release Party LISA’S LOUNGE, Karaoke w Mac Lawrence MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Slip Jig MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke MVP SPIRTIS, Christian Lee SAMMY T’S, DJ Keibot and DJ Blin THE HOT SPOT, Karaoke VOODOO LOUNGE, Dawn Osborne WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM Saturday, March 14 AMERICAN LEGION POST 176, Karaoke BANDITO SOUTHSIDE, Dave Anderson CD PUB, Karaoke w/ Hit Master D DIAMONDS (SEE AD PG.10), St. Patty’s Day Party w/ Wet Bandits HICKORY HOUSE, Karaoke HIGHWAY HAVEN, Karaoke HOPPER’S, Kozmic Mama HUMPHREY’S (SEE AD PG.10), Winslow Davis, Chelvis &the Bean, Chris Stalcup Trio, The Beasley Brothers LAS TROJAS, Edgar LISA’S LOUNGE, Karaoke w Mike B MADISON STATION BAR & GRILL, Karaoke w/ Jim McGriff MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Chris Conway bagpipes, Tony Perdue & The Devastators MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke NICK’S RISTORANTE, Dave McConnell SAMMY T’S, DJ Keibot and DJ Blin STRAIGHT TO ALE, St. Patty’s Day Celebration w/ Bourbon & Shamrocks THE HOT SPOT, Buck Sixx VOODOO LOUNGE, Ant & Andrew Sharp Sunday, March 15 COTTON ROW, Sunday Brunch w/ Ken Watters & Keith Taylor EAGLES (DECATUR), Karaoke w/ Hit Master D LONE GOOSE, Sunday Night Blues Jam MAGGIE MEYER’S (SEE AD PG.11), Variety Drag Show MOODY MONDAYS, Karaoke VOODOO LOUNGE, Karaoke w/ DJ Brandon ATLANTA February 19, Maroon Five, Philips Arena February 21, Charlie Wilson w/ Kem, Philips Arena February 21. Tinsley Ellis, Variety Playhouse February 26, Sojo, Masquerade February 26, The Punch Brothers, The Tabernacle February 26, Future Islands, Variety Playhouse February 27, Lights, Masquerade February 27, Willie Nelson, Variety Playhouse February 28, Corey Smith, Variety Playhouse February 28, Billy Joel, Philips Arena March 7, Bush, Variety Playhouse March 9, Fifth Harmony, Buckhead Theatre March 10, Hozier, Variety Playhouse March 13, Hozier, The Tabernacle March 13, John Mellencamp, Fox Theatre BIRMINGHAM February 22, Charlie Wilson w/ Kem, Legacy Arena at BJCC February 24, Jason Aldean, Bancorp South Arena March 6, Little Big Town, BJCC Concert Hall March 7, Gladys Knight, BJCC Concert Hall March 12, John Mellencamp, BJCC Concert Hall March 15, Santana, BJCC Concert Hall HUNTSVILLE February 23, Gordon Lightfoot, VBC Concert Hall March 4, Elton John, VBC Propst Arena NASHVILLE February 21, Jason Aldean, Bridgestone Arena February 27, Maroon 5, Bridgestone Arena February 27, Punch Brothers, Ryman Auditorium March 1, Lights, Rocktown Main Building, March 1, Chris Brown, Bridgestone Arena March 3 – 4, Willie Nelson, Ryman Auditorium March 8, Hound Mouth, Twin Limb, 3rd and Lindsey March 11, Santana, Ryman Auditorium March 14, Hozier, Ryman Auditorium March 14, Catfish & the Bottleman, The High Wyatt the end!! History Made in Alabama! Legal Same Sex Marriages Held in Big Spring Park! #021915031115 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 THE VALLEY PLANET CALENDAR OF EVENTS Thursday, February 19 The North Alabama Center for Educational Excellence will be offering help to find money for college during February and March which are designated as Financial Aid Awareness Months. The centers will be open Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm and Saturdays 9am - 1pm. www.nacee.net, 256-372-4600. Alabama Center for the Arts will host a showing of work by Artist Michael Liu, Paper and Portraits on display now through February 25. The Weeden House will have the exhibit, “A Century of Fashions and Wedding Gowns” on display now through February 28th daily except Mondays. https://weedenhousemuseum.com. The Monrovia Masterminds Science Club will meet at 4pm for Kids in grades 2-5 to explore potential and kinetic energy at the Monrovia Branch Library. Free. 256-489-3392. The UAH Office of Multicultural Affairs Annual Black History Month Luncheon will be celebrating 25 years featuring the melodic voices of 8VALuation at the UAH Shelby Center, Room 301. $12. 256-824-2332 There will be a Music Forum from the Constellation Concert Series at 9:35am in Roberts Recital Hall at UAH. $10 and free for students. www.uah.edu. The US Space and Rocket Center will have The Exhibit: 101 Inventions That Changed the World now through March 15. 256-837-3400. Carnegie Visual Arts will have the exhibit Photographs of North Alabama on display through March 7. www.carnegiearts.org. The Huntsville Botanical Gardens will show the work of William Thomas through April 15. www.hsvbg.org. The Alabama Master Gardener Volunteer program will meet every Thursday through April 30th. The meetings will be at the Tennessee Valley Research and Extension Center two miles north of Belle Mina. www.mginfo.org. The Huntsville Museum of Art will have the exhibits, Grandma Moses: Visions of America through March 1, and Rembrandt, Rubens, Gainsborough & The Golden Age of Painting in Europe now through April 26th. www.hsvmuseum.org. The Shirts-n-Skirts square dance club will have dancing on the 1st & 3rd Thursdays at the Dance Factory on Freeman Ave. then on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays at the Athens Recreation Center on Hwy 31. 256-423-4141, www.shirts-n-skirts.com. Call for entries begin now for Decatur’s Princess Theatre 5th Annual River City Film Festival held April 10 - 11. 256-350-1745 x 301, www.facebook.com, rivercityfilmfestival. Thursday Night Swing will be at the Flying Monkey Theatre from 6:30 – 10pm (every Thursday.) www. flyingmonkeyarts.org, www.huntsvilleswing.com. Duos and Solos Square Dance Club will be offering lessons to couples and singles every Thursday at 6:30pm at the Tom Bevill Enrichment Center in Rainsville, AL. www.duosandsolos.com. Harmony Park Animal Safari will have self-guided tours daily 10am until sundown. 877-726-4625. 431 Clouds Cove Rd. $8 A Sweet Obsession: Antique Chocolate Molds will be on display now through March 1 at Burritt on the Mountain. www.burrittonthemountain.com. The Community Cinema: American Denial will be from 7 - 9pm in the Film Co-op Studio 251 of the Flying Monkey Arts. Free. www.flyingmonkeyarts.org. The Huntsville Havoc vs. Columbus will be at 7:30pm at the VBC Propst Arena. The Madison Chamber of Commerce Monthly Luncheon will be from 11:30 am - 1pm at the Best Western Plus in Madison February 19 – 22 The Whole Backstage presents Whodunit the Musical by Ed Dixo at 7pm except Sunday it will be at 2pm. $18 for adults and $16 for students. www.thewholebackstage.com. Friday, February 20 Dance Rocket City Dance Party will be every Friday from 8 – 10pm at 2614 Artie Street. Dance is $10; lesson is $5/10. www.dancerocketcity.com. The UAH Faculty Recital will be at Roberts Recital Hall at 7:30pm. www.uah.edu. Alright Bayou Comedy is a standup comedy show every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Friday, at 8pm at Tim’s Cajun Kitchen. $5. THE VALLEY PLANET The Lost and Found Farewell Tour Concert will be at the All Saints Lutheran Church, 12100 Bailey Cove Road at 7pm. Free. www.aslc-elca.org. There will be a Teacher Professional Development Workshop with Dori DeCamillis at the Huntsville Museum of Art from 8am - 3pm. www.hsvmuseum.org. Maggie Meyer’s Irish Pub will have Trivia Night every Thursday.www.maggiemeyersirishpub.com. (See ad pg.11) February 20 – 21 UAHuntsville Chargers Hockey vs. Ferris State will be at 7pm at the VBC Propst Arena. February 20 – 22 The Play, Aesop’s Foibles, will be at the VBC Playhouse. Performance times are Friday and Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 1:30 and 5pm. http:// www.letthemagicbegin.org. Lyrique Music Productions presents The Odd Couple at the Renaissance Theatre. Performance times are Friday at 7pm and Saturday and Sunday at 2pm and 7pm. www.renaissancetheatre.net. $r m E ‘ Fix fo 5 Saturday, February 21 The Artist Market will be every Saturday from 12 – 4pm at the Flying Monkey. Free. www.flyingmonkeyarts.org. A New Leash on Life will have dogs and cats available for adoption every Saturday from 12 – 4pm at Pet Smart on Carl T. Jones. www.anewleash.org. in Live 0? 3581 ur o Fix y g Do Publisher Steve Gierhart of Ardent Writer Press will be at the meeting of the National League of American Pen Women- Huntsville Chapter. The meeting starts at 9:45 am at the Garden Room of First Christian Church. www.facebook.com/NLAPWHUNTSVILLEBRANCH. 5 The 6th Annual Wounded Warrior 5K will be at McGucken Park at 8am. http://grissomjrotcwoundedwarrior5k.com. $ ONLY The Rocket City Weather Fest will be at the UAH Shelby Center from 10am - 4pm. Free. www.rocketcityweatherfest.com. 35810 The “Impact of Racial Stereotypes in America” discussion group will meet at the Bessie K. Russell Library at 2pm. Free. 256-859-9050. and dogs welcome - $15) will be at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens from 12 - 1pm. www.hsvbg.org. The Spaces Sculpture Trail Walking Tour will be from 10am - noon at Alabama A&M University, park at the Morrison Building. Free. www.spacessculpturetrail.org. Georgia Bottoms: A Comic Opera of the Modern South presented by Huntsville Symphony Orchestra will be from 7:30 – 9:30pm at the VBC Concert Hall. www.hso.org. Art 21 Screening & People’s Studio will be from 1 3:30pm in the Flying Monkey Arts. Free. Also offered March 7th. www.flyingmonkeyarts.org. Mensa Kids Trek 27th Annual Young Inventors Day will be at the Huntsville-Madison Library from 2 4pm. www.hmcpl.org. There will be a 2015 Skate-a-thon from 10 - 11:30am at Skate Odyssey. Dixie Derby Girls and RAD Juniors will be hosting this event. All proceeds benefit SNAP. $3. The Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball will be at Joe Wheeler State Park, 4403 McLean Drive, Rogersville, AL. Packages available for Saturday night, $99 256-247-5461. There will be a Planetarium Show every Saturday night at 7:30pm at the Planetarium. www.vbas.org. There will be a Maslenitsa Spring Festival at James Clemens High School at 10am. Can’t Afford Cable Presents: Clockwork Comedy at 8pm at Prototype Multimedia in Lowe Mill. www.lowemill.net. There will be a Contra Dance in the gym of Faith Presbyterian Church with live music by David Coe & friends and calling by Matt Hawkins. 7:30 - 10:30pm. Lessons begin at 7pm. $8 and $6 for students. 256837-0656, http://www.secontra.com. Picking and Grinning will be every Saturday from 6 – 9pm at the New Hope Senior Center on Church Street. 256- 723-2208. The Downtown Dish historical walking tour through the streets and neighborhoods of downtown Huntsville will be every Saturday. www.huntsvillefoodtours.com. The Huntsville Botanical Gardens will have the exhibit William Thomas now through February 28th. www.hsvbg.org. HBCU College Fair will be at Union Chapel MBC Family Life Center, 315 Winchester Road, from 10am - 1pm. www.huntsvilleurbannetwork.com. In celebration of the new novel The Hotel Monte Sano by Charles Farley, The Land Trust of North Alabama will have the first of three interpretive hikes. Hike 1The Hotel Loop meets at the Little Green Store; hike is from 1- 2pm. landtrustnal.org. Drop-In and Create! A Golden Day of Hatmaking will be at the Huntsville Museum of Art from 11am - 1pm. Free. www.hsvmuseum.org. The Race for Top Dog begins at 8am (humans only - $20) and 1-mile Doggie Dash Fun Run (humans #021915031115 Free Rabies Shot with surgery 256-830-8459 Burritt on the Mountain will have a Free Day with no admission charge from 10am - 4pm. www.burrittonthemountain.com. The UAH Music Department and the Alabama Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society presents A Day of Percussion from 9am - 5pm in Roberts Recital Hall. www.uah.edu. Everyner w Dog 3O5810 in ifies! Qual No e n I cotmions ! ic Restr There will be a Kids Art Class from 1 - 2pm in Denise Onwere’s Studio 314 of Lowe Mill. $75 Admission. It will be offered every Saturday through March 15th. www.lowemill.net. Sunday, February 22 The Film Co-op Monthly Workshop will meet from 2 - 4pm in the Film Co-op Studio 251 of the Flying Monkey Theatre from 2 - 4pm. Free. www.flyingmonkeyart.org. All-Stars “House Band” from 4 - 7pm at 2020 Country Club Avenue in Huntsville. $5. www.tvjs.com, 256604-8172. Monday, February 23 There will be a Monday Night Women’s Ride (every Monday) at 5:30pm. Meet at the MSSP Biker’s Parking Lot. 256-585-0905. Your Yoga with Casey Beginner’s class will be in studio # 258 at Lowe Mill. Fee. It will be every Monday from 6 - 7pm. [email protected]. www.lowemill.net. Maggie Meyer’s will have Comedy Open Mic Night, hosted by Matthew Tate every Monday at 8pm. www.maggiemeyersirishpub.com. (See ad pg.11) Live Trivia will be every Monday at Straight to Ale Brewery. www.straighttoale.com. The Huntsville Photographic Society Competition, “America the Beautiful” will be at the HuntsvilleMadison Library from 7 - 8:50pm. www.hsvbg.org. An Evening with Gordon Lightfoot will be at the VBC Concert Hall at 8pm. Tuesday, February 24 Zumba Fitness will be every Tuesday from 5 – 6pm in the Athens State University Sandridge Student Center. Fee. 256- 749-5485. Games Night with Pinball Tournament will be every Tuesday from 6 - 9:30pm at Straight to Ale Brewery. www.straighttoale.com. The HAM Radio Club meets every Sunday from 2 4pm at First Baptist Church (Governor’s Drive) in the Library. www.fbchsv.org. The Student Senior Recital with Adam O’Boyle, piano will be at 7:30pm at Roberts Recital Hall. www.uah.edu. There will be a Lecture: U.S. Army Units Composed Solely of Black Soldiers, at the Huntsville -Madison Library. Free. www.hmcpl.org. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center will have Senior Appreciation Series every Tuesday for guests ages 55 and up through February. Seniors get a discounted museum admission price of $11. 256- 721-7140. Learn how to get your garden ready for spring on from 2 - 4pm at the Huntsville-Madison Library. Free. www.hmcpl.org, 256-532-2362. Steve Waldrip will be in concert at the Cowboy Church of Marshall County, 100 Carroll Street in Albertville at 10am. http://stevewaldrip.org, 256-572-6055. Alabama A&M University WJAB 90.9, Tennessee Valley Jazz Society, Focus Live Martini Bar & Grill present Talking All That Jazz with The Tennessee Valley Jazz VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 The Voices of Hope will present a program of civil rights songs and African-American spirituals at 6pm in the Atrium of the downtown Huntsville-Madison Library. Free. 256-532-5975, www. hmcpl.org. Wednesday, February 25 Every Wednesday there will be a Bike Ride at 5:30pm starting at Bicycles Etc. www.bicyclesetc.us. events cont. on pg. 14 WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM 13 events cont. from pg. 13 The Beginners Melt and Pour Soap Class will be from 6 - 8pm at the T - n- T Treasures Studio 266 of the Flying Monkey Arts. $42 Admission. It will also be offered on March 4th, March 7th and 14th. 412-3786896, www.flyingmonkeyarts.org. For Michael – The Music of Michael Jackson presented by Huntsville Symphony Orchestra will be from 7:30 – 9:30pm at the VBC Concert Hall. www.hso.org. Comedy Open Mic Night will be every Wednesday at Copper Top in Huntsville. 256 -536-1150. The Huntsville Museum of Art will have the exhibit, Dori DeCamillis opening now through June 14th. www.hsvmuseum.org. The UAH Spring 10K Road Race will be at 2pm at the UAHuntsville Fitness Center 301 Sparkman Drive. Learn about African-American inventors through hands-on activities, crafts, and more at Inventor Celebration Stations in the Youth Services Department of the downtown Huntsville-Madison Library from 2:30 - 4:30pm. www.hmcpl.org, 256-532-5982. The Huntsville-Madison County Public Library presents “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline as the featured book for Madison County Reads 2015. Throughout March, all 12 library branches will celebrate the ’80s with games, movies, lectures, and more.www.hmcpl.org. Thursday, February 26 The UAH Art & Art History and Humanities Center presentation “Southern Sounds: Recontextualization of Typography, Music and Cultural History in the Creative Process” will be at UAH Wilson Hall Theatre (first floor) at 7pm. Free. www.uah.edu. The Huntsville Museum of Art will have a Gallery Walk with Encounters Artist Dori DeCamillis at 2pm with a reception following. www.hsvmuseum.org. The Entrepreneur Forum- Business Startups and Growing Small Businesses will be from 5 - 7pm upstairs at Amendment XXI. Register in advance. https://hsvchamber.chambermaster.com. The Rocket City Black Rodeo: Live and ‘N Color will be at the Alabama A&M Agribition Center at 8pm. 256-859-5896. Friday, February 27 The Paranormal Study Center will have a presentation by Gene Skaggs, “Using Psych-K for Self-healing”. It will be at Hilton Garden Inn, Governor’s House Drive from 6:30 - 9:00pm. $10. www.parapsychologystudygroup.com. There will be an Advance Technique Soap Making from 6 - 8:30pm in the T-nT Treasures Studio 261 of the Flying Monkey Arts. $15. Also offered March 6th. www.flyingmonkeyarts.org. The Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Psi Alpha Zeta Chapter presents a “Natural Hair Workshop: Part 3” feat stylist Tawanna Hester from “Styles by Tawanna” will be at the Reserves Clubhouse, 116 Natures Way from 3 5pm. $20. [email protected]. The Film Co-op Monthly Workshop will be from 2 - 4pm in the Film Co-op Studio 251 of the Flying Monkey Arts. Free. www.flyingmonkeyarts.org. Tuesday, March 3 There will be live trivia at Straight to Ale at 7pm. www.straighttoale.com. Homegrown Huntsville Twosday (Demo + Tasting) will be at Humphrey’s Bar and Grill from 6 - 8pm. 256-850-3231. The Nature Explorers’ will be at Hays Nature Preserve from 2 – 3pm. Free. www.natureexplore.org. Wednesday, March 4 The Huntsville Museum of Art will have a GALA Luncheon with featured artist, Dean L. Mitchell at 11:30am. www.hsvmuseum.org. The 4th Annual Medi Gras Bash will be at the Jackson Center from 6 - 10pm. http://huntsvillehospitalfoundation.org. Thursday, March 5 The Huntsville Museum of Art will have a GALA Black Tie Dinner and Live Auction will be at 6pm. www.hsvmuseum.org. The Black History Storytelling Time for Kids with guest presenter Tierney Malone will be from 4 - 5pm at Lowe Mill. Free. www.uah.edu, www.lowemill.net. TEDx Salon: Space Exploration viewing/discussions of pre-recorded TED talks will be at 7pm at Straight to Ale. www.straighttoale.com. February 27 -28 The UAH Chargers vs. Alaska Hockey Game will be at the VBC Propst Arena from 7 - 9:15pm. www.uahchargers.com. March 5 - 7 The Polk Sallet Follies Annual Dinner Show will be at the Limestone County Council on Aging Senior Center, 912 West Pryor Street in Athens. Reservations $35. www.pokesalletfollies.org The Rocket City Black Rodeo will be at the Alabama A&M Agribition Center, 4925 Moores Mill Road at 7:30pm. Doors open at 6pm. There will be a family-friendly African Sunset Plains Art Class at 11am at the Bessie K. Russell Branch of the Huntsville-Madison Library. Free. 256-859-9050, www.hmcpl.org. The Alabama Fashion Alliance announces Lifetime’s Project Runway’s Sandhya Garg as headlining designer for its 5th Fashion Week Alabama. All Fashion Week events will take place at the DesignLab, located on the second floor of the historic Lincoln Mills, 1300 Meridian Street. www.afa.ticketleap.com. February 27 – March 1 The Play, Aesop’s Foibles, will be at the VBC Playhouse on Friday and Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 1:30 and 5pm. http://www.letthemagicbegin.org. Friday, March 6 The 17th Annual UCP “An Irish Evening” will be at The Depot Roundhouse. United Cerebral Palsy of Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley will have a night of Irish-inspired fun from 6 - 10pm. $25. ucphuntsville.org. There will be a Focus on Nature Photography Workshop at Joe Wheeler State Park. The photographer’s weekend will have field trips and seminars. Packages start at $249.00 and include room for Friday and Saturday nights. 256-247-5461. The American Association of University Women Huntsville Branch hosts its annual Breaking Through Barriers Luncheon from 11:30am - 1pm, at the Jackson Conference Center. $45 http://huntsville-al.aauw.net. Saturday, February 28 The Hospice of Limestone County Chili Challenge and Silent Auction will be at Athens High School. 256-232-5017. Jim Parker’s Songwriters Series will be at the VBC Playhouse at 6:30pm. jimparkermusic.com. The Paper Chase Race will be at Constitution Village from 8 - 10am. www.free-2-teach.org. There will be a Black History Emphasis with Special Guest: Sybrina Fulton (mother of Trayvon Martin) and the Central State (Ohio) University Choir at Oakwood University Church. www.oucsda.org. The 20th Annual Storytelling Festival: “Tell Me A Story” will be at Trinity United Methodist Church at 10am, 2pm, and 7pm. $15 256-883-3200. That Game Show Thing comedy quiz show will be at 8pm at Prototype Studios at Lowe Mill. $8. www.lowemill.net. #021915031115 Sunday, March 1 The Huntsville Museum of Art will have a docent-led tour of Grandma Moses: Visions of America from 1 - 1:45pm. www.hsvmuseum.org. The Beloved Books and Gallery Studio 257 will have From Mess to Mindfulness: Beginning Journaling from 6:30 - 8pm. $120. Also be offered March 4th. www.lowemill.net. Printmaking in the Classroom will be from 6 - 8pm at the Green Pea Press Studio 122 of Lowe Mill. $40. www.lowemill.net. WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM The Spring into Summer Activities Fair will be at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration from 10am 3pm. www.rocketcenter.com. West Coast Swing in the Rocket City presented by Rocket Westies will be at Lowe Mill – Flying Monkey Arts Theater every Tuesday at 7pm. $10. www.lowemill.net. The Singles & Doubles Square Dance Club will meet each Wednesday night at Berachah Gym located at 3011 Sparkman Drive from 6 – 8:45pm. 256-8815720. 14 The Family Egg Drop Challenge will be at Sci-Quest Hands-On-Science Center from 10am - 4pm. www.sciquest.org. VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 March 6 – 7 The Monster Jam Truck Show will be in the VBC Arena at 7:30pm Friday and 2pm and 7:30pm Saturday. Tickets start at $27. www.ticketmaster.com, 800-745-3000. (See ad pg.10) March 6 - 8 Tarzan the Stage Musical will be at Grissom High School Auditorium at 7:30pm and on Sundays at 2pm. www.grissomtheatre.org. The Broadway Theatre League presents Peter and the Star Catcher, A Grownup’s Prequel to Peter Pan, will be at the VBC Concert Hall at 8pm. Tickets start at $17. www.broadwaytheatreleague.org. events cont. on pg. 16 THE VALLEY PLANET FREE WILL ASTROLOGY February 19 - March 11 © Copyright 2015 Rob Brezsny ARIES (March 21-April 19): There are many different facets to your intelligence, and each matures at a different rate. So for example, your ability to think symbolically may evolve more slowly than your ability to think abstractly. Your wisdom about why humans act the way they do may ripen more rapidly than your insight into your own emotions. In the coming weeks, I expect one particular aspect of your intelligence to be undergoing a growth spurt: your knowledge of what your body needs and how to give it what it needs. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): What is the proper blend for you these days? Is it something like 51 percent pleasure and 49 percent business? Or would you be wiser to shoot for 49 percent pleasure and 51 percent business? I will leave that decision up to you, Taurus. Whichever way you go, I suggest that you try to interweave business and pleasure as often as possible. You are in one of those action-packed phases when fun dovetails really well with ambition. I’m guessing that you can make productive connections at parties. I’m betting that you can spice up your social life by taking advantage of what comes to you through your work. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1900, the world’s most renowned mathematicians met at a conference in Paris. There the German whiz David Hilbert introduced his master list of 23 unsolved mathematical problems. At the time, no one had done such an exhaustive inventory. His well-defined challenge set the agenda for math research throughout the 20th century. Today he’s regarded as an influential visionary. I’d love to see you come up with a list of your own top unsolved problems, Gemini. You now have extra insight about the catalytic projects you will be smart to work on and play with during the coming years. CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Spanipelagic” is an adjective scientists use to describe creatures that typically hang out in deep water but float up to the surface on rare occasions. The term is not a perfect metaphorical fit for you, since you come up for air more often than that. But you do go through phases when you’re inclined to linger for a long time in the abyss, enjoying the dark mysteries and fathomless emotions. According to my reading of the astrological omens, that’s what you’ve been doing lately. Any day now, however, I expect you’ll be rising up from the Great Down Below and headed topside for an extended stay. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): When faced with a big decision, you might say you want to “sleep on it.” In other words, you postpone your final determination until you gather more information and ripen your understanding of the pressing issues. And that could indeed involve getting a good night’s sleep. What happens in your dreams may reveal nuances you can’t pry loose with your waking consciousness alone. And even if you don’t recall your dreams, your sleeping mind is busy processing and reworking the possibilities. I recommend that you make liberal use of the “sleep on it” approach in the coming weeks, Leo. Revel in the wisdom that wells up in you as you’re lying down in the dark. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In 1962, Edward Albee published his play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? It won numerous awards and is still performed by modern theater groups. Albee says the title came to him as he was having a beer at a bar in New York City. When he went to the restroom, he spied the words “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” scrawled in soap on the mirror. I urge you to be alert for that kind of inspiration in the coming days, Virgo: unexpected, provocative, and out of context. You never know when and where you may be furnished with clues about the next plot twist of your life story. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Edward III, a medieval English king, had a favorite poet: Geoffrey Chaucer. In 1374, the king promised Chaucer a big gift in appreciation for his talents: a gallon of wine every day for the rest of his life. That’s THE VALLEY PLANET not the endowment I would have wanted if I had been Chaucer. I’d never get any work done if I were quaffing 16 glasses of wine every 24 hours. Couldn’t I instead be provided with a regular stipend? Keep this story in mind, Libra, as you contemplate the benefits or rewards that might become available to you. Ask for what you really need, not necessarily what the giver initially offers. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): To make the cocktail known as Sex on the Beach, you mix together cranberry juice, orange juice, pineapple juice, peach schnapps, and vodka. There is also an alternative “mocktail” called Safe Sex on the Beach. It has the same fruit juices, but no alcohol. Given the likelihood that your inner teenager will be playing an important role in your upcoming adventures, Scorpio, I recommend that you favor the Safe-Sex-on-the-Beach metaphor rather than the Sex-on-the-Beach approach. At least temporarily, it’s best to show a bit of protective restraint toward the wild and sometimes erratic juvenile energy that’s pushing to be expressed. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In Herman Melville’s short story “Bartleby, the Scrivener,” a lawyer hires a man named Bartleby to work in his office. At first Bartleby is a model employee, carrying out his assignments with dogged skill. But one day everything begins to change. Whenever his boss instructs him to do a specific task, Bartleby says, “I would prefer not to.” As the days go by, he does less and less, until finally he stops altogether. I’d like to propose, Sagittarius, that you take inspiration from his slowdown. Haven’t you done enough for now? Haven’t you been exemplary in your commitment to the daily struggle? Don’t you deserve a break in the action so you can recharge your psychospiritual batteries? I say yes. Maybe you will consider making this your battle cry: “I would prefer not to.” CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.” That’s what American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson advised. Even if you’re not naturally inclined to see the potential wisdom of that approach, I invite you to play around with it for the next three weeks. You don’t need to do it forever. It doesn’t have to become a permanent fixture in your philosophy. Just for now, experiment with the possibility that trying lots of experiments will lead you not just to new truths, but to new truths that are fun, interesting, and useful. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The art of the French Aquarian painter Armand Guillaumin (1841-1927) appears in prestigious museums. He isn’t as famous as his fellow Impressionists Paul Cézanne and Camille Pissarro, but he wielded a big influence on them both. His career developed slowly because he had to work a day job to earn a living. When he was 50 years old, he won a wad of free money in the national lottery, and thereafter devoted himself full-time to painting. I’m not saying you will enjoy a windfall like that anytime soon, Aquarius, but such an event is possible. At the very least, your income could rise. Your odds of experiencing financial luck will increase to the degree that you work to improve the best gifts you have to offer your fellow humans. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “It isn’t normal to know what we want,” said pioneering psychologist Abraham Maslow. “It is a rare and difficult psychological achievement.” That’s the bad news, Pisces. The good news is that you may be on the verge of rendering that theory irrelevant. In the coming weeks, you will be better primed to discover what you really want than you have been in a long time. I suggest you do a ritual in which you vow to unmask this treasured secret. Write a formal statement in which you declare your intention to achieve full understanding of the reasons you are alive on this planet. On The Lam 4 by Shawn Bailey S o after weeks of searing heat inside my canvas oven, I decide to find a hotel for a week. I’ll treat myself and enjoy a real bed and air conditioning. The first hotel I go to is a known chain, just off the interstate. It takes 45 minutes to check in because there are people in front of me and they’re slow. Then he takes me to the room and I notice one small problem. The floor is moving. Since I haven’t been drinking, this disturbs me. It’s ants. And there’s something on the bed covers we can’t quite classify. Was it once alive? Not sure. So he apologizes and retrieves another key. The next room has hairs on the pillow and again, some kind of miniature husks on the cover. Abandoned insect armor? I ask for my money back and eventually get it. Two hours of my life gone. At another hotel, I ask to see the room before I pay. When we enter the room, I lift the corner of the bed and then pull a pillow back. The young girl panics and tells me I can’t do that. I say, do what? Pull the covers back? She says yes. I say why? She says because the cleaning crew has already left and there’s no one to fix the beds back. I look over at the pillow that I have turned over and turn it back over, settling the chaos I have just caused. I notice again that there is hair on the pillow. A pattern is developing. The next hotel is a weekly one. The initial price doesn’t sound too exorbitant, but it turns out there’s a fee for everything. Internet, extra. Bath towels, extra. The ability to flush one’s toilet, extra. The price is soon over the $300 mark. After a myriad of failed attempts, I finally find a hotel in a good location for a decent price. When I look at the room, it’s got a 42″ TV. Nice. I finally hand over my money. Then they immediately give me another room. The one in the back corner. Down the short, dark rape corridor. The bathroom sink has no counter. No problem. I can juggle. The curtains (and the window faces the road) don’t come together. I have to use my chip clips to seal them. But I have an air conditioner. I am cool for the night. Maybe too cool. In my exuberance at being able to play God with my climate, I turned the control too far and wake up an icicle. From this point, I will gradually decline in health over the next 3 weeks until I am forced to go the doctor. Also, during the night, I wake up and there’s a heavy smell of old people in my room. Creepy. A few weeks later, I come back and enter the room to find a small roach on the cover. I kill it and think nothing of it, because this creepy corner room is not sealed as well as the other rooms, and I have seen at least one type of insect every night. No roaches, though. I’m on my way to work the next day when I see these huge pimple/bite marks on my forearm. Three raised whiteheads all together. I really don’t know what they are. That night I ask the owner for new sheets. He looks at me like I’m crazy. I show him the marks on my arm. He says they’re not going to change them, but I can bring the sheets and he’ll wash them and give them back to me. I say, “You don’t have sheets you can just hand me when I give you mine?” Because I have an aversion to these sheets, and at this point in time, I can tell this cheapskate is probably going to throw them in a dryer for 3 minutes and hand them back to me. He stares again like I’m the crazy one and shakes his head. Okay, he seems to be saying, if you want to make sense, let’s just do it then. So I bring my sheets and blanket to him. As I’m handing it over, he stops again and just stares at me. I’m the insane one again. What’s wrong with the blanket, he says. To be clear, he is asking me why I have decided to return the blanket and not just the sheets. He will now have to wash an extra piece of linen. I am too dumbfounded to answer at first. Then I explain again about the bug and show him my arm. He shakes his head again. The logic is too much for him. Yet a few weeks later, this hotel being the only one in the city without excess hair and bugs, I return for more punishment. Asking for a few small hand-rags is met with wide eyes and disapproval. A few? He says. They cost money to wash, he says. He will give me two, he says. I want to tell him that technically two rags are only one short of a few rags, but I hold back. Later, I begin to ask his wife something and notice she’s shaking her head almost, but not quite, imperceptibly back and forth in the ‘No’ direction. I haven’t even asked my question yet, but the answer is already no, her brow wrinkled in distrust and proactive irritation. I strike up a conversation with the owner/husband later and find out that there was once a guy who was working down here like me. He lived in the hotel for some time. A few years. More than two. And then he had medical problems and died. I think of the smell in my room when I awoke the other night. Now it takes me a little longer to go to sleep in that room. My goal: To find a hotel not run by crazy people and infested with insects and ghosts. Do they exist? Homework: Where in your life do you push harder than is healthy? Where do you not push hard enough? Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com. #021915031115 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM 15 Sunday, March 8 The Huntsville Museum of Art will have Art Comes to Life with Randolph School Theatre at 2pm. www. hsvmuseum.org. The Huntsville-Madison County Historical Society will meet at 2 pm, at the Huntsville-Madison Library Free. 256- 509-3940. The Spelman Jazz Ensemble Concert, sponsored by the Huntsville Alumnae Chapter of National Alumnae Association of Spelman College, will be at the Marriott Hotel at 5pm. www.huntsvilleurbannetwork.com. Monday, March 9 The Elk River Canoe and Kayak Trail Cleanup Buck Island Boat Ramp will be today. 256-233-8728, [email protected]. Tuesday, March 10 The ABC’s of Domestic Violence Class will be at the Center for Lifelong Learning 121 South Marion Street, Athens. $30. 256-233-8185, www.myathens. net/web/abcs-domestic-violence. Paul’s Letters to the Philippians Class will be at the Center for Lifelong Learning Conference Room, 121 South Marion Street, Athens from 6:30 - 8pm. $10. athens.edu/cll/personal-interest. There will be a Lunch ‘n’ Learn Workshop on Vegetables: “Time to Start a Vegetable Garden, Seeds, and Buying Plants,” at Dublin Park from 11:30am - 12:30pm. Free. www.mginfo.org. Wednesday, March 11 The Business of Art will be from 12:30 - 1:30pm in Classroom 2008 of Lowe Mill., $20. www.lowemill.net. Alabama Arts Advocacy Day! Show Alabama’s policy makers that the arts matter to the citizens of the state, and to elicit active support for arts funding across the state at Embassy Suites in Montgomery. www.alaae.org. Kellye McCormick, Owner March 11 - 22 UAH Theatre presents “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” in Chan Auditorium on the UAH Campus. $15. 256824-6871, www.edu/theatre. Master Esthetician Licensed Barber Thursday, March 12 The TN Valley Civil War Round Table will have Dr. Glenn LaFantasie of Western Kentucky University, “Gettysburg Requiem: The Life and Lost Causes of Confederate Colonel William. Oates”, at 6:30pm at the Elks Lodge, 725 Franklin St, Huntsville. Free. www.tvcwrt.com. Melissa Steelman Master Hair Design Color Specialist The North Alabama NSBE Professionals Scholarship Program will be at Lockhead Martin at 6pm. www. huntsvilleurbannetwork.com. Lesley Williams Color Specialist, Hair Stylist *20% First Visit with Lesley March 12 – 14 The Sparkman Drama presents Cinderella at the VBC Playhouse. $10 - $20. www.sparkmandrama.com. March 12 - 15 Tarzan the Stage Musical will be at Grissom High School Auditorium at 7:30pm and on Sundays at 2pm. www.grissomtheatre.org. March 13 - 15 How NOT to Commit a Murder will be at the Historic Lowry House at 7:30pm. $10. 256-489-9200. The Rocket City Latin Fest will be at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. www.therocketcitylatinfestival.com. Friday, March 13 DIY Home Cleaning Products will be in the T-nT Treasures Studio 261 of the Flying Monkey from 6 7:30pm. 412-378-6896, www.flyingmonkeyarts.org. There will be a concert: Hermitage Piano Trio at Trinity United Methodist Church at 7:30pm. 256489-7415. Saturday, March 14 The 38th Annual Ellen McAnelly Memorial St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be in Downtown Huntsville at 11:30 am. www.huntsvillestpatricksday.com. EarlyWorks Children’s Museum will have a Book Swap the first Saturday of every month in the lobby from 10 am- 2pm. For every two books you bring you get to pick out and take one new book home. Free. www.earlyworks.com. The Great Cross Country Race Family Fun Day & 5K will be at Fantasy Playhouse from 7:30pm - noon. www.letthemagicbegin.org. The Ardmore Shamrock Shuffle Race 5K Run and 1 Mile Fun Run/ Walk will be at the First Baptist Church in Ardmore. www.ardmoreshamrockshuffle.com. There will be a St. Patrick’s Day Party with live music by Slip Jig and Bourbon & Shamrocks, food trucks and performances by local Irish dancers, season beer release at Straight to Ale. www.straighttoale.com. The Athens Home and Garden Show will be at the Greater Limestone County Chamber of Commerce at the Limestone County Event Center on 114 West Pryor Street in Athens. 256-232-2600. International Drone Day will be at the Rocket City RC Airfield on Leeman Ferry Road from 9am - 5pm. Free. 256- 541-4254. The Strauss Connection will be at the VBC Concert Hall at 7:30pm. 256-539-4818. The Huntsville Bead Society will meet the 2nd Saturday of the month at the Crestwood Women’s Center on 185 Chateau Drive at 10am. facebookhuntsville bead society. The Huntsville Symphony Orchestra will have Opus Tadpole at 10:15am at the VBC Concert Hall. Free. www.hso.org. Sunday, March 15 The Huntsville Museum of Art will have the opening of YAM 2015: Exhibition for Youth Art Month.www. hsvmuseum.org. THE END! Unleash Your Inner Awesomeness H ave you ever had an interest in video games and/or comic books? Did you ever have a character that you felt connected with? Greg Stargell is currently in the process of developing a comic book/video game series with a main hero that he has developed called Da Spokesman. The story is divided into four segments including Minor League, Major League, International League, and Galactic League. With each segment, Da Spokesman progresses as he grows into the understanding of his life transitions, his powers, and most importantly himself. events cont. from pg. 16 The Junior League American Girl Fashion Show will be at the VBC East Hall. https://www.jlhuntsville.com. The Building Home & Remodeling Show will be at the VBC Friday 1 - 8pm, Saturday 9am - 7pm and Sunday 11am - 5pm. www.buildinghomeandremodelingshow.com. Club Avenue in Huntsville. $5. www.tvjs.com, 256604-8172. There will be a Kite Festival at John Hunt Park and Jaycees Building from 10am - 3pm. Free. 256-5085198. Can’t Afford Cable Presents: Clockwork Comedy at 8pm at Prototype Multimedia in Lowe Mill. www. lowemill.net. Sunday, March 7 The DIY Mineral Make-up Class will be from 10am - 12:30pm in T-n-T Treasures Studio 261 of the Flying Monkey Arts. $65. www.flyingmonkeyarts.org. The Learn to Read Corporate Spelling Bee will be at 10am in the Athens High School Cafeteria. Team fee is $300 and benefits Learn to Read programs. Spectators Free. 256-230-3050. LIT (Light + Innovation + Technology) will be at the Downtown Huntsville Square, from 7 - 10pm. www.artshuntsville.org/news/lit-li There will be a Contra Dance in the gym of Faith Presbyterian Church with live music by Turnip the Beet and calling by Jane Ewing. 7:30 - 10:30pm. Lessons begin at 7pm. $8 and $6 for students. 256837-0656, http://www.secontra.com. The Huntsville Museum GALA Silent Auction and Cocktail Party will be Friday night at 7pm. www.hsvmuseum.org. Alabama A&M University WJAB 90.9, Tennessee Valley Jazz Society, Focus Live Martini Bar & Grill present Talking All That Jazz with The Tennessee Valley Jazz All-Stars “House Band” from 4 - 7pm at 2020 Country 16 Hooping with Chrisha will be from 1 - 3:30pm in the Flying Monkey Theatre. $15. www.flyingmonkeyarts.org. There will be a Read-A-Thon from 10am - 5pm at the Monrovia Branch Library. 256-489-3392, www.hmcpl.org. WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM #021915031115 Greg said, “I have a professional background, but in this venture I wanted to do something more than just audios, videos, and seminars. As a fan of comic books and video games, I have developed Da Spokesman And The Awesomeness League as an avenue to reach a familiar audience, to provide inspiration, to provide entertainment, and to help people unleash their inner awesomeness at the same time. I absolutely believe that through this series we have achieved these goals and so much more. I also believe the audience would be able to relate to one or more of the characters as the storyline progresses.” Da Spokesman And The Awesomeness League is currently in development of the third installment of the game, International League. The first two games, Minor League and Major League, are now available to the public. When asked what are some future plans for Da Spokesman And The Awesomeness League, Greg said, “I plan on starting a crowd funding campaign to raise money for the expansion into the mobile gaming arena and depending on how much is raised, may go into the animation arena as well.” Greg is an active person in the Huntsville community. He is an alumnus of Alabama A&M University where he acquired his Bachelors and PhD in Physics. He also holds a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Iowa State University. In his spare time, Greg enjoys Salsa Dancing and doing comedic performances under the stage name, Greg “Da Spokesman” Stargell. Check out Da Spokesman And The Awesomeness League and unleash your inner awesomeness! For more information, go to http://awesomenessleague.com/daspokesman. VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 THE VALLEY PLANET Best Bartender in the Tennessee Valley? Diamond’s Sportsbar’s Jennifer Peters! I n case you didn’t know, Dear Reader…our Best of the Valley Readers’ Poll results were announced in the last issue! The votes were tallied and…you voted Jennifer Peters as the Best Bartender in the Valley! So…we thought we would ask her a few things for those of you who do not know her, yet! Jennifer: Good thing I have a smartphone, in this fast changing industry every bartender gets stumped at some point or another. cial thank you to all that voted for me! It is a great honor and privilege to be voted #1 bartender in The Valley Planet’s BOTV! VP: What is your favorite drink? And, have you concocted your own special drink (s)? Jennifer: There are several but to keep it rated PG - banana split. That is one of our “in house” concoctions… if you want to know what it is come see me and find out! VP: Anything else you would like to say? Jennifer: Thank you Huntsville! Thank you Valley Planet! And thank you Diamonds!! Xoxo, Jen Jen VP: What was your “best day ever” as a bartender? Jennifer: My customers, my boss, and my fellow employees pulled of a SURPRISE birthday party for me! I can’t believe no one let the cat out of the bag. What an AWESOME day! VP: How long have you tended bar? And where all have you been a bartender? Jennifer: I have bartended for 15 years all of which have been at Diamonds! VP: When do you bartend? Jennifer: You can catch me at Diamonds Tuesday thru Friday and other special occasions. VP: What is your favorite thing about your job? Jennifer: I love my job for many reasons but the first two that come to mind are: a great clientele and co-workers that are awesome to work with. Diamonds is like one big family! VP: Can you do any bartender “tricks” like you see on TV and in the movies? Jennifer: I do not do any “flair” bartending, I save that for the nighttime bartenders! VP: Has a customer ever stumped you on a drink that you didn’t know how to make? If so, what was it? VP: What do you do in your off time? Jennifer: What is off time...? When I am not busy at work I am busy at home. Diamond’s Sportsbar & Grill racked up in this year’s Poll: 1st Best Bartender: Jennifer Peters 1st Best Place for a Shot 1st Best Place to Shoot Pool 2nd Best Bar Overall 3rd Best Place to Pig Out 3rd Best Late-Nite Grub 3rd Best Sunday Brunch Congratulations Jen Jen & Everyone at Diamond’s! Always a pleasure to see a local small business shine! VP: What would you like to say to the people who voted you as number 1? Jennifer: I would like to give a very spe- NewLit – Good New Stuff To Read “T aming The Beast” (The Untold Story Of Mike Tyson) by Rory Hollaway (with Eric Wilson) W e must pay attention to the quantum physics of words. We live in a galaxy of words. Some we do not and cannot ever comprehend, anymore than we can fully comprehend a distant nebula. At a department store tonight, I said the strangest words: “I can’t find my lamp.” I had accidentally left the pewter lamp base in a bag at the cash register. Those words I uttered, receipt in hand, in quiet desperation that I would not find my lamp, or that someone had accidentally picked up the deserted bag with their own. When I was a child, I did not know I would ever say, “I can’t find my lamp.” Who the heck would “lose” a lamp? Of course, I never even asked that question, which would have been a completely impossible and absurd thing for me to say--until tonight. The words I said tonight--”I can’t find my lamp”-chipped away even more of my childhood innocence that I lost long ago. The shocking revelation of “I can’t find lamp” is that I never even dreamed of saying such a thing. Therefore, it seems we are surrounded by thousands upon thousands of expressions that we DO NOT KNOW we will ever say. This knowledge has made the world a more unstable, volatile, but fascinating, place to be. Who knows what I might say in the future? “I can’t find my glass eye.” “I love you.” “I think the lost murder weapon is sticking in my back.” “Here comes the meteor!” “Children no longer starve.” “Please repair the dent in my Porsche.” I regret that I destroyed a “painting” of mine in which I had made an effort to portray a tree house that my father had supposedly built me at the seashore. I had painted the “semblance of a boat”- secured to the side of the tree house by a “semblance of a boatlift.” wood when she pointed to the boat and asked in her most hysterically audacious “faux southern drawl”: Miss Bonnie, is that the Holy Bassinette in which you will ascend? Beth and I still laugh over the memory of the Holy Bassinette. Only I could have painted a boat that resembled a bassinette. Especially a holy one! More importantly, only Beth Norwood could have conceived of such an idea, such words, which took me on a quantum leap of the imagination. “I can’t find my lamp” and “the Holy Bassinette” revealed that the future is infinite in possibilities, of which I cannot even dream. This learning is either positive or negative, depending upon which nebula I might someday visit and say something I cannot imagine saying now, such as “I can’t breathe very well for all the stardust whirling in this nebula.” And I will vaguely remember the first time I ever said, “I can’t find my lamp”- and was astounded. But not nearly as much as I would be upon finding myself in a nebula of which I had never dreamed, and floating along in a “Holy Bassinette.” We must imagine words we might want to say someday - to create a vision of the future expansion of our inner selves, such as “I accept myself,” “I accept others,” and “I am not afraid.” For some of us, those could be the greatest quantum leaps of all. As a footnote, I don’t expect to travel through a nebula, except in my imagination, but what an amazing journey that would be. Because I am now spoiled for the idea of “the Holy Bassinette,” that, too, would be a vital part of my imagination journey, as I attempt to create more inner beauty, more laughter, and the sense of infinite possibilities. Tonight at the department store, I did find my lamp - though I never thought I would say those words, either. All who thought Mike Tyson couldn’t even read a book, much less write one (Undisputed Truth) had to be surprised, and many did dispute Tyson’s “truth.” Rory Hollaway was chief among them. Hollaway was one of four people who took care of Tyson during his early years. Make no mistake. Mikey needed a keeper more than his pet tiger. I wonder if the tiger taught Tyson the correct method to use when he bit off Evander Holyfield’s ear. In Hollaway’s version of the truth he took care of everything for the champ including managing his pre-fight training to making deals extricating him from wife Robin Givens and her gold digging mother to handling things with Don King. He also spills all about Tyson’s sex addiction, his comically horrible driving, and his wild man approach to life. Either way, it is a fun read and answers again the old question “What do you have when you give an idiot a million dollars?” The answer is: a million dollar idiot. (Review by Ricky Thomason) *** “Land O’ Goshen” by: Charles McNair. Alabama author Charles McNair must have had a crystal ball when he wrote this book in 1994. If he did, it was a darned good one. “Land o’ Goshen” tells the tales of a future time when religious fundamentalists wage a brutal civil war with all whose beliefs are not the same as theirs. The rest of the sinners, all other churches and denominations are doomed as the fundies seek control of the very fabric of our political system. Does any part of this sound familiar to you? McNair must have had a time machine and visited America in this day and age. McNair can hold his own with other great American writers from any day and age, Mark Twain, Joel Chandler Harris, Truman Capote, Toni Morrison, Ken and Ken Kesey to name a few. Tyson was like a kid in a candy store when he found he had the money to blow on an endless parade of hookers. Hollaway found his job increasingly more difficult as Tyson spun more and more out of control. After fifteen years of friendship, Tyson fired him and moved closer and closer to Don King, not exactly the most trustworthy guy to have his paws on your purse strings. Someone in Tyson’s ear told him Hollaway was pretty much the cause of all his problems. Besides, the new management had an endless supply of the best drugs as well a long queue of the best hookers money could buy. Hollaway sounds bitter, and who could blame him if things happened the way he said it did. One gets the feeling that “Taming The Beast “smells a whole lot like a man playing big time defense. The real truth probably lies somewhere in between Tyson’s book and Hollaway’s tell all. Author Fannie Flagg calls “Land O’ Goshen” a “psycho-political thriller.” It is set in Alabama where all psychos come to run for office and get elected by a group of voters with IQs somewhere below the temperature of lukewarm tea. LOG is funny, but also sad because the future is now. (Review by Ricky Thomason) *** “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn Nick and Amy are about to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary when Amy disappears. When a search does not find Amy, the police look at the husband. Nick has a lot of secrets and he lies a lot. But could he kill his beautiful charming wife? “Gone Girl” is fast paced and takes a lot of twists and turns. It keeps you guessing. You are not going to want to put this book down. (Review by: Lisa Gray Thomason) The ultimate beauty of that painting was the comment made by my dear friend Miss Beth Nor- THE VALLEY PLANET #021915031115 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM 17 The Valley Planet Music Exchange is FREE to any individual (not businesses) looking to buy, sell, trade or find bandmates. You get a headline and 3 lines of text for FREE! Please call (256) 533-4613 or email your ads to [email protected]. Multi-inst’ist/vocalist seeks guitarist/harmonicist/singer named Danny, 65, from Madison. Call/text Joe at 256-617-1395. Guitarist/Keyboardist/Singer seeks another guitarist and/or keyboardist, as well as a bassist who’s quick on the uptake. Ideally, should sing (well). Have drummer. For multiple different projects: Wedding/corporate gig band (covers, ‘60s-‘10s); jazz/blues/fusion; originals in ALL styles. Call/text Joe at 256-617-1395. Speaker For Sale, Used 50 inch tall, 25 inch wide and 16 inch deep. Black with wheels. $110. 256 606-5152, Decatur. Looking for a music comedy side kick. I change words in songs but, I need a guitar player or Keys. call Fred 256-653-3503 15” Hartke Transporter Bass Guitar Cabinet for Sale. Comes with Eminence Alpha A-15 speaker inside. Large enough to play with a loud band but light enough for convenient transport. $150 256 431-5130 Charvel Model One, made in Japan Mid 80’s. One Humbucker, one volume knob, Rock Maple neck, Glossy Red finish, Spring fulcrum Trem, Charvel Hardshell Case,Simple, Classy, Hard to find in Very good Condition, Serious Only $325 call Mark 256-722-9250 The Single Guy: Communi-Date by Aaron Hurd “Just Friends” I t doesn’t matter how old you are that phrase is never easy to swallow when you’re pursuing someone you feel could possibly be something and they drop that famous line on you! You know the one, “I was hoping we can just be friends” or “I like you just as a friend.” I wish there was a better phrase than those stupid two words (Just Friends). To make it worse is when someone tries to sugar coat it with “I just want to be friends, but if you don’t, I understand.” Let’s be real, what this REALLY means is, “If you want to be friends, cool, but I would rather not be friends with you… so please just move on!” So why do I bring this up? Because, yep-you guessed it - it happened to me. What makes it worse is I got this from a forty-one year old woman. I can understand getting this from a twentysomething female, but it just sounds wrong and immature coming from an older woman. Look I got dissed, yes it hurt my ego, but it also made me realize how stupid those two words sound when you’re turning someone down. Let me tell you my story and break it down for you. Mistake #1 - This woman was forty one, had a three year old kid with a guy, left him and has an ex-husband, who I think she’s trying to get back with and she is gorgeous! Now, if you read any of my past articles, you know I usually do not go out with single mothers, just because it usually comes with a lot of drama and baggage not so much the kid, but the ex-drama is what I have a problem with. And when they have a kid, that ex is usually somehow always still in the picture. Who wants that? I know I certainly don’t. 18 Leslie model 900 speaker w/Combo preamp. Very good condition-320 watts, 2 piece Leslie. JBL loaded. Will blister the paint on the wall.. $2000. Call Mike @ 256-347-2950 and please leave contact info. Serious musician with experience playing in professional bands seeks band/musicians for cover act. Plays guitar, bass, banjo, and sings. Call Alex at 334-268-7403. Fender Squire Bronco Bass and Line 6 Tone Port UX2 for sale. Bass is great for backup, beginner, or practice bass. $150 OBO. $75 for Tone Port. Includes USB cord. No Software. 256-431-5130 Club lighting system used in home studio for recording and performances. 7 different lights. Package includes the lights and an 8 channel control system. Various quality instruments for sale as well. Rick 256-425-4992. Epiphone Wildkat Electric Guitar. Buff Colored Hollow body Archtop Brand new condition! All set up & ready to play! Includes case, tooled leather strap and ‘Pignose’ practice amp. All this for $600, firm. Serious inquiries only. Text me at (256) 457-9204 TAMA Starclassic Bubinga 7 pc. Drum Set (magnetic orange) with hard cases, plus 10 piece set of Paiste Signature cymbals with TAMA stands and pro touring case. All professional equipment in excellent condition. $2,950. Call Steve at: 256-771-3385. So, I broke my own rule and I made the mistake of inviting the kid along on the date, which was mistake number 2! I thought “I will look like the cool great guy who invites the kid,” Nope! Instead, I looked like the nice guy who will help entertain the kid so mom can have a night out while she texts the whole time. Yes, she was on her phone most of the date while I was “playing house” with the kid. Mistake #3 I asked her out for a second date (in my defense - she is hot!) and more signs she was not interested popped up. I even felt the famous knot in my stomach which tells me, Aaron what the hell are you doing? She is not into you; she has a kid, run! Just to re-assure myself that she is not for me, I texted her that night for a third date just to be sure I had no chance. Yes, I like torture! And more than 24 hours later, I got the famous “Just friends” reply and more. Here is what I got back word for word “I was hoping we can be friends. I was interested in someone a few months ago and sat on that just due to timing. He is waiting for me when I am ready. Would you be interested in just a friendship? I understand if the answer is no.” I so wanted to text back “Well, he sounds more patient than me, good luck!” and the old me would have! I was civil and wrote back “yes, of course.” But man -I should have gone with my gut reaction. First of all, why do I need to hear about a guy who is “Waiting for you!?” And why in the world are you wasting time with me if your mind is set on someone else? Truth be told, she is probably waiting for him and I was a distraction. The problem I created is inviting the kid and never giving myself a one on one chance with her. I never had a chance to be me when a three year old in my presence, and once again the good, nice guy game never ends with a happy ending. I made mistakes, I tried and failed, but my options are a lot bigger than a forty one year old with a kid. However, she apparently has a line of guys WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM #021915031115 Send in your random encounters today. It’s FREE!! We are putting all the categories together since it seems like there are always more jeers than anything else!! But just to give you an idea of what the To Yuno from Yunohoos are about… I Saw you: but you didn’t catch my name, You saw me or you think you were seen: Cheers: Pay your respect to those who deserve it and of course Jeers: Frustrated? Tell us all about it. Thankfully, we don’t know who you are! To send in your FREE ad 1. Keep your word limit to 40 words. No names, just initials if you want. 2. Meet the deadline. 3. Get it to us: Put “To Yuno from Yunohoo” in the subject line of the email and send to classifieds@ valleyplanet.com. Dave – Please stop telling everyone I don’t like you anymore. That is a lie. I never did like you. You. (Ed note: Your wish has been granted. Marley has a column in this issue of the VP. Enjoy) R&S – I overheard you guys saying “Wish I could do that” when you saw Sugar Bear cleaning himself: Don’t let me catch you licking on my dog.” Craw D – Which is better, DD or K K? If you said D you just proved you like frozen donuts better than freshly made ones. Nine out of ten cops prefer KK, and they can’t be wrong. Mgr J, Are you really gonna do that at the MardiGras Parade? I guess half the peeps will like it…F I have an Epic question: can one of you barefooted jokers tell me what possible reason or right a church has to run credit checks on its members? Epicurious Okay, Brit Twit, tell me why everything is “bloody” this or “bloody that” in England? A bloody Yank Happy Valentines Pixie! I love you anyway…J Marley the Cat is our new hero. Last issue’s column left no doubt in anyone’s mind that Jackson Galaxy has truly met his cat from hell. Marley needs her own fan club and Facebook account. VP fans. LGT – You better, you better, you bet. Who, me? Blue Jean – You’re going to wish you had taken a flu shot. Despite what you believe, there isn’t a conspiracy behind every tree and the gov’t isn’t out to poison the whole community. Disappointed friend. So proud to be the mother of my “just married” gay son! CD Can anyone besides an NBA player that cannot lie tell me what’s so appealing about Kim K’s Banjo butt? Last time I saw an arse that big it was on buffalo. Wondering Does your unvaccinated kid have the measles? Enjoy – and thanks for spreading the disease and exposing the responsible parents’ progeny while you are at it. The rest of the herd Idiot driver on Greene St: You cannot do a u-turn from the right lane, across the left lane and into the parking lot without getting more than a WTH! Yes, I am the one who barely missed your stupid self! You have to have a license to have a dog but any two fools can have a baby. Go figure. Too bad abortion can’t be performed retroactively. My choice – not yours. MYOB How does one get a job manicuring camels’ toenails? Job Seeker L- I knew you were addicted to that iPhone when you were texting while we were sexing. R To the late and much missed Melinda: You immortalized yourself with the words, “Get off me! My brownies are burning.” JD, Let’s divorce on Valentines since that is when we married 20 yrs ago. Really. YuNoHoo “waiting” for her and I have a dog at home waiting for me. So maybe she does have more options. Just glad I got off the train (ok, pushed off the train), but I sure did learn a few lessons - the biggest being… never say “I just want to be friends” and if I do use that phrase, never belittle it with an “if you do not want to be friends - I understand.” That is one cocky stuck up way of turning someone down. Hope the dude who is “waiting” for her knows what he is getting into - or maybe he is the smartest guy in the world waiting for the kid to turn 18 and move out, and for her to grow up. If so, I need advice from him! Have you gotten the “Just Friends” turn down, did it work out as friends or ruin things? Have you used the phrase yourself, does it bother you when you get the “if not I understand” piggy back to it? Email me [email protected]. VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 THE VALLEY PLANET Report: Media Quick Profile Base Population: 784,215 26.1% 25.1% Annual Income (Cume) 24.3% 22% 11.7% 150K+ 100K-150K 75K-100K 75+ <15K 15K25K 3.3% 50K-75K 5.5% 65-74 50-54 5.8% 8.5% Gender Profile (Cume) Ethnicity Profile (Cume) 6.3% % 13.7 OTHER COLLEGE DEGREE BLACK SOME COLLEGE 48.2% 51.8% 13 .6% WHITE H.S. GRADUATE 84.3% H.S. OR LESS MALE 46.3% ADVANCED DEGREE 2.2% FEMALE Education Profile (Cume) 45-49 35-44 25-34 5.9% 7.3% 14.1% 13.4% 11.7% 35K-50K 13% 17.4% 25K-35K 18.7% 55-64 Age Analysis (Cume) Bases: Adults Age 18+ Media Persons: 50,444 Audience Profile (Cume) Total Income: $3,834,166,750 Mean Income: $76,009 Mean Age: 48 Home Owners: 91% Mean Home Value: $196,832 Mean Miles Past Week: 234 Based on The Media Audit: Huntsville Apr-Jun 2013 THE VALLEY PLANET #021915031115 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM 19 s d a e h p! u it’s raining nickels thanks to new checking options at Redstone! Nickels are falling from the sky with Redstone’s new Relationship Checking Account. You’ll get a nickel back on debit card purchases.* Visit www.redfcu.org or any branch to find out more. Heads up! It’s raining nickels for you! Minimum opening deposit required to open Relationship Checking Account is $500. $8 monthly checking maintenance fee will be waived with one Direct Deposit credited to account per month or an average monthly balance of $500. With Redstone CashBack, you will receive $.05 cash back for every POS debit card transaction you complete after the first four POS transactions per month from a Relationship Checking Account. Only active Relationship Checking Accounts in good standing will receive Redstone CashBack rewards. Rewards will only be given for debit card POS purchases after the four per month threshold is met and will not be given for the first four purchases per month for Relationship Checking Accounts. Rewards will not be given for ATM, cash advance, or balance inquiry transactions. Must have PIN/password to access online banking. Must have online banking and PIN/password to access mobile banking and My Virtual Strongbox. Must have online banking, mobile banking, and PIN/password to use Remote Deposit Capture. Standard wireless carrier text message and/or data rates and fees may apply; check with your carrier for more information. Members with Relationship Checking Accounts will automatically receive the Extra Credit Line of Credit up to $250 if they have had no non-sufficient funds (NSFs) during the first 90 days after the checking account opening date. RFCU is an Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. 20 your trusted advisor 800-234-1234 • www.redfcu.org • Federally Insured by NCUA WWW.VALLEYPLANET.COM #021915031115 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 3 THE VALLEY PLANET