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It practically gallops!

One Who Presides

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

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

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

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

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

Samovar-iance

It turns out that a pour-over is a good thing. I met a friend for coffee at Starbucks last night, with the intention of ordering whatever bold flavor they were serving. A glance at the urns showed they had the new Blonde Roast, the standard Pike Place Roast and Komodo Dragon Blend, presumably for the Chinese New Year.

Komodo Dragon Blend sounded good to me and not just because it reminded me of my favorite Bob & Ray bit. Unfortunately, the barista told me they had only brewed Pike Place, which is not my favorite. Sensing the delay in my response, the barista said she could make me a “pour-over” with the bolder blend. I felt like I was somehow settling for second-best but I agreed to try it.

I must have thought she was going to pour hot water over some leftover grounds. That was not the case. My coffee tasted great and inspired me to look up “pour-over” when I got home. It’s probably the best possible way to have a cup of coffee. Instead of coffee warming in the urn, I had a cup that was custom-made for me.

January 26, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

Deep Southampton

Almost any show about the Hamptons will grab my attention. I fell in love with the area a long time ago when my family went to Noyac each year for vacation. No trip was complete without a visit to the Penny Candy Shop or Crutchley’s Crullers.

Entertainment Weekly’s cover story is about “Revenge,” which they call “TV’s greatest guilty pleasure.” I got an early seat on the “Revenge” bandwagon when they made the pilot script available as a free download for the Kindle. My only gripe with the show is that North Carolina and California play the part of the Hamptons. However, EW says they sent a camera crew to New York to get some footage of the Hamptons in winter, now that the show is a hit.

The beautiful Hamptons scenery should receive co-star billing on the show “Royal Pains.” The third season resumed last Wednesday, after a four-and-a-half month break. Thank goodness for DVRs. “Royal Pains” now airs at the same time as “Revenge.”

There was no reason for me to ever watch CMT until now. Tom Arnold was on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” promoting a reality series called “My Big Redneck Vacation.” I was half-listening until he said that the show was about a family named the Clampets (really) who were sent to the Hamptons. He got a laugh describing the Clampets’ skills with plywood when Hurricane Irene was on the way.

January 25, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | Leave a Comment 

Hip to Be Square

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

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

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

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

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

January 24, 2012 | Filed Under Body Farm | Leave a Comment 

Monroe Doctrine

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

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

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

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

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

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

Musical Truth

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living Room

Today is the 29th anniversary of my father’s death. I was 21 when he died, which means that he’s been dead about 7½ years longer than I knew him. He was 50 years and 8 months old when he died. I am currently 50 years and 7 months old. The Good Lord willing (as my grandma used to say), I will start outliving him next month.

I’ve tried to do a few things differently in order to live longer. My father died from a cerebral hemorrhage, so I try to keep my blood pressure down by eating and drinking in moderation. He and his father were both heavy. I lost weight and I try everyday to keep it off. My quest to visit all 50 states was just something I wanted to do. However, the self-imposed deadline to finish by the time I turned 50 was inspired by my father’s death at age 50.

So, what’s next? The year ahead promises to bring at least one big change as my son graduates from college and starts a new job. This anniversary is a good opportunity for me to think about how I want to spend the time that my father didn’t get.

January 21, 2012 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 3 Comments 

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