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        Igor (86 minutes) goes above and beyond the standard animated fare, thus begging the question, where has director Anthony Leondis been hiding himself? Even more importantly, why hasn’t writer Chris McKenna done anything besides this and American Dad scripts? For two relative unknowns like Leondis and McKenna, creating the first animated movie out of a new production studio, the work is doubly impressive. The dialogue is unexpectedly clever, the characters compelling, the humor sly and sophisticated. For what initially seemed like a Tim Burton wannabe picture, Igor stands on its own as an animated film with adult appeal.
        {mosimage}Once upon a time, there was a fantasy world named Malaria. A change in climate caused the entire economy of this once beautiful land to revolve around being evil, under the guidance of King Malbert (Jay Leno). In this Brave New World, the upper-class becomes the scientists, and those born with humpbacks are forced to serve as Igors, trained as bootlicking stereotypes. 
        Even our hero Igor (John Cusack) is forced to hide his brilliance and serve a master named Dr. Glickenstein (John Cleese). Despite his conformity to social expectations, Igor fiddles around with mad science on the side, giving Scamper the Rabbit (Steven Buscemi) immortality, and keeping a Brain (Sean Hayes) alive in a robotic jar.   
        A series of unfortunate events leads Igor to create a Frankenfemale, filled with pure evil. Sadly, his plans go awry and instead of a killing machine, Eva (Molly Shannon) is a sweet and cuddly doll. Despite Igor’s attempts to turn into a force for calamitous destruction, Eva refuses to change. 
        Meanwhile, the evilest of all evil madmen, Dr. Schadenfreude (Eddie Izzard, brilliant as always) is trying to cheat his way to victory in the upcoming Mad Scientists Fair with the help of Jaclyn (Jennifer Coolidge). All the wackiness culminates in a revelation that most of the audience probably saw coming, but was satisfying, nonetheless.   
        Of course, if you wanted to get intellectual and search for philosophical themes amongst the cuteness, this is the film for you. On the surface, this is a nice update of the Frankenstein story with a subversive vent, making the Igor the hero instead of the scientist. The film also easily illustrates Marxist themes, with the Igors serving as the oppressed proletariat to the mad scientists’ exploitative bourgeoisie. Scamper the Rabbit, who totally steals the show, is a tribute to the basic existential dilemma. Though he is essentially immortal, he kills himself over and over again, only to return to a life made meaningless by that very same immortality. This is a movie with something for everyone.
        Although music is used in a very clever way, I was not completely on board with all the selections. As rife with irony (and therefore hilarity) as it may be to have blind orphans dancing to “I Can See Clearly Now,” it’s still a missed opportunity to offer a more subtle brand of humor, which the filmmakers manage to do in almost every other area. 

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        A pair of heavy metal heavyweights hope to deliver a knockout punch to Fayetteville music fans on  Oct. 15 when Taproot and Sevendust play Jesters Pub.{mosimage}
        Both bands are highly regarded by critics and fans alike, with Sevendust having topped the independent album charts with three of the group’s eight albums, while Taproot has reached as high as No. 33 on the Billboard charts; also, Taproot was hailed by Rolling Stone as “the next contenders for the new metal-crown.”
        In addition to its chart success, Sevendust has a local connection, with Cumberland County’s own Clint Lowery providing guitar and vocals for the Atlanta-based band.
    Sevendust is famous for its incendiary live shows — a fact not lost on Taproot’s lead singer and rhythm guitarist, Stephen Richards.
        “They’re one of the best live bands I have ever seen,” said Richards. “They’ve got me shaking.”
    Taproot, based out of Ann Arbor, Mich., is touring in support of a new album, Our Long Road Home, which Richards says is aptly named as Taproot gets back to its “roots.”
        “Over the course of our four albums we’ve really matured as men,” said Richards. “We’ve all came back home to Ann Arbor and some of us have families. So we’ve changed... Our music has changed.”
        Richards acknowledges that some hardcore Taproot fans may be put off by the new album, which is more melodic and not quite as heavy as previous CDs, especially the band’s debut on Atlantic Records, Gift.
        “Some fans wonder why we didn’t simply recreate the heavier music from Gift,” said Richards. “But what they don’t realize is that when that album came out, most of the songs on it were three years old.
        “We’ve changed and so has our music,” said Richards. “But the new album (released Sept. 16) has gotten good word of mouth on the Internet and on our Myspace page. After one week we had already sold 7,700 copies and were in at 65 on the Billboard charts.”
        Despite being more polished than past Taproot efforts, Richards says there are still plenty of “heavy” songs on the CD.
        “The album’s first track, ‘The Path Less Taken,’ is not only heavy, but I think it’s the best song Taproot has ever recorded,” said Richards. “And there are several other songs that would probably qualify as being in the ‘heavy’ class.”
        Sevendust is also pushing its newest album, Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow, which is a sort of “home brewed” affair — the songs were worked out in the home of guitarist John Connolly.
        “It was very exciting to work that way,” Connolly said on the band’s Web site. “With a lot of songs, we’d sit there and go, ‘oooh, it’s not the strongest in the bunch.’ And then all of a sudden we’d get all the pieces in the puzzle and finish it up and everyone would say, ‘Wow, that’s our favorite song on the record.’”
        Drummer Morgan Rose also expressed his happiness with the intimacy of the living room CD.
        “It was a good way for us to work,” Rose said. “We were able to get away from the record for a little while, then periodically revisit it while we were on the road, and let other people hear a little bit of what we had done and then go back in the studio to get back to business.”
        The album also features an appearance by Chris Daughtry of American Idolfame and a cameo by former Creed guitarist Mike Tremonti.
        These high-profile collaborators led to a quilt work of different music styles and sounds that leave the highly regarded album sounding much different from previous Sevendust offerings.
        Tickets for the Oct. 15 show are $25. For more information, call 423-6100, or email jesterspub11@hotmail.com.

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        Dear EarthTalk: I’ve suddenly been seeing a lot of those tiny “Smart Cars” around. Who makes them and what is their fuel efficiency? And I’m all for fuel efficiency, but are these cars safe?
                                     — David Yu, Bend, Ore.

        Originally the brainchild of Lebanese-born entrepreneur/inventor Nicolas Hayek of Swatch watch fame, Smart Cars are designed to be small, fuel-efficient, environmentally responsible and easy to park — really the ultimate in-city vehicle. Back in 1994, Hayek and Swatch signed on with Daimler-Benz (the German maker of the venerable Mercedes line of cars) to develop the unique vehicle; in fact, the company name Smart is derived from a combination of the words Swatch, Mercedes and the word “art.”
        When initial sales were slower than hoped for, Hayek and Swatch pulled out of the venture, leaving Daimler-Benz full owner (today Smart is part of Mercedes car division). Meanwhile, rising oil prices have driven up demand for Smart vehicles, and the company began selling them in the U.S. earlier this year.
    Measuring just a hair over 8 feet long and less than 5 feet wide, the company’s flagship “ForTwo” model (named for its human carrying capacity) is about half the size of a traditional car. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the car’s fuel efficiency at 33 miles per gallon (mpg) for city driving and 41 mpg on the highway (although actual drivers report slightly lower results). Three For Twos with bumpers to the curb can fit in a single parallel parking spot.
        And with soaring gas prices, the cars have been selling like hotcakes in the U.S. The company’s U.S. distributor is working on importing an additional 15,000 cars before the end of 2008, as its initial order of 25,000 vehicles is almost depleted. Some four dozen Mercedes Benz dealers across the country have long waiting lists for new Smart vehicles, which sell for upwards of $12,000.
        {mosimage}As for safety, the ForTwo did well enough in crash tests by the independent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) to earn the group’s highest rating — five tars — thanks to the car’s steel racecar-style frame and liberal use of high-tech front and side airbags. Despite such good safety performance for such a tiny car, IIHS testers caution that larger, heavier cars are inherently safer than smaller ones.
        Beyond safety concerns, some analysts bemoan the ForTwo’s price tag as unnecessarily high given what you get. The cars are not known for their handling or acceleration, although they can go 80 miles per hour if necessary. The Web site Treehugger.com suggests that eco-conscious consumers might do better spending their $12,000 on a conventional sub-compact or compact car, many which get equivalent if not better gas mileage not to mention likely faring better in a crash.
        But for those who need a great in-city car for short errands and commutes, today’s ForTwo might be just the ticket. Environmentalists are hoping Smart will release the higher mileage diesel version of the ForTwo, which has been available in Europe for several years, in the U.S. soon. And they are keeping their fingers crossed for a hybrid version which could give the hugely successful Toyota Prius — which looks almost huge in comparison — a run for its money in terms of fuel efficiency and savings at the pump.

        CONTACTS: Cool Climate Calculator, http://bie.berkeley.edu/calculator.html; EarthLab, www.earthlab.com; CarbonFootprint.com, www.carbonfootprint.com; CarbonCounter.org, www.carboncounter.org; Conservation International, www.conservation.org; The Nature Conservancy, www.nature.org; BP, www.bp.com.

        GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com

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        On Sept. 12, tens of thousands of North Carolinians, panicked by incessant press coverage of a hurricane headed towards Texas oil country, rushed out to top off their gas tanks. Many found their local stations were already out of gas. Others found huge gas lines clogging rush-hour roadways and wasting both time and fuel.{mosimage}
        Frustrated North Carolinians probably thought Ike caused it all. But here are two other names that will forever be associated with this disastrous episode: Mike and Roy.
         That’s Mike Easley and Roy Cooper, whose irresponsible threats of prosecution deterred some service stations from pricing their scarce gas stocks rationally. As reports of rising pump prices proliferated throughout North Carolina, these two “leaders” hurried in front of the press to urge consumers to report instances of “price gouging.”
    Cooper added helpfully that there was no good way to define what his office would deem to be illegal pricing.     “It’s one of those things where you know it when you see it,” he said.
    Imagine that you own or manage a service station, and just heard this obscene little bit of political demagoguery. Would you take the risk of incurring a $5,000 penalty per violation of a state law even that its own enforcer can’t explain or define? I wouldn’t. I’d leave my price low enough to avoid adverse publicity, even if it fell far short of replacement cost and generated long lines, and let my pumps quickly run dry.     That’s what many stations did. They reacted rationally to an irrational government. As a result, motorists had no incentive to purchase only a gallon or two of suddenly expensive gas if their cars were truly empty. Instead, those who arrived first at the station filled up, a form of hoarding. The lines grew long. And the gas ran out.
        Prices are signals. They convey information. They aren’t arbitrary, or wishful thinking, or technicalities that can be brushed aside with the wave of some ignorant politician’s hand. In a highly competitive business such as gas retailing, where prices are posted in enormous neon lettering, the information changes quickly as thousands of people — managers, suppliers, meteorologists, and customers – make predictions based on the best-available information. Faced with the possibility of supply disruption, if you price your existing stock too low, you’ll run out quickly (meaning that you’ll lose the in-store sales that actually earn your profit) and lack the revenue to replace your stock with tomorrow’s more-expensive supply. Price your existing gas too high, and you’ll lose revenue to your competitors as desperate consumers, mindful of even small differentials, drive right past your station.
        It’s hard enough at such times for managers to get their pricing right. Even if Easley and Cooper had managed to keep their mouths shut, there would have been some lines and empty tanks. But by threatening businesses owners with thousands of dollars in civil penalties just for running their businesses, they made a difficult situation far worse.
        Products have no inherent “reasonable” price. When circumstances change, perceptions and preferences change — and these determine the price. A bottle of water is worth more in the desert than at the lake. When you artificially reduce the price of water sold in the desert, it will run out more quickly, and few will have an incentive to transfer water from the lake to the desert to satisfy the higher demand.
        I’m not saying free enterprise engineers perfection. There is no such thing on this Earth. Human beings will always make mistakes. But in general, allowing prices to rise in anticipation of a shortage encourages consumers to purchase only what they immediately need and businesses to bring more supply to market faster (because they expect to earn a higher return than on an alternative investment of resources). The process may be messy, but it works.
        What doesn’t work is for politicians to blunder into the picture with clubs and threaten to bludgeon people.     That’s what Mike Easley and Roy Cooper did last weekend, an error for which they certainly deserve condemnation and ridicule.

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        {mosimage}Many people find it easy and convenient to use credit and ATM cards. But what do you do if you lose a card or a thief steals it from you? There are steps you can take to limit your financial loss in the event that your credit or ATM card becomes lost or stolen. Follow these tips:
        • Report the loss or theft of your credit and ATM cards to the card issuers as quickly as possible. Many companies have toll-free numbers and 24-hour service to deal with such emergencies.
        • Follow up your phone calls with a letter. Include your account number, when you noticed your card was missing, and the date you first reported the loss. Send the letter to the address provided for billing errors and keep a copy for you records.
        • If you report the loss of a credit card before it is used, the card issuer cannot hold you responsible for any unauthorized charges. If a thief uses your card before you report it missing, the most you will owe for unauthorized charges is $50 per card.
        • Review your next billing statements carefully. If they show any unauthorized charges, send a letter to the card issuer describing each questionable charge and reminding the card issuer when your card was reported lost or stolen.
        • If you report an ATM card missing before it’s used without your permission, the card issuer cannot hold you responsible for any unauthorized withdrawals made on the card.
        • If unauthorized use occurs before you report the loss of your ATM card, the amount you can be held liable for depends upon how quickly you report it. If you report the loss within two business days after you realize it is missing, you will not be responsible for more than $50 for unauthorized use. If you wait more than two business days, you could lose up to $500. If you fail to report an unauthorized withdrawal within 60 days after your bank statement is mailed to you, you risk losing all the money in your account and the unused portion of your line of credit.
        • If unauthorized transactions show up on your bank statement, report them to the card issuer as quickly as possible. Once you’ve reported the loss of your ATM card, you cannot be held liable for additional amounts, even if more unauthorized transactions are made on the card.
        • To protect yourself from card theft, loss and fraud, know where your cards are at all times and keep them secure.
        • For ATM card protection, it’s important to memorize your Personal Identification Number (PIN) and keep it a secret. Don’t use your address, birth date, phone or social security number as your PIN.

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        “A fascinating and complicated story of regional identity,” wrote New York Times film critic A. O. Scott earlier this month in praise of a North Carolina film that opened in the Big Apple earlier this month.
    Although we like to think of our state as a “film friendly” place, successful homegrown productions are still rare, and unabashed praise from the New York establishment is noteworthy.
        The film, Moving Midway: A Southern Plantation in Transit, is now showing in selected theaters in North Carolina. It is noteworthy for reasons other than the favorable reviews of a New York critic.
        Moving Midway’s creator, Godfrey Cheshire, is well known as a writer about films, though not as a filmmaker. A Raleigh native and graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, he now lives in New York. He has earned a national reputation as a perceptive observer of films made by other people.{mosimage}
        For some time, he has wanted to find a project that would give him a chance to turn his critical knowledge of the art into practice. That opportunity came when he learned that his cousin, Charles Hinton Silver, planned to move his family’s pre-Civil War plantation home away from the increasingly crowded outskirts of Raleigh to a more pastoral setting in keeping with its original setting.
        Documenting the mechanical and engineering challenges of picking up a gigantic house and moving it a long distance could, by itself, make for an interesting story.
        But Cheshire had more of a story in mind. He wanted to capture the family members and their memories of their experiences in the old house. He knew that some of them would have mixed feelings about detaching the house from the land and its surroundings. The Hinton family had owned and occupied this land since pre-Revolutionary times, and there were the spirits of ancestors to deal with.
        The saga of the move combined with the extended Hinton family’s reactions to the house’s relocation would, thought Cheshire, make for a poignant story if he could capture it on film.
    After the project was underway, something happened to make the Moving Midway story even more moving for the viewer.
        t turned out that the extended Hinton family was even more extended than Cheshire first thought.
    Shortly after he began work on the Moving Midway project, Cheshire ran into another Hinton in New York. Robert Hinton, also a Raleigh native, is a Yale trained historian. His grandfather had been born on the Midway Plantation — in the slave quarters. Coincidentally, Robert Hinton is a scholar of North Carolina history, focusing on the region’s transition from slave to free labor.
        Other African-American Hintons appeared and became a part of the project, some tracing their ancestry to a union between a Hinton plantation owner and an enslaved cook.
    By the end of the film, the various branches of the Hinton family come together at the relocated Midway Plantation house.
        Today’s North Carolina is so different from that represented by the past days of the old Midway Plantation that it is sometimes tempting to minimize or disregard our history. But our future can be much better if we learn how our past influences who we are and will be.

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        I’m a 25-year-old woman who spends an exorbitant amount of hours daydreaming about this 28-year-old guy I met nine months ago. We’re both musicians, and both tired of the games men and women play. He tells me I’m an absolute catch, and leans in when we talk in the hall like he’s trying to get closer. He has said he’s timid with girls he likes, plus I told him, “When I really like a guy, I tell him so.” Oops. I later backpedaled, explaining that I wait till the last possible moment. I’m just aching to reveal my feelings, but have only made hints while we’ve both been drunk, and I don’t think they’ve registered. Oh, yeah, did I mention he’s my roommate? What if he isn’t interested? What if I lose a tenant and a friend? How can I broach the topic of taking our friendship to the next level without scaring him away?
                  —Mooning for my Roomie

        Just get in bed with the guy and see if he complains. Say something only vaguely explanatory. Like “I saw a bug.” Or “I had a bad dream.” Or “Whoops! There was a lot of fog in the hallway, and I guess I got lost on the way back from the bathroom.”
        The worst thing you could do is lay your feelings out like a big, dead carp. Guys normally aren’t huge fans of the old “Can we talk about the relationship?” They’re particularly icked out by hearing it from a woman they have yet to even feel up. Plus, if you spell out interest that isn’t reciprocated — “I’ve spent nine months festering with lust for you!” — there’s no taking it back. An unreciprocated move, on the other hand, can be pretended away: You were drunk. You don’t know what came over you. Maybe it was the fog!
        You can spend the next nine months following the guy around the apartment with a little curl of drool hanging from your mouth — or decide it’s worth it to you to risk losing a tenant and a friend. Actually, if he is into you, you should lose a tenant, since it’s ill-advised to move in together before the first date. As for losing a friend, OK, not super-fun, but surely there are more where this one came from. Finally, let’s say he doesn’t share your feelings. Maybe you can stay roomies and friends — if you can accept, without going all weird, that he’s never going to ask if you, uh, wanna see his etchings. In fact, like one half of some old married couple, you may eventually become convinced your head will explode if you have to ask him one more time to pick his etchings up off the living room floor.

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        According to police in Bethlehem, Penn., four kids (ages 9 to 14) grabbed a donation box in August at RiverPlace park (contributions to an organization that maintains the park’s portable toilets) and ran for nearby woods, with several police officers in pursuit. Three boys were caught, but the other made it a little ways into the woods before falling into a manure pit built by homeless people at their encampment.
        About 10 years ago, reported LA Weekly in July, Southern California was awash with hysteria over household “toxic mold,” in which lawyers convinced jurors that a wide range of illnesses was caused by fungi that previously had been minor irritants controlled by ordinary cleansers. (Centers for Disease Control maintains there is no basis for such hysteria and that the only at-risk people are a tiny number vulnerable to specific fungi.) Among the mold alarmists then was announcer Ed McMahon, who famously received a multimillion-dollar settlement by claiming that mold killed his beloved dog. Recently, McMahon even more famously publicly lamented his potential bankruptcy, in large part because no one wanted to buy his house (although the reason now seems more the mortgage credit crisis than the home’s alleged toxicity).
     
    COMPELLING EXPLANATION
        Jonathan Williams, 33, was convicted of cocaine possession in England’s Guildford Crown Court in July, as jurors rejected his explanation that the pants he had on (containing the cocaine) were not his.
        That explanation also failed in August in Naples, Fla., for Richard Obdyke, 19, when police found a stolen debit card in his pants. (In both cases, the men said they had no idea whose pants they were wearing.)

    RECURRING THEMES
        The Texas criminal justice system continues to astonish. In August, federal judge Orlando Garcia of San Antonio ordered a final-hours’ stay of execution for Jeffrey Wood based on serious concerns about his sanity, that the Texas state courts had somehow summarily dismissed. Judge Garcia said substantial evidence supported at least holding a hearing on the issue but that state law seemed to require the inmate to prove his insanity first in order to obtain a hearing on whether he is insane. That, said Garcia, is “an insane system.”

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        {mosimage}My wheels can take me around; they can also take me down. That is what happens in “the dead spot.” Sounds like a pitch to a movie, but I just wanted to make a point. The place I am talking about is the place you learn about in driver’s ed called the blind spot; however, for a motorcycle it is really the dead spot.
        Fayetteville is heavy with traffic. Every day, thousands of people enter and leave the base and they have a lot on their minds. People are picking up or dropping off their kids. Fayetteville is a town in motion. It seems everyone is distracted and not paying attention to vehicles around them or the drive home. Reilly, Ramsey, Raeford roads, the mall area and everywhere is congested with heavy traffic. As a motorcyclist you have to not only know what you are doing on a bike, you have to anticipate and know what others are doing as well.
        So what is a blind spot? The blind spot is an area of the vehicle that the driver cannot see around or into. This includes the back, back left and back right surrounding areas of the vehicle. If you are in someone’s blind spot and you are on a motorcycle you are in a very dangerous place. This spot is so big that you could be located beside the vehicle thinking the driver knows you are there, when he doesn’t. If the driver cannot see you, he will hit you if he moves over into your lane. Cars hit other cars all of the time. If a car’s blind spot is so big that it cannot see a car, they certainly cannot see a motorcycle. Same goes for 18-wheelers, but they have more surface area and therefore, more dead spots to content with.
        So, what is your best defense? Never let yourself get into a spot in which the other driver cannot see you. As you come along the side another car, the opposing driver’s blind spot runs from the front of your tire along their vehicle to your left or right rear bumper. The driver is limited by his right, left, or rear view mirrors; his blind spot is your dead spot. The heavier the traffic the more likely a driver is to maneuver suddenly, so be alert and careful. If you find yourself in someone’s blind spot then move forward or drop back. Just get out of it and become visible to the other driver.
        As the driver of the motorcycle you too have blind spots. You can only see what is behind you by your left and right mirrors — you cannot see directly behind you. You may be limited by a passenger, your helmet, or other obstacles. Look before moving into another lane. Don’t trust your mirrors. Turn your head. Use your turn signals at least 500 yards before you turn. Use hand signals before the turn.
        Know your surroundings. You are the only one that can protect you. If you get hit by another car it doesn’t matter whose fault it is. It will be you that will pay. Protect yourself. Remember: stay alert, stay alive.
        If there is a topic that you would like to discuss, please send your comments and suggestions to motorcycle4fun@aol.com. RIDE SAFE!

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    Burn After Reading (Rated PG-13)   4 Stars

        {mosimage}Burn After Reading (96 minutes) is a worthy follow-up to the Coen Brothers’ Academy Award winning No Country for Old Men. Unlike the latter film, which was good but not great, the ending to this movie actually makes sense.
        At its heart, the film is a twisted spy caper movie in the same way that Fargo was a criminal caper movie. All the elements are there, but the plot is a little bit to the left of what you would naturally expect. The highlights of the movie include the fabulous ensemble cast and the dialogue, which, despite all the criticism, the Coens’ excel at writing.
    We open with a cinematic plunge towards a building, where CIA analyst Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) is threatened with demotion, resulting in his subsequent resignation. Once home, his wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) is outraged at his unemployment, and consults with a divorce lawyer while Osbourne decides to write his memoirs rather than look for another job.
        It turns out that Katie is having an affair, and this leads into an exploration of her relationship with Treasury agent Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) and his wife Sandy (Elizabeth Marvel).
        Meanwhile, the files the divorce lawyer copied from Osbourne’s computer are found at a local gym, where the employees’ misinterpretations lead Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) into a series of misadventures. These misadventures culminate in a trip to the Russian Embassy with unexpected consequences. At the same time, Linda is obsessed with an Internet dating service where she meets the aforementioned Harry, who has clear issues with fidelity.
        Osbourne’s discovery of his wife’s divorce action leads him to ever-escalating violence, but his former employers the CIA are too busy playing catch-up to intervene in his rampage (other than to cover it up). We end on a hilarious note, with a CIA official (David Rasche) summing up the final toll from Osbourne’s break with the social compact for his unnamed superior (J.K. Simmons).
        Overall, it was a very enjoyable movie that I am still thinking about.
        Even so, there are issues with the acting, and not everyone will respond so positively to it. While it is nice to see the Coens’ return to their darkly comic roots, the film is a smidge short for such a complicated plot. While most of the acting is spot on, The Clooney overacted just a tad in his introductory scenes, and Swinton (who earned my undying devotion with her 1992 role as Orlando) does not quite manage to achieve the nuanced character she was trying for, instead coming off as a caricature. Her lack of clear motivation probably stemmed from her lack of screen time, understandable in an ensemble cast such as this.
        Interesting to note is the lamentable fact that of the main cast, Tilda Swinton is the only actor whose character was not written for her specifically. According to several interviews, the Coens’ actually wrote the characters specifically for Malkovitch, McDormand, Clooney and Pitt to play.
        Another disappointment, this one on a purely personal level, stems from the failure to have Rasche speak to his gun as to an old friend. No, I do not think he should be inextricably identified with his 1986 role in Sledgehammer for the rest of his career, but this is a movie that plays up the gun violence to the extent that a longing glance at a gun would not have been out of place.
        As with other Coen movies such as Raising Arizona and Fargo, this one is a story of self-important people too wrapped up in their own self-aggrandizement to look realistically at the world around them.

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    The Amazing Race is Nowhere Near as Exciting as its Score
       

        The new season of The Amazing Race (Sunday, 8 p.m., CBS) begins with edge-of-the-seat excitement. Eleven pairs gather in Los Angeles to kick off the race around the world. The host reveals their first destination — Brazil — and they’re off! Accompanied by a soundtrack of deafening drums and screeching brass, the pairs jump in their cars and speed off to the airport! But they’re slowed by L.A. traffic! And the airline ticket lines are excruciatingly long! Then they endure the endless flight to Brazil as the soundtrack reaches a fever pitch!{mosimage}
        Hold on. In reality, there’s nothing very exciting about inching forward in traffic, waiting in line and taking a long intercontinental flight. The deafening drums and screeching brass just make us think it’s exciting. With that kind of soundtrack, I bet even this blurb would be a heart-pounding thrill ride.

    SURVIVOR: GABON
    Thursday, 8 p.m. (CBS) 
          Last season’s Survivorwas stunning, thanks to  a wily group of women who blindsided all the men. Week after week, Amanda, Parvati, Natalie and Cirie seduced their teammates into a false sense of security before lowering the ax. It was wonderful to watch them spin their webs, to the point where not even dudes holding an immunity idol were safe.
        The cast for this season’s premiere has already been announced, but I won’t be surprised if Amanda, Parvati, Natalie and Cirie blindside the producers and show up in Gabon unannouncedsexual slang is enough to get a laugh.

    PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
    Friday, 9 p.m.
        I watched the national conventions, so I have a pretty good idea of how the first presidential debate will go. Democrat Barack Obama will say that the country is in terrible shape, that the Republicans are responsible, and that we need a change. Then Republican John McCain will say the same thing.
        I know there’s a logical flaw in there somewhere. I just hope that, with the aid of a slide rule and blackboard, I can figure it out before the Nov. 4 election.

    THE SIMPSONS
    Sunday, 8 p.m. (FOX)
        In the season premiere, Homer becomes a bounty hunter, armed with a Taser. “Finally,” he tells his partner Flanders, “a practical use for electricity.” Homer tucks the Taser into his pants, despite the fact that it keeps shocking him in a very bad place. “It looks cool,” he explains to Flanders. Crackle. “D’OH!”
        The economy is tanking, the war is dragging on, and the presidential election is getting uglier by the minute. At least we have The Simpsons.

    COLD CASE
    Sunday, 9 p.m. (CBS)
        There’s nothing flashy about this series, in which detectives look for fresh leads on stale cases. No actor particularly stands out; none of them are babes. The director doesn’t try to get our attention with zippy editing, an overbearing score or gruesome corpses. Instead, Cold Case emphasizes solid TV storytelling.
        In the season premiere, a new clue comes to light in the murder of a college football star in 1973. The detectives track down the suspects one by one, looking for holes in their stories. Nothing special about that, but you have to give Cold Case credit for involving us in the mystery, and even touching our hearts by the end.
        My only quibble is that the bad guys are a bit too easy to spot.

    PARIS HILTON’S MY NEW BFF
    Tuesday, 10 p.m. (MTV)
        Paris Hilton lives most of her life on reality TV, so it makes sense that she’d use this MTV series as a way to search for a new best friend. But if I were the winner, I wouldn’t be too smug. Paris is just as likely to drop her in a 2009 series called You Know What You Did.

  • Details
        When America fell in love with Alan Jackson, they fell in love with his humorous, good time music like “Chatahoochee.” Eleven albums later, America is still in love with Jackson, but they’ve seen all sides of his music, from his ballads like “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” to traditional country like “Murder on Music Row.” On Thursday, Oct. 2, Jackson fans will get a chance to take a stroll down memory lane when he brings his Good Time tour to the Crown Coliseum.
        Jackson, one of country music’s greatest voices and most accomplished artists, will share the stage with Trace Adkins, another bigger than life country music star. The double-barrel pairing of two of country’s most exciting performers is sure to bring country music fans of all ages to the Crown for a night of honky-tonk madness.
        {mosimage}Three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year and most nominated artist in CMA Awards history Alan Jackson is “one of country music’s true masters” writing songs that ‘make life’s mundanities carry emotional heft and make it look easy.” (USA Today) He has sold more than 49 million albums and topped the album and country album chart this year with Good Time, which produced two number one singles, “Small Town Southern Man”  and “Good Time,” bringing Jackson’s career total of number ones to 33, 23 of which were written by the Grammy-winning songwriter.
        Jackson’s early music was carefree and paid homage to the honky tonks of days gone by. When his music took a on a more serious vein, he noted that while his fans enjoyed the music, they still looked forward to hearing the whimsical music which gave him his start. Good Time is a return to that music.
    While Jackson’s music has grown over the years, one thing has not changed. He has remained committed to his country roots. While others in the country music arena let their music move toward the mainstream, Jackson held on to traditional country — paying homage to country greats like Hank Williams.
        His song “Murder on Music Row,” a duet with George Strait, criticized the state of country music. The song raised the question whether or not traditional country music was actually dead. The duo was invited to open the 2000 Academy of country Music Awards with a performance of the turn. Rolling Stone noted, “if Garth and Shania have raised the bar for country concerts with Kiss-style production and endless costume changes, then Alan Jackson is doing his best to return the bar to a more human level.”
        Since releasing his platinum debut album in 1996, the Louisiana-born performer, musician, author and actor Trace Adkins has recorded seven studio albums, which netted him 24 singles on the Billboard chart.  His latest chart-topping CD, American Man: Greatest Hits Vol. II includes the multi-week number one single “You’re Gonna Miss This.” After his strong showing on NBC’s hit reality series, The Celebrity Apprentice, Adkins is turning to the big screen. He’ll soon appear in the feature film American Carol, an irreverent comedy directed by David Zucker. He is set to release his next studio album this fall.
        Tickets are $48 to $58. Additional fees may apply. Tickets may be purchased at the Crown Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or by calling 910-223-2900. The Crown Center main box office is located at the Crown Coliseum and is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

  • Details
        Curt Taylor, guitarist for Atlanta-based metal/rap band Primer 55, describes his crew’s music as “heavy rock with a hip-hop feel.”
        Yeah, heavy like the circus fat lady after she’s eaten a pan of lead-filled cookies; heavy like the Hindenburg after that lead zeppelin crashed and burned in a New Jersey field; heavy like the band’s biggest influences — NWA, Rancid, Ice T, Soulfly.
        {mosimage}And if you want to catch this “heavy” act that has sold more than 750,000 CDs around the world, you need to float on over to The Rock Shop on Sept. 26 and weigh the band’s talent for yourself.
    “People try to describe our sound all the time,” said Taylor, “saying we sound like this band or that band. But in the end, we just sound like Primer 55.”
        Primer 55 was formed in 1997 in Memphis, Tenn. After gaining some word-of-mouth fame for its brutally intense live shows, the band released its self-titled debut CD in 1999 on the independent label Propellant Transmissions. Shortly after this release, the group was offered a contract with Island Def Jam, releasing Introduction to Mayhem in 2000. The band has issued two CDs since, and is working on a new recording for major label My Family Records that will hit the shelves by the end of the year.
        Band members include Taylor and Bobby Burns on guitar and bass, vocalist Donny Polinski, and Mikey Terito on drums. Burns also plays guitar with the phenomenally successful Soulfly, serving as a musical foil to guitarist extraordinaire, Max Cavalera.
        “It’s an extremely tight unit as far as musicianship goes,” said Taylor. “When we do a live show it’s like a well-oiled machine.
        “And even though we’re classified in the metal genre, we’re really not guys playing detuned seven string guitars,” added Taylor. “We play low, groove oriented rock.”
        You can check out some sound samples on the band’s Web site, www.myspace.com/primer55rocks. The songs provided are all intense, metal/rap songs — sort of the alien love child of House of Pain and Slayer — except for the standout acoustic tune, “My Girl.”
        The Web site also contains photos and testimonials from Primer 55’s fan base — a group Taylor says is among the most enthusiastic in rock.
        “Our fans are some of the rowdiest, craziest out there,” said Taylor. “And we’re especially looking forward to playing Fayetteville because it’s known as being a town that really supports heavy rock. And it’s a military town and we know how rowdy soldiers can get — we’re huge supporters of the military and everything they do for this country.”
        The Primer 55 show will get started on Friday, Sept. 26, at The Rock Shop at about 8 p.m., kicking off with opening bands Slamhandle and Abydos. Tickets are $10 and $12. For more information, call 321-ROCK, or check out the Web site, www.therockshoplive.com.

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        Dear EarthTalk: How can I measure — and then improve — my overall “carbon footprint?” What are the major areas of one’s daily life that one measures?       
                             — Andy Fusco, Passaic, N.J.

        With global warming dominating so many headlines today, it’s no surprise that many of us are looking to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases our activities produce.
        By assessing how much pollution each of your individual actions generates — be it setting your thermostat, shopping for groceries, commuting to work or flying somewhere for vacation — you can begin to see how changing a few habits here and there can significantly reduce your overall carbon footprint. Luckily for those of us who want to see how we measure up, there are a number of free online carbon footprint calculators to help figure out just where to start changing.{mosimage}
        One of the best is the University of California at Berkeley’s Cool Climate Calculator. The free Web-based tool takes into account daily driving mileage and grocery and electricity expenses, among other factors, to assign a carbon score, which users can compare to similar households across the 28 largest urban areas in the U.S. Some of the results are surprising. For example, residents of eco-aware San Francisco tend to have bigger carbon footprints than those in more conservative Tampa, Fla. The reason: San Francisco has a higher cost of living and colder, wetter winters (requiring more fossil-fuel derived heat).
        Another great carbon footprint calculator is available at EarthLab.com, an online “climate crisis community” that has partnered with Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection and other high-profile groups, companies and celebrities to spread the word that individual actions can make a difference in the fight against global warming. Users just take a three-minute survey and get back a carbon footprint score, which they can save and update as they work to reduce their impact. The site provides some 150 lifestyle change suggestions that will cut carbon emissions — from hanging your clothes to dry to sending postcards instead of letters to taking the bike instead of the car to work a few days a week.
        “Our calculator is an important first step in educating people about where they are, then raising their awareness about what they can do to make easy, simple changes that will lower their score and positively impact the planet,” says Anna Rising, EarthLab’s executive director. “Our goal isn’t about convincing you to buy a hybrid or retrofit your house with solar panels; our goal is to introduce you to easy, simple ways that you as an individual can reduce your carbon footprint.”
        Other green groups and corporations, including CarbonFootprint.com, CarbonCounter.org, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy and British Oil Giant BP, among others, also offer carbon calculators on their Web sites. And CarbonFund.org even allows you to assess your carbon footprint—and then offers you the ability to offset such emissions by investing in clean  energy initiatives.

        CONTACTS: Cool Climate Calculator, http://bie.berkeley.edu/calculator.html; EarthLab, www.earthlab.com; CarbonFootprint.com, www.carbonfootprint.com; CarbonCounter.org, www.carboncounter.org; Conservation International, www.conservation.org; The Nature Conservancy, www.nature.org; BP, www.bp.com.

        GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

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        Is there anything old North Carolina political wisdom can teach Barack Obama as he responds to John McCain’s choice of a running mate?
        Here is a summary of some good advice I have heard over the years from North Carolina political old timers.
        1. The Battleship Rule — set your course stay on it. Your campaign is like a warship that has an assigned mission. If you try change direction every time an enemy ship fires a shot across your bow, you will let your enemy set your course for you. And your enemy will not be leading you where you need to go. Translation: Do not let the shots from the Sarah Palin phenomenon turn your campaign away from its demonstrated strengths of hope, change and strength for our country.
        2. The Sanford Rule — respond with speed and strength. Back in 1950 when a young Terry Sanford was trying to help Frank Graham win a U.S. Senate election, he saw Graham ignore his opponent’s substantive negative messages. Graham lost. So, in Sanford’s own campaigns for governor in 1960 and the U.S. Senate in 1986, he responded quickly to every important negative message against him. His response always took the opponent’s claim and turned it around into something that showed Sanford’s positive message. He showed that he was a fighter, but he did not violate the “Battleship Rule.” Sanford always fired back quickly but did not change course. Were Sanford in Obama’s shoes today, he would be pounding McCain for his weak, impulsive, careless choice of a running mate. Nor would Sanford bow to the whines of Republicans that Palin is being unfairly treated by an examination of her record. I can hear him saying, “Since McCain forgot about vetting Palin, somebody has to do the job for the American people.” 
        {mosimage}3. The Sheriff’s Rule — don’t despair if the sheriff is for your opponent. In the old days in North Carolina, sheriffs had great power on election day. Therefore every candidate wanted the sheriff’s support. However, the Sheriff’s Rule reminded candidates that, no matter how popular the sheriff was, he also had lots of enemies. Those enemies would be good prospects to be supporters of anyone the sheriff was against. The message for Obama in the Sheriff’s Rule is this: While Sarah Palin is gathering supporters for McCain, she is also making many enemies. These people are waiting for Obama to rally them.
        4. The “Never Act Like a Victim” Rule — never hang your head down like somebody is beating you down. People don’t like their political leaders to play the “victim’s” role. They want their leaders to show a fighting spirit and respond to every adversity with personal optimism and cheer. (See the Sanford Rule above.)
        5. The “Pay Attention to Your Base” Rule — never forget the importance of keeping your core base energized. John McCain had this rule in mind when he chose Palin. Obama needs to tend to his base, but not pander to the base as McCain did.  (See the next rule.) Obama’s supporters deserve to get the information, positive about their candidates and negative their opponents that give them the spirit to work enthusiastically.
        6. The “Remember the Middle” Rule — elections are usually decided by the “persuadable” voters. Usually they are moderates. A candidate who is perceived as too far to the left or to the right loses those voters.
        7. Finally, the “Keep Your Sense of Humor” Rule — stay cheerful and upbeat and tell jokes that make a point.

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        The national party conventions are over, the polls are bouncing, the candidates are racing down the homestretch, and I’m grumpy.{mosimage}
        As a grumpy think tanker, I’m not alone. Back in April, a coalition of Washington policy nerds called the Brookings-Heritage Fiscal Seminar released a sobering document entitled “Taking Back Our Fiscal Future.” The authors spanned the ideological spectrum, including analysts from the Right (Heritage Foundation & American Enterprise Institute), and the Left (Urban Institute and Brookings Institution). The upshot was that this year’s political candidates aren’t saying much about the biggest domestic problem facing America: entitlements.
        “When the next president and Congress take office in January 2009,” the seminar participants observed, “they will face one crucial question that has been largely absent from the current election campaign: how to narrow significantly the enormous gap between projected federal spending and revenues.” With Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid spending largely on autopilot, and slated to dominate future spending, the ability of any politician to address other domestic priorities will be severely constrained.
        Think that the United States has inadequate and deteriorating infrastructure in need of modernization? You’re right, but prospects for more investment are dimming. Think that major tax increases to finance skyrocketing entitlement benefits will discourage entrepreneurship and capital formation while squeezing household budgets?
        The Bush administration didn’t help matters with its overspending and the addition of Medicare Part D. Earlier, the Clinton administration missed an opportunity to enact significant entitlement reforms during the 1990s.
        In their paper, the Brookings-Heritage folks exploded some of the myths sometimes voiced on the Right or Left to downplay this long-term fiscal crisis. Although pro-growth policies, restraint in discretionary spending, and health-care reform could ameliorate future deficits a bit, they won’t eliminate them. Tax hikes could reduce the deficits a bit, too, but both accounting and economic realities intrude. “Raising taxes will not address the underlying forces – population aging and health care cost growth – driving spending and revenues apart in the coming decades,” the authors wrote. “Even raising revenues as a percent of GDP to European levels – levels that are unprecedented in the United States — will not be sufficient.” I might add that burgeoning entitlements don’t just pose fiscal challenges. They also signal a troubling change in familial and social relationships. Seniors ought to be cared for primarily by their families and communities, not by impersonal federal programs that transfer dollars from those who don’t have older living relatives to those who do.
        Of course, many citizens have made life-altering decisions on the basis of the promise of perpetual Social Security benefits, full Medicare coverage, and Medicaid financing of nursing-home care (an issue that intrudes into state budgeting here in North Carolina and elsewhere). Sudden, wrenching changes would be unfair and impossible. The Brookings-Heritage think tankers make no such proposal. Instead, they recommend that the next president and Congress enact explicit long-term budgets for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid that are sustainable, limit future increases, and require congressional review every five years.
        Beyond general principles, the coalition outlines some specific ideas that could be part of a broad-based entitlement reform, including progressive indexing and other means-testing methods, mandatory personal savings accounts, changing the tax treatment of benefits, encouraging private long-term care insurance to reduce reliance on Medicaid, and replacing payroll-tax financing with some other federal tax levy.

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        Ever heard of the “sin of the desert?” A preacher was in the Middle East and was trying to witness to his Arab guide. The Arab guide just was not interested in talking about Jesus. The preacher continued until the Arab became upset and said, “I don’t want to hear anymore.”
        Finally, the preacher succumbed and said, “I just want you to know that I am sharing Jesus Christ with you, because I love you and I want you to go to heaven.” The Arab didn’t say anything for a while.
        Finally the Arab said, “I’m sorry. I understand that you just didn’t want to commit the ‘sin of the desert.’”
    The preacher looked a little puzzled and replied, “I’m not sure I know what that means, but it sounds pretty bad.”
        {mosimage}The Arab said, “The sin of the desert is to know where there is water, but not tell anyone else about it.”
        On Oct. 5, Green Springs Baptist Church is taking strategic steps to tell the people in our community where there is living water. We are having “My Friendship Connection” Sunday in which we are hoping every person in our church will invite and bring a friend to hear about the good news of the Bible.
        If you have not been invited, consider this a personal invitation to come and check it out. Jesus Christ is the living water (John 4:10) that can quench the thirst of any person, and He is the bread of life (John 6:35) that can quench the hunger of any person. Join us Oct. 5 to learn more.
        Green Springs offers a blended worship style with Bible-based, life application preaching at both 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. every Sunday, with childcare at both services.
        And, if you find that you’ve made a connection at our church or already have a connection somewhere else, we also invite you to join us for our annual Harvest Day Sale on Saturday, Oct. 11.
        This annual “in-gathering” brings old friends and new together for a fun day of fellowship featuring our famous barbecue and chicken salad plate sale, as well as a country store and auction. This fun event has been ongoing for years and is a much anticipated event in the Gray’s Creek community.
        If you’ve never attended the event, try to make the time to come out this year. In addition to great cooks, our church also has very talented individuals whose handcrafts will be on sale.
        Again, if you haven’t been invited, consider this your invitation.For more info, visit us online at www.greenspringsbaptistchurch.com or call (910) 425-8602.

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        The International Festivals and Events Association (IFEA) paid tribute to the Fayetteville Dogwood Festival on Sept. 10, during the IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards ceremony held at the IFEA’s 53rd Annual Convention & Expo.
        The Dogwood Festival garnered five awards in the prestigious competition. Awards were won in the following categories, for events with budgets: $250,000 - $749,000: {mosimage}
    •Gold — Best Organizational Web site;
    •Silver — Best Press/Media Kit;
    •Bronze — Best Sponsor Solicitation Package;
    •Bronze — Best Ad Series;
    •Bronze — Best Radio Promotion.
        Sponsored by industry leader Haas & Wilkerson Insurance, the professional competition drew 1,428 entries this year from among the world’s top festivals and events. 
        “We would like to congratulate all of our Pinnacle winners for their outstanding entries into this year’s competition,” said IFEA President & CEO Steven Wood Schmader. “The IFEA/Haas & Wilkerson Pinnacle Awards represents the hallmark of excellence in the festivals and events industry. Entries in every budget category, from every corner of the globe, allow us to recognize the best in our business while raising the standards and quality of media promotions and events across the board.”

    UNITED WAY CONDUCTS COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
        United Way of Cumberland County (UWCC) will enlist community leaders to conduct an assessment of the health and human service needs present in Cumberland County. The information gained through focus group meetings and mailed surveys will help guide United Way volunteers to focus their funding decisions on agencies and programs that will address community issues. 
        The methodology committee, made up of professionals from health and human service organizations, will compile the survey instrument. A second committee will distribute the surveys to neighborhood resource centers and libraries, and will mail them to randomly selected households throughout Cumberland County.
        Ten focus groups will also be held in neighborhood recreation centers across the county to acquire information from those who may have missed the survey. Topics covered in the focus groups will be community economics, education, health care, military, public safety, recreation and cultural activities, and social environment. To find a focus group in your area, go to www.unitedway-cc.org.
        Focus group schedule (all focus groups will be held from 6-8 p.m.):
    •Sept. 25: Hope Mills Recreation Center, 5766 Rockfish Road, Hope Mills;
    •Sept. 30: Cliffdale Recreation Center, 6404 Cliffdale Road, Fayetteville;
    •Oct. 2: Myers Recreation Center, 1018 Rochester St., Fayetteville;
    •Oct. 7: Smith Recreation Center, 1520 Slater Ave., Fayetteville,;
    •Oct. 14: Fort Bragg-Nijmegen Neighborhood Center, 2 Douve Place, Fort Bragg;
    •Oct. 16: College Lakes Recreation Center, 4945 Rosehill Road, Fayetteville;
    •Oct. 23: Eastover Recreation Center, 3637 Pembroke Lane, Fayetteville;
    •Oct. 30: Stedman Recreation Center, 175 Circle Drive, Stedman

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        {mosimage}Robert Barefoot, director of parks and recreation since 1988, announced his retirement from the City of Fayetteville effective Nov. 1. He has been with the department for more than 25 years.
        A native of Fayetteville, Barefoot graduated from Terry Sanford High School and East Carolina University. His first recreation job in 1975 was as a summer part-timer in Fayetteville, working with the Summer Fun Caravans.  This program took recreation into neighborhoods in a colorfully painted U-Haul trailer. That same year he became director of the Harnett County recreation department in what he called a “one-man operation.” Following that he moved to the town of Wake Forest and returned to his hometown as parks superintendent in March of 1983. Five years later he became the department director.
        “I didn’t intentionally work at coming back to Fayetteville, but that’s how it turned out and it’s been a good career,” he said.
        There have been many changes since he has been at the helm. He noted the replacement recreation centers that were built in the mid-1990s, the renovation of Myers Recreation Center, the Cape Fear River Trail, Linear Park, Festival Park, the Transportation Museum, additional neighborhood parks, athletic fields and playgrounds. The school-park partnerships created opportunities for recreation by constructing centers on school property (often co-located with a school) in exchange for meeting space and physical education classes, according to Barefoot. 
        Clark Park and Nature Center on Sherman Drive off Ramsey Street is one project that he believes put the department on the right track. He said the park had a poor image in the community and a reputation as a bad area for crime and drug use. The park became one of the gems of Fayetteville’s system with the early 1990s construction of the Nature Center and staffing with park rangers who created displays, programs and camps, he added. 
        On July 1, 2004 the city and county parks and recreation departments consolidated, becoming Fayetteville-Cumberland Parks and Recreation and Barefoot was named director. There are currently 18 recreation centers that include two senior citizen facilities and one dedicated to therapeutic recreation. There are approximately 765 acres of parks and open space throughout the city and county. In reflecting on his career with the City he said, “No one person gets it all done.  It’s a team effort and we have a good team at Parks & Recreation.”
        City Manager Dale Iman said, “Robert should be extremely proud of the accomplishments of the Parks and Recreation Department during his watch.  Throughout his career he has been dedicated and fully committed to the goal of improving the parks and recreational opportunities for the residents of Fayetteville.”
    Barefoot said he will miss many people he has worked with over the years including advisory board members, Milton Mazarick, Ronnie Chalmers and Harry Shaw, all of whom had an impact on the department, and many other citizen advocates that have been part of the team that helped create and continue the growth of the department.
        “I have loved working with people of vision, commitment and passion,” Barefoot added.
    Barefoot said he plans to stay in Fayetteville after retiring. There are other things he is interested in doing when he no longer works full time, such as volunteering, traveling and outdoor projects. He would like to see the national parks and spend time with his family, including his new grandchild. He has things to do and places to go while he is he is still young and healthy, he added.   

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        “There’s a sucker born every minute,” or at least that’s what P.T. Barnum believed. The self-titled “Prince of Humbug” wasn’t satisfied with just putting on a show, he had to be put on a great show. That’s something the Cape Fear Regional Theatre seems to have in common with Barnum. The CFRT, in its production of Barnum, has pulled out all of the stops to pay homage to the greatest showman on earth.
        Since the CFRT announced its season, I have been looking forward to the opportunity to see this production. My excitement was, in part, sparked by that of Bo Thorp, the artistic director of the theatre. Thorp spoke with great animation of the show, and the gleam in her eye promised the show would be something not to miss. Thorp was right.
        {mosimage}The musical, which tells the story of the life of P.T. Barnum, is really a play within a circus. In each scene we get an inside look at the man, and then we get an up-close look at the spectacle he created, but more importantly, loved. And from the start of the show until the last bow of the cast, it’s a rollicking good time.
        Broadway and CFRT veteran Dirk Lumbard shines as the man himself. Lumbard, who played the role on Broadway, not only performs the lead role, he also directs the play. To say he’s breathless by the end of the show would be an understatement but he never slows down, and he never misses a beat. In this musical, he shines.
    I’ve seen Lumbard in a couple of productions, and I have to say that to date, Barnum is his shining moment on the CFRT stage. Not that Lumbard wasn’t good in the other productions; they simply didn’t let his joy come through. I saw this from the opening notes of the production. He simply radiated joy, even in the more somber moments of the play. He captured the spark that drove Barnum to greater heights. Lumbard gave a dynamic performance in last year’s 12 Angry Men, but it didn’t truly highlight the true range of his talents. And, to my way of thinking really didn’t let us see his genius. Barnum is a horse of another color.
        Susan Cella, another Broadway performer, plays the perfect foil to Barnum, as she brings to life his straight-laced wife Chary Barnum. Cella’s resume is long, having played numerous roles on Broadway, traveled extensively with touring companies and having several television credits to her name. Chary Barnum was her husband’s conscience; you might say his north star. Cella does a fantastic job of fulfilling that role.
        Keri Burman, an Oklahoma native, played the role of Jenny Lind, an opera singer who caught Barnum’s eye for a while and brought a degree of respectability to Barnum’s shows, which were rife with bearded women, fat ladies and others more commonly referred to as sideshow freaks. Lind’s time on the stage was brief, but she added a lot of humor to the show. Her heavy accent and comedic delivery were spot on.
        Fayetteville resident Ken Griggs, serving as the ringmaster/narrator, also put in a solid performance. Griggs has been in numerous shows at the CFRT, and his presence on stage was nothing short of great. And, kudos to Ken, he spent weeks learning the numerous tricks of the trade including how to ride a unicycle, and after weeks of bumps and spills, he made it across the stage, reciting his lines without a fall.
        The tricks of the trade are also part of what made the show such a spectacle. The CFRT performers spent weeks learning circus skills like juggling, stilt-walking, tumbling and acrobatics in the Spanish webs. Their dedication to their craft resulted in a lot of bumps and bruises, but their hard work paid off in the performance.
        The talented cast danced, sang and tumbled their way right into the audience’s heart. So grab your family, grab your friends and head over to the circus. You’re going to love it.

    Contact Janice Burton at editor@upandcomingweekly.com 
     
     
     
     
     


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         {mosimage}With cooler weather forecast for our region, more people are going to start looking for outside activities. How does a relaxing evening down by the river — complete with great food and smooth jazz — sound? If it sounds tempting, you don’t have to look far, as WFSS 91.9 FM will host its third annual Jazz on the River event at Campbellton Landing on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 6:30 p.m.  Gates will open at 5 p.m., rain or shine. 
        “This event is part of our fall fundraising effort,” said Janet Wright, program director of WFSS 91.9 FM. “The station used to only do on-air fund drives and we felt that we should do something a little more creative.” 
          The performers for the event are jazz keyboardist Alex Bugnon from Montreaux, Switzerland; jazz guitarist Nick Colionne from the south side of Chicago; and electric violinist Ken Ford from Atlanta, Ga.      
          “We have people coming from Atlanta and Maryland to see the show,” said Wright.
    “There has been a request from fans to do this event more than once a year.” 
          Wright said that it feels good to see the event grow yearly and know that people enjoy it.
        WFSS is owned by Fayetteville State University and has been on the air for 31 years. It started out as a 10-watt station and currently has 100,000 watts serving 13 counties in southeastern North Carolina. The station streams its signal on the Internet so deployed soldiers and other listeners can follow the programming online.
    “We mainly feature news and jazz music,” said Wright. “On the weekends we play blues, bluegrass, gospel, African, Latin and folk music.”  
          WFSS airs several radio shows, including: Chat with the Chamber, Community Health and The Arts Connection.  
          The purpose of Chat with the Chamber is to keep the community aware of businesses, economic developments and opportunities. Community Health talks to local physicians regarding the latest developments in medicine and informs local citizens about health services that are provided in the Fayetteville community.
          The Arts Connection focuses on events that are taking place in the world of the arts. The program guide can be viewed at www.wfss.org.    
        Proceeds will be used for operating expenses for WFSS. An on-air fundraising drive is scheduled for this October. 
    “We are public radio and we do not air commercials,” said Wright. “Therefore we have to raise our money in different ways.” 
         Food vendors will be onsite for the concert event. WFSS will sell alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Coolers are not permitted. 
         “People are invited and encouraged to bring a lawn chair,” said Wright. “It is going to be a fun and successful event with great music.”   
         Campbellton Landing is located at 1122 Person St. on the banks of the Cape Fear River. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the gate. For more information or to purchase tickets call 672-2650 or 672-1381. Tickets can also be purchased at Fort Bragg MWR Tickets & Tours at 396-8747.

    Contact Shanessa Fenner at editor@upandcomingweekly.com





     
     
     
     
     
     

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        The Fayetteville Symphony Orchestra (FSO) is pleased to announce the new addition to the family, bassoonist Marvin P. Feinsmith. 
        “I am extremely proud that the FSO is attracting such experienced talent from all over North Carolina and beyond,” said Fouad Fakhouri, conductor and director of the FSO. 
        Feinsmith is a native of New York City and attended Julliard and the Manhattan School of Music as a scholarship student of Simon Kovar, graduating with a bachelor’s and master’s degree. He was first bassoonist at both institutions. The musician has done additional graduate study at New York University and the University of Colorado.         
        {mosimage}Feinsmith has extensive performing experience including playing the bassoon in an Army band in San Francisco, principle bassoonist with the Indianapolis Symphony, the Mozarteum of Salzburg and the Brooklyn Philharmonic; bassoon with Symphony of the Air and the Little Orchestra Society of New York; assistant bassoonist with the Denver Symphony Orchestra; and co-principle bassoon with the Israel Philharmonic.
        The bassoonist is also a composer whose music is influenced by his Jewish heritage.
        His Hebraic music includes two symphonies: Peerkay Avot-Ethics of the Fathers and Isaiah.
     “Isaiah is an homage to my father and mother, Samuel and Rachel,” said Feinsmith. “He played with the New York Philharmonic and was my greatest teacher.” 
        The composer added that the dedication is very important to him because they both have passed and he likes to keep their memory alive. Feinsmith has also written several film scores. 
        “I’m playing in several movie films and orchestras in New York,” said Feinsmith. “I did the soundtrack for Age of Innocence with Michelle Pfeiffer.”
        Feinsmith added that the other soundtracks include Carlito’s Way with Al Pacino and Mad Dog and Glorywith Bill Murray and Robert De Niro.
        The FSO serves the community in various ways. It performs free concerts,
    provides music for small ensembles, donates free concert tickets, serves as a resource for local music teachers and donates music stands to Cumberland County Schools.   
     “I look forward to playing with the FSO this season with a very fine conductor,” said Feinsmith. “My wife and I like North Carolina and we are very impressed with the people.” 
        For more information, call 433-4690 or visit www.fayettevillesymphony.org

    Contact Shanessa Fenner at editor@upandcomingweekly.com





     
     
     
     
     
     

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        As Fourth Friday approaches, the Arts Council of Fayetteville-Cumberland County is planning an exhibit that is sure to inspire. Unity in Our Community is a juried photo competition that, according to Arts Services Coordinator Calvin Mims, has been remarkable in its popularity and scope. 
        “We initially threw the call out for photo shots of unity in our community and we left it up to each individual photographer to make the interpretation of what unity is to them,” said Mims. “The response really resulted in some unexpected surprises with some just incredible shots that are very, very emotional.”
        The artists submitted works ranging from soldiers departing/returning home to pictures of young people playing together and adults dancing together at Fayetteville After Five.
        “There are incredible shots of people enjoying themselves across this entire community,” said Mims. “It will be a fun show to come and identify landmarks from around town and the outskirts of town as well as to sort of identify with some of the fun events that happen in and around town.”
        {mosimage}Once the word got out about the show, the Arts Council started receiving requests from some of the schools and young people wanting to make sure they could get in.
        “We got such a great response and terrific work that we thought we would go ahead and extend (the contest) so we could get some of our students to participate,” Mims noted. “It is wonderful, beautiful work. There is an awful lot of talent here in our area.”
        Speaking of a lot of talent, just around the corner and a few steps down the street at 124 Maxwell St., Olde Town Gallery had such a yummy response to its Second Annual Food Show last month that the gallery is holding it over for anyone who may have missed it. Artists and co-owners Allana Goodyear, Sandy McFarlane and Sherry Young work out of their studios at the gallery, but the front room also houses a new show.
        “Most of the time it is every month,” said Young. “Occasionally we will keep a really good show for two months, which is the case with our food show.”
        Pieces include watercolors, acrylic, oils, glass, wire sculpture and colored pencil renderings.
    “We have a wide variety,” said Young. Everything from pancakes to fruit and still life... vegetables... oranges. We’ve got a beautiful box of Godiva chocolate.”
        The works will be on display until Oct. 22, and are available for sale.
        Besides the food exhibit, Olde Town Gallery is also hosting jeweler Wanda Croteau, a custom jewelry designer and creator of Wanda’s Wonders.
        “She does a lot of beading and custom work,” said Young.
        There will be samples of Croteau’s works available and possibly the opportunity to place an order.
        “You can say I want a blue with pink and make it very simple or make it very elaborate and she will put it together according to what your choice is,” said Young. 
        Olde Town Gallery is on Maxwell Street next to Gregg’s Pottery Shop. The fun starts at 7 p.m. Check out the Arts Council’s Web site at www.theartscouncil.com for a complete listing of all Fourth Friday activities

    Contact Stephanie Crider at editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

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        The essence of the International Folk Festival in Fayetteville is the celebration of diversity in customs, foods and artistic expression. Gallery 208, on Rowan Street, heralds in the festival weekend with the opening of an exhibit by Japanese artist Etsuko Komori on Thursday, Sept. 25.
        Arriving in Fayetteville several days before the opening, Komori’s first trip to the United States will open with an exhibit of her pressed flowers and foliage fine art constructions. From a representational spin to the abstract, Komori’s constructions give us examples of a highly popular art form in Japan.
        We all know the collecting of flowers and leaves as a keepsake takes many forms. A forget-me-not flower is sealed in clear epoxy and hangs as a delicate charm on a bracelet or necklace. Maybe it was an elementary school assignment — identify and collect the different leaves that fall in autumn, and then iron them between wax paper in the process of making a reference book for science class. Perhaps it was a rose from a loved one, pressed between the pages of a book as a keepsake.
        From the simple pressing of a rose as a keepsake, the techniques of pressing nature has evolved into finished works which maintain their color and form for many years. With new techniques, the pressed flower as simply a botanical specimen emerged into a new form of decorative arts in Japan and abroad.
       {mosimage} The pressing of nature has become a very marketable and sophisticated way to celebrate nature and art at the same time. Evolving from a culture which traditionally views nature in a very different way than Western aesthetics and lifestyle, the pressing of flowers is an art form which expresses the harmony of human creativity and nature that has been distinctly Japanese.
        It was Etusko Martin’s annual trips back to Japan which resulted in the high art of pressed flowers being exhibited in Fayetteville. It began with Martin bringing an example of Komori’s work back from one of her trips to share with the museum. During the past several years Martin has coordinated with the Fayetteville Museum of Art to bring the exhibit here. The museum decided the approaching opening would be perfect timing for the celebration of the international festival. 
        Martin, a local artist herself, shared with me her thoughts about the constructions visitors to Gallery 208 will be seeing and how Komori found her way to Fayetteville.
    “I always go to galleries when I go back home to Japan and noticed the art of pressed flowers was very popular,” said Martin. “In the galleries, Komori’s work was particularly distinctive — highly complicated, some constructions appear representational, while others are abstract. All are framed and held in place by the pressing of the material against the glass. Change the frame and you change the design. Her work was much more complicated than others, and very different.”
        Etsuko Martin translated Etusko Komori’s artist statement: “My works of art started simply with a love for flowers. Freshly colored flowers give a strong impression but still the flower humbly blooms by the edge of the path. I then started collecting different plants and flowers. I feel very special because I often feel as though the flowers and plants are speaking to me, as if to say, ‘Look at me, I am here.’ In that moment, I see the most beautiful things on this Earth.”
        Komori’s work involves only using elements she collected from nature. Any color in her work, even the watercolor effect, is from the stain of a plant. She stated: “I think the most important fact in my artwork is that I am using these flowers when they are still alive and fresh, recalling the moment of joy when I met them. However, this makes finding the right material for my art difficult. No two plants, no two flowers, though of the same kind, are the same. Perhaps the sap color of one flower is different to the other. When I combine these natural elements in my art material the beauty of nature is complimented and flourishes.”
        In a similar way, Komori responds to nature, “The surrounding attraction of nature’s beauty, it pulls me into a world of creation, transfixes me in it.”
    Visitors to the exhibit will find joy in her works. Seeing the work of Komori reminds us of the continued potential of nature as a work of art, the possibilities of material and style.
        The exhibit is a refreshing relief from the drama of local and national politics and news; it does what art has the potential of doing — transporting us aesthetically to a different place. In this case, it is a place of harmony and beauty.
        Not only will visitors to the opening meet the artist, but Komori will be doing a demonstration during the opening. Etusko Martin will be there to translate in English the answers to questions and the explanation of the process. The opening reception is at Gallery 208, which is located in the offices of Up and Coming Weekly at 208 Rowan St., Thursday, Sept. 25, 5:30-7 p.m.
        The exhibit will remain up for several months. If you aren’t able to attend the opening, then you can visit the gallery during regular business hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information on the exhibit call Up and Coming Weekly at 484-6200.

    Soni Martin can be reached at editor@upandcomingweekly.com

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        While some would argue that Fayetteville is still battling race issues, the city certainly has no problem in celebrating its diversity. For 30 years, one of the biggest parties in town has been the International Folk Festival, an event designed specifically to share the myriad of cultures that have assimilated into our community and to celebrate the unique aspect each brings to our community.
        This year, the 30th anniversary of the festival, promises to be one of the biggest and best events ever. And that’s saying a lot, as the three-day festival has been recognized by the Southeast Tourism Society as a Top 20 Festival for the past three years.
        {mosimage}“When I think back 30 years ago — back to the ‘70s — it was a time of turmoil, the war was going on, but our community recognized that people from all over the world lived here. They were all proud of where they came from, but they were also proud of where they were and how they functioned in our community,” said Debra Mintz, of the Arts Council.
    That dedication and pride has enabled the festival to last 30 years. “It’s really quite extraordinary,” said Mintz. “They are always fussing at the United Nations, but folks from these 30 or 40 countries come together year after year to work hard for the community.”
        In years past, a nation has been designated as the host nation; but this year, in celebration of the 30th anniversary, the committee elected not to have a host nation, but rather to celebrate all of the nations, with a theme of “Unity.”
    The party will kick off on Friday, Sept. 26, as part of the community’s annual Fourth Friday event. Ground zero for this portion of the festival will be at 301 Hay St., or the building we all know as the Arts Council. The council is hosting a special juried photo competition designed to showcase “unity in our community.” Photographers were asked to take their cameras to the streets and bring in their best photos of the diverse, but unified nature of our community. After you take a look at the art, spend some time outside listening to the traditional sounds of the Heritage Bluegrass Band. The band will be set up on Hay Street, so you can continue to hear their dulcet sounds as you stroll the rest of downtown visiting other participating businesses. Mintz said Hay Street will be closed off, and the band will feature “good old mountain music — a music that is based in our nation’s roots.”
        Now that you have a picture (sorry, we couldn’t help ourselves) of the diversity of our city, come on out and take a walk on the wild side on Saturday, Sept. 27, when Fayetteville hosts its own version of carnivale on Hay Street. The annual parade of nations will begin at 2 p.m., and if past celebrations are any indication, there will be dancing in the street. Of course, that’s really the point of the whole celebration.
        The Arts Council keeps as one of its mantras for this festival a quote from a Trinidad poet: “When we dance in the streets, we dance together, regardless of color, race, status, enjoying ourselves and sharing a love for great music, food and fun!”
    So, with that in mind, even if you aren’t in the parade, let the music get into your soul and if the urge takes you — dance!
    “The parade is going to pretty spectacular to see,” said Mintz. “People from all over world in native costumes will proudly go down the street in their native costumes.”
        Mintz said over 1,000 people participate in the parade every year.
    The parade will be followed by a free concert in Festival Park at 5:30 p.m. the concert will feature the local band B.I.G. and then go international with the Spam All Stars. B.I.G is a Funk and Rhythm and Blues Band, while the Spam All Stars, will put the rhythm in you when they bring their Latin sounds to the park. If the mood to salsa or mambo hits you, don’t hold back.
    Mintz explained that the Spam All Stars performed during one slot last year, but that they received such a warm welcome that the Arts Council immediately booked them to headline the Saturday concert.
        {mosimage}Sunday, Sept. 28 is the big festival day. Running from noon-6 p.m., the festival will offer food, art, fine crafts and entertainment on multiple stages  in Festival Park and its surrounding area. Mintz explained that Ray Avenue will, in fact, become a second promenade into the park. There will be entertainment stages set up down the avenue, as well as vendors. “We found last year, that having only the bridge access into the park caused a bottleneck,” she said. “So this year, you can go to the left or to the right and find fun and entertainment.”
        The event is huge, so you may want to come early and stake out your place. The event will carry the flavor of all of the various cultural communities that make up our community. There will be art from Africa, next to food from the Caribbean, next to German beer. You see where we’re going with this. This is a one-day, all-out cultural palooza designed to highlight the very best of our community. Don’t miss it.
        For more information, visit the Arts Council Web site at www.theartscouncil.com/International_Folk_Festival.html.

    Janice Burton can be reached at editor@upandcomingweekly.com

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