Wilson Post Blogs

Front stuffer, smoke pole or muzzle loader, call it what you want. Hunting with a muzzleloader is fun and our season opens this Saturday and runs through Nov 16. We can kill three does a day here in Unit L and no more than one buck a day, limit of three for the entire year.

By PATRICK HALL
Special to The Wilson Post

Dr. Alex Cross is a family man, an intellectual psychologist and above all, a good detective in the Detroit Police Department, but despite the role being a welcome change of pace for star Tyler Perry, the movie didn’t really stand out.

Based on books by James Patterson, the film follows the titular character played by Perry as he tries to uncover some brutal murders by an unnamed sociopath played by Matthew Fox. The villain hits Cross and his partner and childhood friend, Tommy Kane (Edward Burns), close to home and the film takes a revenge-flick tone.

Unfortunately, the plot of “Cross” doesn’t really move in any coherent direction for most of the film. The fact that nothing is known about its sociopathic villain, identified as “Picasso” in the end credits, or his motives is annoying and how he achieves some of his villainy is questionable.

For instance, he of course, knows the exact location and time Cross will be out to dinner with his wife. Well enough, in fact, that he’s able to position himself inside a neighboring building with a high-powered rifle with perfect line-of-sight to their table, which they sit down at after “Picasso” finds his position.

Who doesn’t love a wedding?!

I attended a beautiful (and extremely fun) wedding this past weekend (Congrats Pat & Allison!) and I am looking forward to another memorable occasion when my best friend, Destini, and her fiancé, Corey, tie the knot in five months!

Dressing up, eating cake, dancing the night away, seeing family and friends, toasting the happy couple, going into the photo booth (multiple times) – I can’t think of a better reason to celebrate!

All of these moments make the event fabulous and memorable. But the actual moments I love the most are these:

During the ceremony…

- When the preacher/priest/rabbi/wedding officiant announces the bride and groom – Mr. and Mrs. (insert name here) to the guests after their vows are complete. As a guest, you get to witness something truly epic! Here are two people, embarking on one of life’s greatest journeys together.

- Watching the bride walk down the aisle. Brides are always beautiful and the moment where her father lets go and she takes her future husband’s hand never fails to make me cry.

During the reception…

- The Best Man’s Speech. I love to watch the best man deliver his speech (which varies from hilarious to offensive) and pray that the bride and groom are good sports.

- Everybody dancing to Shout!! and any other music that promotes organized dancing (I’m talking about some good ole Cha Cha sliding and the Wobble).

I was curious if other people love weddings as much as I do, so I asked my nearest & dearest to share their thoughts for this blog. Read on… 

Q: What is your favorite part of a wedding?

“The precious little flower girls trying their best to make it down the aisle. Always makes me laugh. Especially when they walk halfway and then freak out. Of course, the entrance of the bride. The music always makes me cry. Always. Even if I am a guest and don’t know the bride from Adam.” – Christy

“The bride’s dress.” – Destini

“When the groom says his vows to the bride.” – Romel

“I personally like the ceremony. Just because I see marriage as the ultimate bond between two people in the name of God that is meant to never be broken. I guess it’s just because of a high respect for the idea of the institution itself. Then, of course, the garter throw.” – John L.

“The bouquet toss! I always catch it and yet am still single!” – Carrie

“You’ve got me. I’ve never been to one without drama.” – Marie

“Prenups are good. They function to ensure that people really want to be together. No one financially gains when they decide to leave. Gives peace of mind and honesty to the ceremony.” – Mark

“The reception because of the great food and drinks!” – DJ

“When they kiss!” – Michelle

“When the already married couples give the newlyweds advice on how to have a great marriage…that and open bars.” – Lexi

“When the preacher announces them husband and wife.” – Mitzi

“I love a good reception. It warms my heart to see friends and family celebrate love and commitment for the couple through being together.” – Maggie

“The way the groom looks at the bride when she walks down the aisle and how happy the couple looks together.” – Tina

“My favorite part is the reception. It’s that time when people who don’t get to see each other often all come together with two people in mind. Also, a great time to meet new people that have come for one side or the other.” – John M.

“The reception. Everyone is relaxed and having fun…stress is over.” - Delaine

“Dancing. And staying as far away from the bouquet toss as possible.” – Aline

“My reception was awesome because we could just let go and have fun after months of planning. Also, when Tommy and I washed each other’s feet symbolizing our dedication and humble love for each other. That was really special to me.” – Mary D.

“The moment the bride and groom first see each other when the wedding march starts. Love the looks on their faces.” – MJ

“Watching the couple exchange vows. And the cake!” – Kim

“Watching the bride in all her beauty and seeing the reaction of her future husband’s face as she is walking toward him. The innocence and genuine emotion it brings is amazing.” - Charity

“The reception! Duh! … When the bride walks down the aisle probably.” – Casey

“Dancing at the reception.” – Steven

“The reception.” – Mary 

“The moment the doors opened and I looked at the groom (my husband). I felt such a peace and love. It was overwhelming and I knew I was supposed to be with him the rest of my life … I wanted to stay in that moment forever. Then I wanted to run down the aisle because I was so happy.” – Melanie

Thank you to everyone who submitted answers!!! Here are a few priceless memories from my friends' special days I wanted to share :) Love is beautiful - and so are these folks!

I saw something last Saturday I never recall seeing before.

Vanderbilt’s football team didn’t play its best game, yet managed to beat Auburn at Vanderbilt Stadium.

Tam Apo must have worked overtime this morning. I have watched  thousands of sunrises. This one, as they all seem, is special. The light filters through the vines and still green leaves, just touching the forest floor here and there. I like it. I enjoy just watching it unfold.

I saw something last Saturday I never recall seeing before.

Vanderbilt’s football team didn’t play its best game, yet managed to beat Auburn at Vanderbilt Stadium.

Is it a passing fad or is hunting slowly becoming the “in thing”

Can hunting be the next purse dog, those ugly little dogs that famous actresses and actors, the ones who seem to be out of work and in trouble, keep carrying around?

Guy named Dwight Garner, another writer I never heard of, wrote a front page story for the NY Times on the new wave toward hunting. It ran Oct. 1, and I reckon the last time hunting made the front page of that august rag was when Cheney shot the guy.

Speaking of Veeps, our current Republican vice presidential candidate, Paul Ryan is an avid bowhunter. The WI native not only hunts, he hunts seriously and has killed some record book animals. In other words, it is not a fad with him. Don’t vote for him just because of that.

Anyway, this guy Garner mentions many people I am not familiar with and a few I am. We all know Sarah Palin is a hunter. Pretty lousy shot from what I saw but a hunter. Course, we all know Uncle Ted Nugent, the loudmouth rock singer. But how many of you have heard of Lily Raf McCaulou, Georgia Pellegrini or Steve Rinela? The truth is, I never heard of any of them. Truth is I had to ask Jeanne who Zukerberg is. I am not on Facebook.

It seems these folks are well known if you are among the garden set or travel in some circles. They are city folks who moved to the country and took up growing things and hunting and writing books about it as if they just discovered dead deer are good to eat. Imagine that!

What spurred them to do so was the desire to eat healthier food, food sans various additives. Some also claim to want to kill their own food.

Make no mistake. Hunting is about killing. It involves blood and guts and if you process your own as I do, it requires some work. They seem to like it. They have come up with all sorts of recipes and ways to serve wild game. About 100-years ago, I published a recipe for wild turkey using Wild Turkey bourbon in the dressing. Folks at Austin Nichols sent me a case of Wild Turkey. Imagine that!

We of course, those of us who have been so fortunate as to have grown up in an advanced section of the country, have always known how to cook backstrap with turnip greens and liver and lights. We know hunting is about killing. However, this is a different segment of the population we are talking about now. They figured their squab came from some store with a fancy name and had no idea it was just a fancy uptown pigeon.

This is a good thing, this exposure to hunting by the young gentry. There are already camouflage clothes with button down collars and even camo undies. But perhaps a more expensive line is on the way. Wonder how long before they realize fur is already a form of camouflage?

Okay. Time to get serious.  This is a good thing, this exposure in other than the regular outdoor media. It may be a valuable tool in the preservation of hunting land. It may help to show hunters in a more positive light. However, it may also drive up the price of hunting.

I long ago quit worrying about anti-hunters and animal rights activists. They make up about 15% of the voting public. Hunters compose about the same number so that is a wash. Non-hunters compose 70% of the voting public. If they begin to view hunting in a more positive light, that is good.

Of course, there is a downside. If the more affluent begin to hunt, it could be that they will also begin to buy up land that is now available for hunting. That land is already shrinking. Hunting is on a slide toward the European style of hunting. That is hunting for only the rich and landed. That is not good.

We here in Tennessee are fortunate in that we have over a million acres of land open to hunting. Much of this land is in the form of Wildlife Management Areas-WMA. Fulltime managers manage these areas and much of that land is great hunting, open to all.

However, managing that land is not cost free. As that cost rises at the same time revenue for management decreases, some of the land may have to be sold. That is not good for hunting. In the meantime, I’ll take that positive exposure.

But hey, who are all those people I mentioned?

Contact JOHN L. SLOAN at / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Things are rocky on Rocky Top.

Three years into Derek Dooley’s attempt to put Humpty Dumpty back together again reached its’ shakiest point late Saturday night in Starkville.

I don't believe that we could have ordered a more perfect Saturday as this past weekend. The weather was so nice that it was a great day to drive out to Tyree's Access on OldHickoryLake and try my hand at fishing. Fishing is an easy task unless there is no connection with my brain, telling my left hand how to hold a cricket so that I could bait my hook. Finally after dropping half of my crickets back into the wild, it became frustrating and it was time to depart for home. 

This past Monday was the last day for me to see Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at my location on Fairview Avenue. Have any of you seen any later than that? In a couple more weeks, I will take my remaining feeders down and wash them and store them in a sealed container to be ready for next season.

Dear Ken: Edie Falco is great on “Nurse Jackie” and was superb as Carmela on “The Sopranos.” Has she made many movies?

Falco, 49, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., got her big break in the 1994 Woody Allen film “Bullets Over Broadway.” She has appeared in about 30 films including “Cop Land,” “A Price Above Rubies,” “Judy Berlin,” “Random Hearts,” “Sunshine State,” “Family of the Year,” “The Quiet” and “3 Backyards.” She next stars as Artemis in “Gods Behaving Badly,” about a young couple who run into a group of Greek gods living in the Big Apple.

By BECKY ANDREWS
Wilson Living Magazine

Its midnight and I can’t sleep. So instead of just enjoying the quiet hum of an otherwise bustling house, I think.  And you know what “that” leads to... I start out thinking about the birthday party I need to plan for my youngest. Then I remember Thanksgiving hits right before his birthday, so I need to mentally and physically prepare for hosting a day full of brothers, sisters, and in-laws, not to mention nieces and nephews with sticky fingers, loaded diapers and missing parents.

By PATRICK HALL

Sometimes stories in films are just too crazy to believe, but in the case of the based-on-a-true-story film, “Argo,” the reality is more entertaining than most of what Hollywood cooks up these days, and it finally tells a miraculous story that saved the lives of six Americans.

Directed by Ben Affleck, who also stars as Tony Mendez, “Argo” tells of the Iranian Revolution in 1979, where the U.S. Embassy in Tehran was stormed and 52 Americans taken hostage. But there were six who escaped the embassy to the Canadian Ambassador’s home.

Mendez devises a plan to get the six embassy personnel home, by disguising as a Canadian film producer and the six Americans as his crew on a location scout in Tehran. It was, as Bryan Cranston’s Jack O’Donnell put it, “The best bad idea we have.”

Once upon a time when my work schedule was Saturday-Wednesday, I daydreamed about what it would be like to have weekends off like the rest of the world.

Now that I am a proud staff writer at The Wilson Post, I have found out what it is like to have weekends off – and let me tell you, it is not what I expected.

I used to think that my Saturdays would be spent sleeping in and watching recordings of my favorite fall television shows (it is the final season of Gossip Girl, after all). But those thoughts have gone with the wind. Nowadays I could not be busier on Saturdays – and you know what? I love it. Gossip Girl can wait.

I spent my time volunteering at the 33^rd annual Oktoberfest in Nashville this past Saturday. The event raised funds for the restoration of historic Assumption Catholic Church and Monroe Street United Methodist Church, and for the continuation of outreach projects for the needy.

I worked as a volunteer in the Biergarten with some of Wilson County’s finest ladies: my mother, Pamela, Delaine Smith and Laura Beth Duncan. Some of our Nashville-based friends, including Laleh Vatandoost-Lamb, Michelle Stuart, Peter Marcum and Brian Senecal (who is Fiscal Director of Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) also donated their time to this cause. Senecal was in charge of organizing volunteers – and he did a great job! We were a hard working bunch from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.

I had the best time serving folks and spending an afternoon with good friends.

I can’t wait to volunteer again next year and hopefully visit both of the churches that Oktoberfest benefits. Until then, ich liebe dich, Oktoberfest!

Aging. It freaks me out.

At 24, I really can’t tell you why. I am well aware that I have years before I have to worry about wrinkles, sagging skin, age spots and lying about my age. I’m young, stay out of the sun and have good genes. My mother (whose exact age I do not know) is one of the most beautiful women over 40 that I have ever seen. My Nano (also whose age I do not know) is looking great for a gal over 70. Even my great-grandmother, who lived to be 98, was lively and rocked red lipstick until the day she died.

But aging isn’t like it used to be. Nowadays it seems our society is obsessed with youth. Every time you turn around there is a new anti-aging product on the market. A new hairstyle that provides an instant facelift effect. A new makeup technique to erase the years.

This obsession isn’t going away – so I say, if it makes you look younger or just plain feel better – WHY NOT DO IT?

On Saturday, Oct. 6, the fabulous Dr. Deborah “Doctor Deb” Sherman was the guest speaker at an invitation-only event at the Beauty Boutique in Lebanon. If you go to shermanaestheticcenter.com, you can read more – but for the sake of this blog I’ll keep Doctor Deb’s bio brief.

In her impressive career, Dr. Sherman has received two nationally distinguished awards for the discovery and description of the presence of lymphatics in the orbital area.For this landmark research, she received the Lester T. Jones Anatomy Award and the Merrill Reeh Pathology Award.Dr. Sherman is an active member of the prestigious American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and has served as President of the Nashville Academy of Ophthalmology .

She is also a National Expert on Botox and Aesthetic surgery, selected as a National Trainer by Allergan, the makers of Botox Cosmetic, to teach physicians the technique of aesthetic Botox.

I first met Dr. Sherman last year, at a similar event at Five Oaks. What impressed me about her, other than her obvious credentials and ability to make women look and feel good, was her vivacious personality.

Dr. Sherman is one of the most down-to-earth people that you will ever meet. She and her team are extremely personable and made all of the women present feel at ease about cosmetic procedures.

As Dr. Sherman put it – “Your face is the only outfit that you wear every day.” Who wouldn’t want to look their best? During the brief seminar at the Beauty Boutique, Dr. Sherman showcased the work that she does and answered questions about the various procedures she performs at her Nashville office.

Botox was obviously the most popular, due to minimal side effects and no downtime. When performed by a Master Injector, such as Dr. Sherman, she said Botox can help address “11” lines in your forehead, crow’s feet, and horizontal forehead lines – all while providing natural results.

I attended the event with my mother, Pamela, and saw many other beautiful local faces like Meleia Bell, Sandy Hubbard, Tasha Irby, Maggie Julian and Beauty Boutique Owner Misty Kennedy. My mom got Botox to correct the crow’s feet around her eyes that day!

We went to the Low Country Boil, a fundraising event that benefits Sherry’s Run, later that night and she had no bruising or side effects – other than the fact that she looked refreshed and awesome!

So maybe aging isn’t that scary – as long as Dr. Sherman and Botox are around.

U.S. Representative Diane Black (R-TN) stepped out of her district and onto the dance floor on Saturday, Sept. 29 at the eighth annual Eye Ball.

The ball, which raised funds for the Wang Foundation for Sight Restoration, was held at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville and attracted a number of local representatives and personalities, including State Rep. Glen Casada, Channel 4 News Sports Director Rudy Kalis, Channel 5 Anchor Vicki Yates, and host, world renowned cataract and LASIK surgeon, Dr. Ming Wang.

Black, who served as the 2012 Event Chair, said she was honored to be a part of the event.

“I am proud to be involved in an organization that is changing the lives of people around the country and the world through free of charge sight restoration surgeries. As a nurse for 40 years, I have had the opportunity to travel on medical mission trips and see adults and children receive eye glasses for the first time,” she said.

“Whether it is through prescription eye glasses or surgery, giving someone in need the ability to see is a priceless gift that will open up a new world of possibilities. Through the generosity of the community and the help of volunteers, the Foundation is able to restore sight for more and more people in need.”

She served with Wang and Danceworld owner Danny Baye, to judge the inaugural Dancing with the Stars competition at the Eye Ball.

Five hundred guests watched as Casada, Kalis and Yates showed off their moves in the competition, before Baye and his wife, Sharlene, offered guests a basic ballroom dance lesson.

Since being established in 2004, the Wang Foundation for Sight Restoration, a 501c(3) non-profit organization, has helped patients from over 40 states and 55 countries by providing sight restoration surgeries, free of charge. Foundation patient, Martha Adams, gave an emotional testimonial about how her life was changed after having surgery. Adams said that prior to learning about the Wang Foundation, she was nearly blind and the condition “just snowballed.”

“You all look so beautiful tonight. I can say that now, because I can see,” she said.

Staff Writer Sabrina Garrett may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Dear Ken: Did Yankee slugger Mickey Mantle appear in any movies? I think I remember him and Roger Maris in one back in the early 1960s.

Mantle, who died in 1995, was no actor but he appeared as himself on numerous game shows, talk shows and TV series such as “Hee Haw,” “The White Shadow,” “Remington Steele” and “Mr. Belvedere.” But he did star in one film, probably the one you recollect, 1962’s “Safe at Home,” about a boy who runs away from home to try and talk the New York Yankees into appearing at his Little League baseball team’s banquet. Maris, Whitey Ford and Yankee skipper Ralph Houk also appear (they can’t act either), while real actors William Frawley and Don Collier hold down the fort. 

By PATRICK HALL
Special to the Wilson Post

With lines and situations pulled almost verbatim from its predecessor, the sequel to the surprising hit “Taken” (2008), aptly titled “Taken 2” is disappointing, too familiar and an indicator of the current recipe in Hollywood: if it makes money the first time, just make a sequel.

“Taken 2” picks up not long after retired CIA Agent Brian Mills (Liam Neeson) rescued his kidnapped daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) from Albanian human traffickers in the film’s predecessor. The first leap of faith is to believe Mills is still free to obsessively wash his car after the events in “Taken” that had him kill dozens of bad guys and cause mayhem all over Paris.

But, when Mills takes a job protecting a diplomat in Istanbul, Turkey, his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Jannsen) and Kim pay him a surprise visit for a vacation. Of course, the relatives of the guys Mills dispatched in the first installment come back for revenge, particularly, the father of one bad guy, who is actually never named in the film.

And for good reason because Mills goes on the same rampage with the same dialogue as was seen in “Taken” and unfortunately for Director Olivier Megaton and Writers Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, the novelty has worn off completely.

“Taken 2” carries on like any action circus, with gun play and violence galore and car chases filmed in the shaky style of the “Bourne” trilogy. Since those films became a huge success several years ago, it seems many films since have borrowed their style.

Repetitiveness seems to be the major flaw of “Taken 2” right down to rehashing the same dialogue as “Taken” and using music from other films while offering nothing new. Neeson is never depicted running or doing things beyond stand-still hand-to-hand combat, which is undoubtedly a product of his age.

The movie uses two songs from the 2011 film “Drive,” which is honestly a much better film all around and just made me want to watch that movie instead.

Neeson’s personality and acting chops as well as his gruff voice gave his Mills character surprising gravitas for the first movie. It was an odd change of pace for the otherwise outstanding actor who has played great dramatic roles in the past (most notably Oskar Schindler in 1993’s “Schindler’s List”).

The writers faced the daunting challenge of how to move the story from “Taken” into a sequel, but failed on almost all accounts. Of course it’s entertaining enough if you love action films, but you’d be better off just popping “Taken” in on your home DVD player.

In one scene, Neeson actually has to recite lines that have him counting out loud while uttering “birds” and “shift to second” when he’s kidnapped and blindfolded in a van trying to memorize the van’s movements.

Despite his age, Neeson is depicted as having almost no issues dealing with the impossible scenarios he’s put in, nor the bad guys with guns who are half his age. In “Taken” he was shot, stabbed and cut numerous times, but nothing of the sort happens here.

In the third act, when he growls, “I’m tired of it all,” I felt sympathetic. Frankly, by the time it reached somewhat of a climax, I was tired of it all too.

“Taken” was admittedly completely implausible but highly entertaining and actually interesting. It’s too bad Hollywood can’t leave well enough alone anymore.

“Taken 2” is now playing in local theaters and is rated ‘R’ with a runtime of 91 minutes.

Patrick Hall is the Editor of The Gallatin News and Hendersonville Standard and may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

Burr, someone forgot to turn the heat back on this past Saturday. Cold weather means not mowing the yard, good thing, but to me the cold takes a toll on my body. Without the cold weather, some aggravating insects would be more plentiful; ticks and others. Without cold weather our favorite northern bird visitors would probably stay put. There would most likely have to be some trade off. I am going to shut up because God made the seasons, and if we didn't have winter, spring might not be as special to us all.

 Maggie Whiteaker stopped by on Saturday to go with me to the Cedars of Lebanon State Park for the W. P. A. program. Maggie likes the word "free" the same as I do. It makes me wonder how many of our Lebanon, Tenn. people actually takes the time to visit the park. Pinto beans, white beans, turnip greens and cornbread was plenty of an incentive to make one brave the chilly morning, all free.

I was sittin in the back of the Tequila, havin an early beer before the rest of the sand monkeys showed up for the daily fishin report. This traveler was at the bar and I had seen him on the beach a time or two. Directly, he came walkin over with a fresh cold one that he set down in front of me.

Tennessee’s football team has another opportunity Saturday to gain national attention. The Vols have had a week off to lick their wounds from the seven-point road loss to Georgia.