Wilson Post Blogs

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 . 

By RAY POPE

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.

It was hot last Wednesday, maybe you recall, 90 degrees at 3:30? I had not had a good day. Nothing major just seemed to stay mad at something all day. Therefore, I went hunting late in the afternoon. When you are about half mad, it is good time to try and kill something. Does that sound right to you?

By PATRICK HALL
The Wilson Post

In 2044, an unnamed city in Kansas is ruled by the mob, filled with poor people in tent cities and zipping through this wasteland in fancy sports cars are brash, young assassins called “Loopers,” who work for the mob killing people sent to them from the future in the year 2074.

The film "Looper" focuses on the assassin Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who is billed as one of, if not the best at his job. In Joe’s world of 2044, time travel doesn’t exist, but 30 years in the future it does, so mobsters pay Joe and his fellow Loopers to kill those who cross them and the Loopers live a seemingly wealthy life.

That is until someone starts “closing the loops” by sending the assassins their older-selves to kill, meaning Loopers have a 30-year shelf life. When the mob sends Joe’s older self (played by Bruce Willis) for execution, older Joe is ready and waiting. He outsmarts the younger Joe and goes on the run.

While older Joe has a sinister motive for avoiding his death, other than self-preservation, his mission spins an interesting web of how he and younger Joe are able to completely change the future. Older Joe wants to preserve his life with his wife in the future while younger Joe wants to preserve his next 30-years of life.

By RAY POPE 

My Hummers are starting to thin out a bit as the weather here has cooled and fall is in the air. There are maybe 10 to 15 that are still fighting for their place in the lunch line, which is down quite different from the 40 or 50 that were here. I have just returned from a pilgrimage through my neighborhood to retrieve all my Hummer feeders, wash them and put them up for the winter season. I will still keep out a pair on the front porch just in case of stragglers who might have missed the first boatload. I had rather err on the side of the Hummers.

By ANGEL KANE
Wilson Living Magazine

So, I was sitting in Court this past Friday, speaking with my friend Melanie.

Melanie is an excellent lawyer, and also a new Mom to a 7 month old baby girl.

We were looking at her phone as she was showing off some photos of her precious girl, and we kept scrolling and scrolling and scrolling and …. you get the picture.

This is her Baby #1.

If you have kids, then you know the story behind Baby #1.

Dear Ken: How old would Minnie Pearl be if she were living?

“How-w-w-DEE-E-E-E!” I’m jest so proud you asked. The country comic, who was born Sarah Ophelia Colley in Centerville, Tenn., would have notched her 100th birthday on Oct. 25. A star of the “Grand Ole Opry” for more than 50 years, Cousin Minnie was also on “Hee Haw” from 1969 until 1991. A graduate of Ward-Belmont College (today known as Belmont University), the wonderful woman debuted as Minnie Pearl in 1939 and debuted on the “Opry” in 1940. Colley married Henry R. Cannon in 1947. The couple had no children. Their home was located next door to the Tennessee Governor’s Mansion. The grand old comedienne, who battled breast cancer, died in 1996 at age 83 of complications from a stroke  The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation was founded in her memory. In 1966, she had a top-10 country hit with “Giddyup Go Answer,” a response to a hit by Red Sovine, her only chart hit.

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Dear Ken: I just saw the TV movie “Stagecoach,” starring Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and John Schneider. What other country music stars were in this Western?

The 1986 remake of the 1939 John Ford classic (which made a star out of John Wayne) also included June Carter Cash, Jessi Colter, David Allan Coe, Billy Swan and John Carter Cash.

Dear Ken: How many cast members of “Gone With the Wind” are still with us?

There are four actors still living who had speaking roles in the 1939 film. They include Alicia Rhett, 97, who played India Wilkes; Olivia de Havilland, 96, who played Melanie Hamilton; Mary Anderson, 92, who played Maybelle Merriwether; and Mickey Kuhn, 80, who played Beau Wilkes as a child. As for survivors who were in the film but spoke no lines, there is Patrick Curtis, who played Beau Wilkes as a baby, and Greg Giese, 73, who was 11 days old when he played both infants Bonnie Blue Butler and Beau Wilkes.

Dear Ken: How many movies did Paul Newman and Robert Redford make together?

Two. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” in 1969 and “The Sting” in 1973. And in case you were wondering, Newman was 11½ years older than Redford, who is now 76 and stars in the upcoming thriller “The Company You Keep.” 

If you have a trivia question about actors, singers, movies, TV shows or pop culture, e-mail your query to Ken Beck at  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I wonder who had the worst hangover Monday -- our Ryder Cup team or the Titans?

At least the Titans have 14 more games to play. The Ryder Cup team has two years to stew on the Medinah Massacre.

The team in two-tone blue finished September at 1-3, no better, no worse than predicted.

While everyone is focusing on who the Titans quarterback will be this Sunday in Minnesota, they need to be focusing on finding someone who can tackle opponents.

Defensive coordinator Jerry Gray’s matador defense has given up a total of 151 points in four games as the Titans rank next to last in the NFL in total defense.

Warm and windy, 68, right now. I should not even go. I usually don’t do well the first day of the season, Last year was a fluke. Last year I had doe dead by 7:15. It is opening day. I’ll go.

It is a short walk and I am just heating up when I reach the tree. I suppose I am dressed strangely for deer hunting-short pants and a short sleeve shirt under my ASAT mesh, Ultimate 3-D camouflage. Traveling light, too. Just a few things in my pockets. The TenPoint Phantom crossbow rides nicely on my shoulder. We have done well, this crossbow and I. I wait.

I could shoot her easy. Probably make the landowner mad. Big cow and that signals time to leave. It is just 7:20, so I make the long, one minute walk to another stand and climb up.

Wind is picking up and it is warming. But it is so nice, I just don’t feel like getting down. I watch the squirrels and little birds and about half-nap between bouts of careful observance. Funny how age and years of opening days round you and blunt the anticipation. I can sit here quietly and just enjoy the woods. I give a nod to Tam Apo with thanks for the morning and my health being enough to enjoy it.

He comes silently, gliding in and stops just out of range. I ease the TenPoint crossbow off the hook and try to silently change arrows. I am not going to ruin a $10 broadhead on longbeard. Time slips and he putts and clucks away.

Coopers Hawk? I think so, maybe. Anyhow, one of the smaller, slicker economy models of woodland squirrel control devices. Every tree rat in the woods goes berserk. I grin to myself and seeing as how it after 10 and I am starving, make the call to get down.

On the way to the truck, I stop and pick some milkweed to use for wind checkers later and stop to admire a turkey feather and a nice deer track in the soft dirt. I smile as I cross the shallow creek-one of my favorite field dressing places.

I’ll hit the woods again this afternoon. Maybe the cold wave will be starting down by then. I’ll probably hunt behind the hayfield that needs cutting. For sure I’ll be back in the morning and probably for the next few mornings. Fifty-five, I think. Fifty-five opening mornings for me. Maybe 56, I don’t know for sure but thankee kindly, Tam Apo. I’ll have another if you please.

Warm and windy. The usual opening day for me. The normal. And the afternoon passes without even a squirrel to break the boredom.

Even so, I enjoy the afternoon. I manage to not get too hot walking in and there is enough breeze to keep me from roasting.

My stand is comfortable and before I know it, it is dark. Time to brave the hayfield again. A morning for which to wish. Cool, bordering cold and calm. The plan is simple. I will hunt stand #2 until 8:30.

If I have not seen anything by then, I shall move to stand #3 and hunt until 10:30. I had not planned on the cramp in my neck at 9:30.

I have had considerable work done on my neck and when I feel a cramp coming, I get down. I wish I waited three more minutes. With a sort and a stomp and hearty hi-ho whitetail, she was gone. She had been on her way between #2 and #3.

Oh well, that is deer hunting and I have the whole season to go including the afternoon. I love afternoon hunts. Thank you Tam Apo.

On the way to the stands,  I see seven does and three bucks. I also see a flock of turkeys. It is 4:10. Am I late? I reach my tower stand, a staggering eight feet off the ground and settle in to the plop of acorns and persimmons.

It is a pleasant afternoon, just cooling. I can hear kids playing at a nearby house.

He comes at dusk, just nibbling along. I saw him the minute he stepped out and I have the TenPoint Phantom crossbow at the ready. Thirty one yards.

I have ranged the tree he will pass. That makes him 30. That is the first dot,  one inch high. That is where I hold. I squeeze the trigger, the arrow is gone and he drops in his tracks.

An excellent way to start the year and about as fine as deer meat gets. I estimate he will weight about 80-pounds, a fat spike. Perfect.

The TenPoint and I make an awesome combination and I still have the season to go.

Thankee Tam Apo, thankee kindly.

Deer kill on the rise
According to figures from the TWRA, the state’s deer  bow kill is steadily climbing. On the opening weekend of 2012, last weekend, Tennessee bow hunters killed 3050 deer compared to 2811 on opening weekend a year ago.

The increase of 239 is double the increase from 2010 to 2011. The figures are somewhat of an indication of two things.

First, the deer herd is healthy. Despite isolated outbreaks of EHD, the overall population is strong,

And second, the weather has cooperated the last two opening weekends.

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

Dear Ken: How is Scott Eastwood, who co-stars in “Trouble With the Curve,” related to Clint Eastwood?

Scott, 26, is Clint’s son. He also has been in his dad’s movies “Invictus,” “Gran Torino” and “Flags of Our Fathers.” Eastwood’s latest film, about an aging Atlanta Braves scout who is losing his eyesight and wants to make one last trip to scoop up a new top prospect, also stars Amy Adams as his daughter, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman and Robert Patrick. Scott is set to play Deputy Carl Hartman in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D,” which opens in early January. Clint, by the way, is 82.

Dear Ken: How old was matinee idol Tyrone Power when he died? Did he have a son and daughter who went into acting?

The handsome leading man, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, died of a heart attack in Madrid, Spain, in 1958 while making the movie “Solomon and Sheba.” He made nearly 50 movies from the 1930s into the late 1950s including “Jesse James,”  ”The Mark of Zorro,” “Blood and Sand,” “The Razor’s Edge,” “Captain From Castille“ and “Rawhide“ and was equally adept onstage. His eldest daughter, Romina, 60, became a singer and actress with mostly Italian films to her credit. Her sister Taryn, 58, made less than 10 movies, the most famous being “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger.” The girls’ half-brother Tyrone Power Jr., 53, who was born two months after his father’s death, worked in a dozen films such as “Cocoon” and “Dreamkiller” and was a guest in an episode of “Cheers.”

By RAY POPE 

What a beautiful weekend we had for the Mt. Juliet Pow Wow, held at the Mundy Memorial Park, just south of I-40. A cold front came through in the late afternoon, and dropped the temperature into the 70s. It was good to see an old friend, Hootie the Barred Owl, from the Wilson County Fair, and I truly believe that he recognized me and my hooting. Tragedy was narrowly averted when the American Kestral somehow chewed through his leg strap and flew off. I was watching the dancing from the other side of the arena, when I thought that I saw something fly from around Marty Rush's booth. Luckily the bird did not make it more than a few yards, before it landed and was captured and returned. Most likely the Kestral would not survive on her own, since it hasn't learned the fine art of catching its prey.

By PATRICK HALL
The Wilson Post

Like its two main characters, “The Master” is enigmatic and engaging, but its message is lost in the wake of two outstanding acting performances and provides more questions than answers.

Written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, “Master” is the story of World War II Naval veteran Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), an alcoholic drifter wandering the country following his discharge from the service, and intellectual cult leader Lancaster Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman), as they collide and their relationship fumbles through alongside the growth of Dodd’s cult movement “The Cause.”

First and foremost, Phoenix is phenomenal in his major acting return since his “meltdown” of a few years ago. Quell is an enigmatic disaster, destroying every situation he enters from a job as a department store photographer to a social outing with cult followers. His alcoholism shows no signs of soothing any pain but merely adds to his violent nature.

Hoffman delivers an extraordinary performance as Dodd, a.k.a. Master, who is jovial and charismatic, although when his cult is questioned, his anger always finds a way to briefly erupt. When he meets Quell, he sees him as the subject through which he can prove his theories.