Treasons Greetings
Nothing screams “patriot” like trying to take down the U.S. government. Tennessee Representative Andy Holt (R-Palookaville) made national headlines in 2015 after penning an op-ed describing original Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest as “one of the South’s first civil rights leaders.” Holt started the first week of the new year with a little game of tweet-and-delete. The controversial pig farmer posted a message reading “#Bundymilitia Where can I send support for your effort?” Then he bravely took it down. He also posted a message comparing the Bundy militia’s armed takeover of government property to the Bernie Sanders campaign: “Funny that all these Bernie supporters claim peaceful protest is treason, but don’t believe a socialist taking over US Gov is.”
Neverending Elvis
Elvis Presley died in August 1977, only three months after the original theatrical release of Star Wars IV: A New Hope. Thirty-eight years later Star Wars: The Force Awakens dominates the box office, and the King of Rock-and-Roll died a little more when a U.K. band dubbed Darth Elvis and the Imperials released a holiday single titled “Sithmas on Hoth.” Darth Elvis is both a cease-and-desist order waiting to happen and a tribute act performing Star Wars-themed songs primarily in the style of Elvis Presley. “Sithmas on Hoth” is a rockabilly number chronicling a Tauntaun-backed hunting expedition and traditional Sithmas meals of barbecue wampa and Ewok.
We’re Slow
Everything moves a little slower in Memphis. It’s part of our charm. Take, for example, the guitar that’s lowered over Beale every New Year’s Eve. This year’s drop was broadcast live on CNN and marked the arrival of 2016 about 30 seconds after midnight when a Beale Street reveller accidentally tripped a safety feature preventing a timely descent.
