This week on the Memphis Flyer Podcast, Chris McCoy and Abigail Morici talk about the Winter Arts Guide, Tsunami, Wicked, and Andrea Morales’ photography exhibit at the Brooks Museum. Check it out on the Flyer’s YouTube channel.
Today, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard arguments in the case regarding gender-affirming care for Tennessee youth.
The case of United States v. Skrmetti challenges Tennessee’s ban on trans healthcare for minors in the state. This hearing marked the first time SCOTUS has heard a case regarding healthcare for the trans community.
In September of 2023, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals allowed for the law restricting transgender youth from accessing gender-affirming medical care to remain in effect.
The ruling came months after the court initially blocked the law from taking effect in July of the same year.
The state law was signed by Governor Bill Lee in March of 2023 and prohibits healthcare professionals from administering gender-affirming care to minors. This legislation makes gender-affirming hormone therapy and puberty blockers inaccessible and trans people in Tennessee will not have access to this care until they reach the age of 18.
GLAAD (formerly the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) said this is one of approximately 25 bans passed by Republican-led legislatures. They, along with other national and local leaders, said the court’s ruling could affect gender-affirming care for youth nationwide.
Prior to today’s hearing, Senator Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) called the ban unconstitutional and condemned Tennessee leaders for “waging a costly legal battle” as opposed to addressing issues such as traffic and “unaffordable healthcare.”
“This political gamesmanship, funded by our hard-earned tax dollars, is not only cruel but also a violation of fundamental rights,” Campbell said in a statement. “Tennessee’s discriminatory ban is unconstitutional, and it does nothing to improve the lives of our citizens. Tennesseans deserve leaders who focus on solving real problems — not manufactured culture wars that harm families and divide our communities.”
In a release issued after arguments were heard, the office of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said the case seeks to “protect vulnerable kids from risky and unproven medical practices.” Skrmetti added that his office reviewed medical evidence and cited instances in European countries where healthcare such as puberty blockers are restricted.
“The Office of the Tennessee Attorney General presented a robust legal and evidence-based defense of the State’s legislative response to the recent explosion of childhood gender-transition interventions. The law at issue restricts the provision of irreversible medical interventions to minors with gender dysphoria — a psychiatric condition marked by mental distress from a conflict between a person’s sex and asserted gender identity,” the statement said.
Skrmetti added that their arguments were based on “constitutional clarity and common sense.”
Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said today’s arguments highlighted the lack of any legal or medical basis for denying transgender youth the same protections afforded under the U.S. Constitution. Robinson said despite Skrmetti’s team’s efforts to disprove this logic, “Transgender healthcare is best practice, medically necessary, and supported by almost every medical association in the country.”
“It’s healthcare, plain and simple, and no politician should be able to interfere in the healthcare decisions best made by families and doctors,” Robinson said. “Now the Supreme Court has the opportunity to follow the facts, the science, and the law, and affirm our constitutional promise of equal protection for all.”
The Supreme Court is expected to reach a decision in this case by June.
As the Emirates NBA Cup group stage came to a close, the Dallas Mavericks ended the Memphis Grizzlies’ six-game winning streak with a 121-116 win at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night.
The Mavericks improved to 14-8, while Memphis fell to 14-8.
The Grizzlies went up by as many as 15 points early in the fourth quarter, but they were unable to take advantage of Dallas’ blunders and ultimately lost the game. But let’s not get it twisted: The main reason for the Grizzlies’ fourth-quarter collapse was the free-throw disparity.
The Mavericks’ 44 free throws (compared to Memphis’ 14) were the game-changer. It’s unheard of to have a free-throw differential of 30. In the final period, Dallas went to the line 26 times while the Grizzlies managed to go just three times. It was a 26-3 free-throw advantage in the fourth quarter.
The Mavericks’ 23-free-throw edge in was the most lopsided fourth quarter disparity in the NBA since 2015 according to ESPN Stats & Info.
Plus, Memphis couldn’t find a rhythm and went eight of 23 from the field and a dismal 2 of 10 from the three-point line in the final quarter. The Grizzlies’ offense stalled in the final three minutes, scoring just five points while making only two of nine shots, allowing the Mavericks to pull away with an 18-5 run. Dallas won the period, 39-21.
The final period took a whopping 42 minutes to finish.
Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with a season-best 31 points. Desmond Bane added 19 points, Jaren Jackson Jr. chipped in 16 points and seven rebounds, and Santi Aldama provided a spark off the bench with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Weird coincidence
Memphis defeated the Mavericks in preseason, 121-116 on October 4, 2024 in Dallas.
Up Next
The Grizzlies are gearing up to host the Sacramento Kings at FedExForum this Thursday, December 5, at 7 p.m. CT.
A request for additional financing for the Memphis Police Department’s Downtown Command Center raised concerns from several city council members during Tuesday’s budget and audit committee meeting.
The committee heard a resolution to adjust the Fiscal Year 2025 Capital Improvement Program Operating Budget for the development of the center. Police Services asked the council to move funds from completed projects to fund it.
Officials said not only will this proposal “enhance the visitor and tourist experience” Downtown, but will also use “multi-functional cameras with fiber connection.”
“The new project is designed to support the operations and coordinate response activities with other city divisions with law or code-enforcement targeted areas,” the resolution added.
The command center will be a 2,500-square-foot buildout at 250 Peabody Place and will have four monitoring stations along with a restroom, conference room, and other amenities. City officials said there will be 63 cameras for surveillance with 24 hour shifts. The city’s timeline started on October 31, 2024 and is scheduled to end in April 2025.
Deputy Chief Financial Officer Walter Person said in looking for funding, they found some available through the Leftwich Tennis Center — a project to convert a tennis center in East Memphis, where the city donated $3 million in cash and $1.3 million in donations for the demolition. Person added the University of Memphis paid $5 million to the facility and contributed $2.5 million towards construction. The state allocated $2.5 million to the project.
Person went on to say there were several design enhancements for the facility where the city loaned $10 million — which was funded by commercial paper. This was to be paid off and funded by pledges, private donors, and private payment. The building was completed, where the city also sold naming rights in the facility. He said $4.6 million was generated to defray the commercial paper — which could only be used for capital projects and suggested that $2.5 be allocated towards the Downtown Command Center.
“I know there’s been a lot of questions with the ability to reuse the funds, but the funds were not restricted in its reuse — it’s to pay the city back,” Antonio Adams, chief operating officer, said. “The city has the authority or autonomy to then redirect as it so desires. This is an important project that will enhance public safety in the area but also help trigger [the economy] and growth in the Downtown area which is one of the centers of Memphis.”
Councilman and committee chairman Chase Carlisle said he had many questions, noting that he has been an avid supporter of tackling crime Downtown. But he questioned the commercial paper, cash, uses, pledges, and total sources. He asked for documentation, specifically asking how much money was pledged by private donors, including naming rights.
“I know this thing sped up rapidly for you — very rapidly like a lot of downward pressure,” Carlisle said. “You just can’t ask us to move that kind of money without understanding that kind of setup.”
Person said the city is getting about $1.4 million back from the University of Memphis and there’s additional inventory of naming rights available such as hallways, courts, and quarters for the tennis center. He said there’s about $4.5 million to $4.6 million in-house.
He also clarified that people who purchase naming rights will be helping the city pay the loan off.
Councilman Philip Spinosa also said that he supports the command center, but thinks there should be a pause on the conversation until they receive more answers.
“I don’t think there’s foul play,” Spinosa said. “I think everybody’s just trying to understand the flow and the process and we’ll do that.”
During the regular council meeting, Adams said they will continue to provide documentation as requested — however at the time of voting those documents had not been prepared for amendment and was added to the add-on agenda.
The resolution was passed unanimously with an amendment that the council would loan $2.5 million to the project.
Travel funds given to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to speak at a conservative Christian conference broke state law, according to an opinion issued Tuesday by the Tennessee Ethics Commission (TEC).
The opinion was requested by Lee after he accepted expenses for a trip in July to speak at the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) Summit in July 2024, according to TEC. The only event scheduled on the ADF website for July was its Legal Academy, held on Marco Island, Florida. Lee was paid for “certain travel expenses,” though those were not detailed in a statement from TEC Tuesday.
The TEC ruled that accepting funds from the group to attend the event was a “prohibited gift.” That’s because the group’s ADF Action subgroup is a registered employer of a lobbyist in Tennessee.
Lee originally argued that the event sponsor — the overarching ADF group — and its political group were different organizations. Therefore, the the payments did not break state law. Though, he noted the two do share resources.
However, after a thorough review of state laws and the Tennessee General Assembly’s intent for enacting them, the commission said the payment — even though paid indirectly from ADF — still broke the rules.
“Even a cursory review of the information presented by ADF and ADF Action establishes a close working relationship in the pursuit of similar goals with resources shared to achieve their common purposes,” reads the opinion.
Aside from the names of the groups, another such “striking resemblance” of the two groups, according to TEC, are their mission statements. ADF advances “every person’s God-given right to live a speak the truth” whereas ADF Action advocates for “public policies supporting religious freedom, freedom of speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life and marriage.”
“ADF Action cannot escape the broad reach of the gift prohibition statute by its related organization — ADF — paying the expenses at issue, whether overtly or covertly on its behalf, or to advance their shared interests,” reads the opinion.
State Rep. Caleb Hemmer (D-Nashville) applauded the ruling, calling it a “misuse of power to take luxury trips paid for by interest groups, breaking Tennessee law.”
“The Ethics Commission has stood firmly on the side of the people, making it clear that the governor isn’t above the law,” Hemmer said in a statement. “They have ordered him to pay back the trip to Florida, funded by an organization employing a lobbyist in Tennessee.
“I hope this advisory opinion will stop lobbyist groups from offering these illegal and unethical trips to influence the Lee Administration.”
Hemmer said he was reviewing legislation to strengthen these ethics laws in next year’s session of the Tennessee General Assembly.
Categories
WYXR Vibrations
Raised By Sound Fest, the music festival and fundraiser staged by community radio station WYXR and Mempho Presents, is once again in the offing, scheduled to have the Crosstown Concourse bursting with sound this Saturday, December 7th, and, as with the event’s previous iterations, the mix of performers is intriguingly eclectic.
Through its short history, Raised By Sound has earned a reputation for drawing top-tier artists for its main concert event, always held in the Crosstown Theater, and this year is no different. In 2022, when Jody Stephens’ reconstituted Big Star quintet planned only a few shows in honor of #1 Record, the Raised By Sound Fest was a pivotal performance for them. And last year, Cat Power made Memphis one of their first stops when they began touring their Dylan tribute album, The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert.
This year, WYXR has outdone itself once again for Raised By Sound’s main concert, presenting a live score to the William Eggleston film, Stranded in Canton, performed by J Spaceman and John Coxon of Spiritualized. “We just heard they had a really incredible show in London,” says the station’s executive director Robby Grant, “and in the U.S., Memphis is the only city they’re doing it in, outside of New York and L.A.”
As Grant notes, these marquee events all came together by way of the station’s openness and centrality as a meeting place for creatives of all kinds. “We keep our antenna up,” he says. “We have a huge window. We’re very welcoming. We’re very transparent. There’s a lot of benefit to that and making these connections.” The Spiritualized event is a case in point, as WYXR DJ David Swider, owner of Oxford’s The End of All Music record store, told Grant that the group’s live score was slated to be released on the Fat Possum label; the next day, Winston Eggleston (son of the photographer/filmmaker) mentioned that the group had reached out to him about permission to use the film. Things simply clicked by virtue of the station’s network.
Yet that capstone event, now sold out, is only one of many musical experiences that Raised By Sound will offer. Throughout the day, many other performances will echo in the columns of the Central Atrium, and that will only heat up once the final credits roll for Stranded in Canton, as the ticketed after-party kicks off in the East Atrium at the top of the red staircase, with a DJ set by Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney of the Black Keys and performances by hip-hop legends Tommy Wright III and Lil Noid.
The free music begins at 1 p.m., when artists from the University of Memphis’ Blue T.O.M. Records will perform, including Meaghan Christina, Ozioma, and Canale. “It means a lot to us to be able to give [Blue T.O.M. artists] that level of exposure,” says WYXR’s program manager Jared Boyd, “and we’re also promoting an educational component, partnering with Grammy U, Stax Music Academy, and Crosstown High School. It creates a level ground for them to be on the same bill as the Black Keys and Spiritualized. It’s bringing it all under one house.”
That revue will be followed by Fosterfalls, a solo performer also based in Memphis. “They’re a really interesting solo artist,” says Grant. “They’re kind of acoustic, very ethereal, with a lot of loopy-type stuff, and they’re a great example of a local artist who’s getting out there and working really hard and just doing it.” Also in the hard-working vein is the blues-rock HeartBreak Hill Trio, fronted by Matt Hill, a longtime presence on the Memphis scene, known for his axe work with wife Nikki Hill. Once the trio has livened things up, Brooklynite Max Clarke, aka Cut Worms, will take the stage. His 2019 album Nobody Lives Here Anymore was produced by Matt Ross-Spang. And finally, the afternoon will close out with a solo show by Hurray for the Riff Raff’s Alynda Segarra, who has close ties to New Orleans despite being from the Bronx.
Indeed, all of the artists happen to have ties to Memphis. Celebrated Memphis-born photographer Tommy Kha, for example, has worked closely with Hurray for the Riff Raff. Yet the festival organizers are not strict about that as a criterion for inclusion. As Boyd notes, “We wanted to be able to present homegrown artists as well as artists who have some sort of significant Memphis or regional influence. Some are from elsewhere, but were called to Memphis because of music.”
“You don’t have to be a Memphis-connected artist to be booked for Raised By Sound Fest,” adds Grant, “but we found that every artist we booked has some connection. Like, no matter who we book, because Memphis is such a music city, there’s some connection.” That even goes for the performers from Spiritualized, who first debuted their live score for Eggleston’s film a decade ago at the Barbican Gallery in London, as part of Doug Aitken’s Station to Station festival. Now, a recording of that has been released by the local heroes at Fat Possum.
The after-party, too, will have strong Memphis roots. The Black Keys, based in Nashville, are not only steeped in the North Mississippi blues via that same record label, but have worked closely with Memphis’ Greg Cartwright. And, of course, Tommy Wright III and Lil Noid were on the ground floor of the local hip-hop revolution that gave rise to superstars like Three 6 Mafia. Wright is arguably the better known of the two, his music having been embraced by the skateboard scene. As Boyd notes, “There’s even a skateboard hardware company in L.A. called Shake Junt, and their entire brand image is an homage to Memphis rap culture!” But Lil Noid’s profile is also rising, and, tying it all together, he’s even featured on a new Black Keys track, “Candy and Her Friends.”
All told, the Raised By Sound Festival will provide a compelling glimpse and staggering diversity of music in Memphis, but other dimensions of the city will be represented as well. Community groups like Music Export Memphis, Memphis Music Initiative, and CHOICES will have tables, and visual artists like Sara Moseley, Darlene Newman, and Toonky Berry will have works either on display or being created as the music plays on. It’s all part of a concentrated celebration of what Memphis brings to the world. As Boyd says, “We have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to talent. And if you grew up in it, you may not always realize that most places are not like this.”
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Blaming others for our problems is rarely helpful. If we expend emotional energy focusing on how people have offended and hurt us, we diminish our motivation to heal ourselves. We may also get distracted from changing the behavior that ushered us into the mess. So yes, it’s wise to accept responsibility for the part we have played in propagating predicaments. However, I believe it’s also counterproductive to be relentlessly serious about this or any other psychological principle. We all benefit from having mischievous fun as we rebel against tendencies we have to be dogmatic and fanatical. That’s why I am authorizing you to celebrate a good-humored Complaint Fest. For a limited time only, feel free to unleash fantasies in which you uninhibitedly and hilariously castigate everyone who has done you wrong.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): What you are experiencing may not be a major, Earth-shaking rite of passage. But it’s sufficiently challenging and potentially rewarding to qualify as a pivotal breakthrough and turning point. And I’m pleased to say that any suffering you’re enduring will be constructive and educational. You may look back at this transition as a liberating initiation. You will feel deep gratification that you have clambered up to a higher level of mastery through the power of your intelligent love and feisty integrity.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are now about halfway between your last birthday and next birthday. In the prophecy industry, we call this your Unbirthday Season. It is usually a time when you receive an abundance of feedback — whether you want it or not. I encourage you to want it! Solicit it. Even pay for it. Not all of it will be true or useful, of course, but the part that is true and useful will be very much so. You could gather a wealth of information that will help you fine-tune your drive for success and joy in the months to come.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Legend tells us that the Buddha achieved enlightenment while meditating beneath the Bodhi Tree in Bihar, India. He was there for many weeks. At one point, a huge storm came and pelted the sacred spot with heavy rain. Just in time, the King of Serpents arrived, a giant cobra with a massive hood. He shielded the Buddha from the onslaught for the duration. Now I am predicting that you, too, will receive an unexpected form of protection and nurturing in the coming weeks. Be ready to open your mind about what help looks and feels like. It may not be entirely familiar.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In written form, the Japanese term oubaitori is comprised of four kanji, or characters. They denote four fruit trees that bloom in the spring: cherry, plum, peach, and apricot. Each tree’s flowers blossom in their own sweet time, exactly when they are ready, neither early nor late. The poetic meaning of oubaitori is that we humans do the same: We grow and ripen at our own unique pace. That’s why it’s senseless to compare our rate of unfoldment to anyone else’s. We each have our own timing, our own rhythm. These ideas are especially apropos for you right now, Leo.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I hope you will hunker down in your bunker. I hope you will junk all defunct versions of your spunky funkiness and seek out fresh forms of spunky funkiness. In other words, Virgo, I believe it’s crucial for you to get as relaxed and grounded as possible. You have a mandate to explore ultimate versions of stability and solidity. Shore up your foundations, please. Grow deeper roots. Dig down as deep as you can to strengthen and tone your relationship with the core of your being.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Every one of us is a hypocrite at least some of the time. Now and then, we all ignore or outrightly violate our own high standards. We may even engage in behavior that we criticize in others. But here’s the good news for you, Libra. In the coming weeks and months, you may be as unhypocritical as you have ever been. According to my analysis of the astrological, omens, you are likely to be consistently faithful to your ideals. Your actual effects on people will closely match your intended effects. The American idiom is, “Do you practice what you preach?” I expect the answer to that question will be yes as it pertains to you.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author George Orwell advised us that if we don’t analyze and understand the past, we are likely to repeat the mistakes of the past. Alas, few people take heed. Their knowledge of our collective history is meager, as is their grasp of recurring trends in their personal lives. But now here’s the good news, dear Scorpio: In the coming months, you will have exceptional power to avoid replicating past ignorance and errors — IF you meditate regularly on the lessons available through a close study of your life story.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In his song “Voodoo Child,” Sagittarian musician Jimi Hendrix brags, “Well, I stand up next to a mountain / And I chop it down with the edge of my hand.” I encourage you to unleash fantasies like that in the coming days, Sagittarius. Can you shoot lightning bolts from your eyes? Sure, you can. Can you change water into wine? Fly to the moon and back in a magic boat? Win the Nobel Prize for Being Yourself? In your imagination, yes, you can. And these exercises will prime you for an array of more realistic escapades, like smashing a mental block, torching an outmoded fear, and demolishing an unnecessary inhibition or taboo. To supercharge your practical power, intensify your imagination’s audacity.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The name of my column is “Free Will Astrology” because I aspire to nurture, inspire, and liberate your free will. A key component in that effort is to help you build your skills as a critical thinker. That’s why I encourage you to question everything I tell you. Don’t just assume that my counsel is always right and true for you. Likewise, I hope you are discerning in your dealings with all teachers, experts, and leaders — especially in the coming weeks and months. You are in a phase of your cycle when it’s even more crucial than usual to be a good-natured skeptic who poses exuberant, penetrating questions. To serve your soul’s health, refine your practice of the art of creative rebellion.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be like a beautifully made fountain that people love to visit, Aquarius. Not like a metaphorical geyser or stream or waterfall out in the natural world, but a three-tiered marble fountain. What does that entail? Here are hints: The water of the fountain cascades upward, but not too high or hard, and then it showers down gently into a pool. Its flow is steady and unflagging. Its sound is mellifluous and relaxing. The endless dance of the bubbles and currents is invigorating and calming, exuberant and rejuvenating. Be like a fountain.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Around this time of year, persimmon trees in my neighborhood have shed their leaves but are teeming with dazzling orange fruits. Pomegranate trees are similar. Their leaves have fallen off but their red fruits are ready to eat. I love how these rebels offer their sweet, ripe gifts as our winter season approaches. They remind me of the current state of your destiny, Pisces. Your gorgeous fertility is waxing. The blessings you have to offer are at a peak. I invite you to be extra generous as you share your gifts with those who are worthy of them — and maybe even a few who aren’t entirely worthy.
Great News
Two months after Rayne Beau, a Siamese cat owned by Benny and Susanne Anguiano of Salinas, California, went missing during a trip to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, the 2-year-old cat was reported found by the Placer SPCA shelter in Roseville, California — some 800 miles from where the cat had gone missing. USA Today reported that the Anguianos had tried for several days to locate Rayne Beau, but were finally forced to leave the cat behind when their reservation ran out on June 8. But on Aug. 3, a voicemail from the shelter claimed that the cat had been located and identified via microchip, and the Anguianos were reunited with Rayne Beau. “He was really little, all skin and bones. He was in starvation mode,” Benny said, but the cat recovered quickly. [USA Today, 9/19/2024]
Great Art?
A work of art at the LAM museum in Lisse, the Netherlands, was mistakenly thrown away by an elevator technician in late September, CNN reported. All the good times we spent together by French artist Alexandre Lavet appears to be two empty beer cans, but, the museum said, it is really “meticulously hand-painted with acrylics, with each detail painstakingly replicated.” The work was displayed in the facility’s glass elevator shaft, and when a technician came in to work on the lift, he helpfully pitched it in the trash. “He was just doing his job in good faith,” said Sietske van Zanten, the museum director. The cans were later recovered, cleaned, and returned to display, albeit in a different location. [CNN, 10/8/2024]
What’s My Fetish?
Jesse Johnson, 28, was arrested on Sept. 24 in Gilbert, Arizona, after three instances in which he allegedly spied on women’s feet as they vacuumed their cars, AZFamily reported. Police said Johnson’s M.O. at the Super Star Car Wash in Gilbert was to park next to a woman’s car at the vacuum station, then slide underneath her car for a few minutes before climbing back out. One victim said she felt “very violated and I’ve been having nightmares.” It’s not the first time Johnson has been caught lusting after feet: Court documents revealed that he had been cited at least four times in Nebraska, and that he had touched a woman’s ankle in a grocery store. He admitted to authorities there that he “is sexually attracted to women’s feet” and “at times, can’t control his sexual desires.” Johnson was charged with three counts of voyeurism and three counts of disorderly conduct and held on $10,000 bond. [AZFamily, 9/26/2024]
Creepy
In late September, Derek Johnson, owner of JVI Secret Gardens in Donelson, Tennessee, was alerted by an employee that someone was walking around the garden center wearing a clown mask, WTVF-TV reported. But Johnson was not about to physically confront the creepy clown, whom he could see on surveillance video. Johnson clicked on his security system’s speaker, but before he could say anything, the clown backed off: “I’m leaving.” He left behind a propane tank and a saw blade that he had picked up to steal. “This is a sweet little garden center,” Johnson said incredulously. Police are investigating. [WTVF, 9/27/2024]
We Regret To Inform You …
Tizi Hodson, 70, of Lincolnshire, England, sent off an application in January 1976, hoping to become a motorcycle stunt rider, the BBC reported on Oct. 5. Recently, the letter was returned to her with a note: “Late delivery by Staines Post Office. Found behind a draw(er). Only about 50 years late.” “How they found me when I’ve moved house 50-odd times, and even moved countries four or five times, is a mystery,” Hodson said. “I was so disappointed because I really, really wanted to be a stunt rider on a motorcycle.” Instead, her life’s work has included being a snake handler, horse whisperer, aerobatic pilot, and flying instructor. “It means so much to me to get it back all this time later,” she said. [BBC, 10/5/2024]
Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
© 2024 Andrews McMeel Syndication.
Reprinted with permission.
All rights reserved.
The ancients certainly seemed to know what they were doing when constructing the zodiac wheel. They placed the mutable, fiery sign of Sagittarius in the middle of the holiday season. Those born under the astrological sign of Sagittarius are thought to be optimistic, adventurous, curious, and independent. And these traits translate well into how many Americans spend their holidays.
As a fire sign, Sagittarius is passionate and drawn to new ideas, philosophies, and travel. Sagittarius is represented by the centaur — a half-human, half-horse creature — often carrying a bow. Also referred to as “The Archer,” Sagittarius uses a trusty bow and arrow to dream big and aim high.
In tarot, each zodiac sign is associated with a major arcana card. Sagittarius is associated with the Temperance card in tarot, card number 14 of the major arcana. The Temperance card refers to the blending, moderation, and tempering of disparate elements to achieve a balanced whole that is greater and more harmonious than the sum of its parts. The Greek philosophers, beginning with Socrates, spoke of four natural virtues: prudence, or virtuous use of the intellect; temperance, or virtuous regulation of the emotions; fortitude, or virtuous effort of the human will; and justice, the result of the combined virtuous activity of the other three.
Both Sagittarius and the Temperance card are constantly striving for a more enlightened state of being. The angel in the tarot card here demonstrates this by slowly pouring the liquid from one golden cup into another, a culinary process called “tempering.” Similarly, Sagittarius accomplishes this by exploring the far reaches of both the physical and philosophical worlds to expand on or “temper” what is already known. The angel’s red wings represent blood or life, while the triangle on her dress means spirit, but it is also the elemental symbol for fire.
The angel’s feet are also symbolic of the eternal pilgrimage or spiritual journey. By showing one foot in the water and the other on the shore, we are reminded that our greatest wisdom lies in the art of balancing. The iris flowers are indicative of the Greek goddess Iris who provides the link between the gods and humanity, acting as a messenger and using rainbows to travel. Like Sagittarius, she travels from one end of the world to another, building upon something that is bigger and brighter than herself.
Temperance is the card of acceptance, where the cycle of life and death, passion and division, and all other oppositions find unity for a shared cause. It unites the masculine with the feminine, keeping us in balance when situations require strength and endurance, or tenderness and compassion, depending on the moment. This card speaks of personal and spiritual growth, one that leads us toward the point of self where we understand how inner conflicts and troubles lead to certain reflections and problems in the outer world. Its symbolism is one of the alchemy of life, and it is significant in a reading, for it represents the point where we get answers needed to change the course of fate or influence our life to change what is needed.
As we glide through Sagittarius season, we are reminded of the Temperance card. Temperance is all about striving for balance — which can often mean taking the middle road. To a Sagittarius, the middle road is almost never enticing. Yet it is not always a compromise, but another solution that can combine both extremes.
As a mutable fire sign, Sagittarius is bold and confident. Fire is not naturally a mutable element, so Sagittarius is already operating in oppositions. It’s through the alchemy of temperance that we can learn about balancing these oppositions.
Our lesson for this season is to find balance in opposition. How can we learn to accept and mold the outcome into something more desirable? With Mercury in retrograde in the sign of Sagittarius, we may need to be more detailed in our projects and more understanding when things don’t go as planned. Embrace the optimistic energy of Sagittarius and pivot with the challenges.
Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.
Categories
How Can We Fight Back?
In the wake of Donald Trump’s re-election, with promises to gut federal programs like the Department of Education and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and further harm marginalized communities, many are left asking: How can we fight back?
We are not powerless. Our local elected officials have a lot more power than we think (or than they’d like us to believe) — even in a red state like Tennessee. I would know, having drafted and led successful local efforts to pass policies for social, economic, and environmental justice during the first Trump administration and under an extremist supermajority legislature.
Now more than ever, local leaders must be bold and imaginative. They need to step up and fill the gaps left by any federal neglect.
To address the inflation that will likely worsen under Trump’s leadership, local leaders could implement policies like grocery stipends for low-income residents (especially if GOP legislators once again block efforts to end the regressive grocery tax). With the president-elect signaling an end to key healthcare subsidies, local governments can build and protect healthcare safety nets for our community. We can also find creative ways to navigate restrictive state laws. For instance, while we may not be able to mandate living wages or rent control outright, local leaders can offer incentives to businesses and landlords that voluntarily adopt these policies.
This is our moment for decisive, fearless action to improve our economy, safeguard our environment, and protect the rights of Black and LGBTQ residents, women, and immigrants. If we don’t act now, families will face deeper economic insecurity, more children will go without quality education, and entire communities will feel the brunt of healthcare cuts and environmental devastation. The first months of Trump’s new administration could set us back years unless we prepare local defenses now.
I firmly believe we have more tools at our local policy fingertips than we realize; we just need the political will and creativity to make them a reality. We’ve already seen governors Gavin Newsom, J.B. Pritzker, and others step up, vowing to sue the federal government if they come after their constituents’ rights, protections, and funding. By the way, these states also have their own agencies to aggressively fight climate change that don’t rely on the whims of federal policy (now there’s an idea).
We need more leadership like Memphis City Council Chairman JB Smiley, who led local efforts to push for common-sense gun control, even as the state threatened to strip local sales tax revenue in retaliation for challenging their inaction on gun violence. Chairman Smiley showed us that we don’t have to accept the status quo or bullying; we can challenge it and win.
Rather than accepting the likely response from local leaders that their hands are tied by this incoming administration and our legislature, we should be asking, “What can you do?” We all can, and should, as Michelle Obama told us, “do something.” I’m not talking flashy or bully pulpit politics; it’s about advancing practical policy that addresses the root causes of poverty, violence, lack of healthcare access, and environmental injustice, no matter where you sit.
For community members deeply concerned about the fate of our future: This is our fight, too. Get involved with local organizations that push for impactful legislation and systemic change. You’ve got organizations all across the spectrum to choose from, like Decarcerate Memphis, Just City, Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope, Memphis Community Against Pollution, Memphis For All, Protect Our Aquifer, Stand for Children Tennessee, and the official Black Lives Matter chapter.
Get to know your local elected leaders, too — what they lead on (or don’t) — and hold them accountable. Show up where decisions are made: city council meetings, public hearings, and town halls. This is where elected power is exercised, and where we can witness if their votes align with their promises.
But we must go beyond just demanding action — this is the easy part. We also need to work with our leaders to develop thoughtful, actionable solutions. Those closest to the problems are often closest to the solutions, and they know best what their communities need. Now is the time to push for bold, concrete solutions that directly address the challenges facing our communities.
These local fights matter more than ever. They not only build our capacity for larger-scale work but also set a precedent that can inspire other cities to follow suit.
We all have a role to play, and nothing will change if we don’t believe it can and act accordingly. As organizer Mariame Kaba reminds us, “Hope is a discipline.” It requires commitment to become the very hope we seek. The moral arc of the universe doesn’t bend towards justice on its own; we have to make it so.
Alex Hensley has championed 10-plus justice-centered laws as former special assistant to Mayor Lee Harris and policy chair of Decarcerate Memphis. She is the founder of Co•mentum Strategies, a political and advocacy firm, and the creator of the Strategy Studio, a course for emerging policy advocates. Find her on Instagram @alexhensley.