Thursday, October 27, 2011

Join Me At The Mountain Makins Festival

This weekend marks the 36th Annual Mountain Makins Festival at Rose Center in Morristown, a celebration of Appalachian folk life, history, art, handmade crafts and displays of skill, music, dancing, food and much more. And I will again be the emcee for one of the stages of live music.

I'll be the host for the Gazebo Stage, sponsored by ORNL Federal Credit Union. Here's a lineup of the music - and this year will mark a first: Russian Bluegrass music.

A full write-up on this most entertaining festival is here.

The music line-up includes

FIRST TENNESSEE STAGE
10AM:          Tracy Wilson- Scottish Highland Bagpipes
10-11:          The Red Wellies- Celtic 
11-12:          The Grassabillies- Rockabilly
12-1:            Steve Brown and Hurricane Ridge – Bluegrass
1-2:              Rough Edges- Bluegrass
2-3:              Hot Mountain Caravan
3-4:              Roan Mountain Hilltoppers – Old Time
4-5:              The Grass Pistols- Russian Bluegrass
ORNL  GAZEBO STAGE
10:15:            Tracy Wilson- Scottish Highland Bagpipes
10:30-11:30:   Steve Brown and Hurricane Ridge- Bluegrass
11:30-12:30:   The Red Wellies – Celtic
12:30- 1:30     The Grassabillies – Rockabilly
1:30-2:30:       Roan Mountain Hilltoppers- Old Time
2:30- 3:30:      Grass Pistols – Russian Bluegrass
3:30-4:30:       Rough Edges- Bluegrass
4:30-5:00:       Hot Mountain Caravan- Americana/Folk/Roots
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30
FIRST TENNESSEE STAGE
11-12:           The Dulcimer Guys- Hammer and Mountain Dulcimers
12-1:             Earl and Pearl- Old-Time
1-2:               Harmony Strings- Traditional Country and Gospel
2-3:               Hall Family and Friends- Traditional ‘Shape-note’ Singing
3-4:               The Dulcimer Guys- Hammer and Mountain Dulcimers
4-5:               Clinch Valley Bluegrass- Bluegrass
ORNL GAZEBO STAGE
11:30-12:30    The Katts - Americana
12:30-1:30      The Dulcimer Guys- Hammer and Mountain Dulcimers
1:30-2:30        Earl and Pearl- Old Time
2:30-3:30        Clinch Valley Bluegrass- Bluegrass
3:30-4:30        Harmony Strings- Country and Gospel
4:30-5:00        The Dulcimer Guys- Hammer and Mountain Dulcimers

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Paranormal Team Investigates Frightmare Manor

Prior to opening of Frightmare Manor in Talbott this year, a team of paranormal researchers took their team through the old house on the property. This team is from the area, and I spoke with them about what happened when they got into the house - they asked not to be identified, as they prefer to do their work without much fanfare or attention.


"There's a lot of activity in that old house," one team member told me. "The K-2 meter was off the scale all through the building." A K-2 is an electromagnetic field detector most ghost-hunters use.

"In almost no time, we made contact with 2 young girls," he said. And again, for privacy reasons, they asked me not to give too many details, as the team is still planning more investigations and they are trying not to gain notoriety as much as they are interested in learning all they can first. The team did learn the names of the girls, and their presence was quite powerful, they said.

Whether or not these girls are connected to the stories of Jeremiah Lexer, the mysterious owner of the property who committed some heinous crimes before taking his own life, is being investigated too. Lexer's tale was mentioned in this previous post. What is for certain is how intense that night investigating the house became for the team. Their faces and voices were greatly strained and it was obvious the experience left it's mark on them.

It's no surprise that for the second year in a row, Frightmare Manor has been voted the best haunted attraction in East Tennessee in a poll from WBIR-TV.

The Frightmare 'Screampark' is about to start their Halloween weekend run and you can get discount tickets by ordering online from their website.


Monday, October 24, 2011

And The Knox Horror Grindhouse Winner Is ... In My Home!!!

Already a banner year here at the house when it comes to all things Horror for Halloween 2011, I've more great news to share - this weekend my friend Clint Keller picked up the award for the best grindhouse-style trailer at the Knoxville Horror Fest Grindhouse Grind-Out for his epic tale of a maniac mechanic, called, naturally "Mechaniac". And the Best Actor award went to my roommate and semi-adopted brother (or did he adopt me?) Timothy Mooney.

Tim effortlessly portrays a crazed killer mechanic who does not like it when folks don't take care of their cars. He's not about being Green, but he will make a deep red bloody mess out of you. Heh heh.

Ah, but enough talk - here's the grainy, film-scarred trailer of what has to be the best grindhouse movie you never saw!


Sunday, October 23, 2011

Halloween Soul Cakes and Meat Heads

As best I can tell by employing research via the GoogleMachine, the tradition of tramping out into the chilly evenings around Halloween while masking one's identity and seeking candy delights or other treats is relatively new - the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Expectations today assert that some $2 billion will be spent for candy alone on Halloween. And that:

"... an average Jack-O-Lantern bucket carries about 250 pieces of candy amounting about 9,000 calories and about three pounds of sugar."

Halloween historians of television's History Channel say folks began begging for and receiving "soul cakes" for a promise to pray for dead relatives during England's All Souls Day parades and that donning costumes was based in the idea that one should wear a disguise so that roaming ghosts could not find you. "Soul cakes" sound far more interesting than they actually are.


Today, Halloween treats and foods can be deeply weird - I for one am still oddly fascinated with the Halloween Meat Hand. Meat and ghoulish imagination have also brought us the Halloween Meat Head. Make it cream cheese or jello for "glue" and slather meat around a skull. (none for me, thanks)

Also, Candy Blood, you know, for kids:

Around my home, I have noticed in the last few years that the neighborhood kids seem a little ... different ... and they want bacon.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

More Secrets of Frightmare Manor





I sat down with Chris Wooden, the creator behind Frightmare Manor, now open for their third year in Talbott, smack on the border of Jefferson and Hamblen counties, to see if we could get some more details about what audiences can expect if they dare take the journey through all four stages of frights and chills offered at this "screampark".

I can tell you that the pure enthusiasm from Chris and his crew of Frightmare Fiends is enormous. As they have said before, for them, running Frightmare Manor is like Christmas for them.Their delight is indeed much like a wide-eyed child on Christmas morning - except of course, the child here is rather demented and deeply devoted to making you shriek out loud many times, no matter what your age.

So Chris, tell us a little about the planning that goes into this huge event. Do you have a regular team of creators involved?

"Planning for Frightmare Manor is truly a year round event. Our managers and actors keep in touch throughout the year and brainstorm new and creative ways to torment our victims. This event is in our blood and is something we enjoy working on year round. Once our plans are set, the redesign and renovation work usually begins late April."

Tell us what a visitor can expect from the four different attractions at Frightmare?

"Each attraction for 2011 is designed to be a completely different experience for our victims. We offer 3 unique haunted attractions at 1 location, plus the Frightmare Challenge - each mesmerizing in their own way. Whether it be through high-tech animatronics and Hollywood DMX Lighting, or old fashioned blood and chainsaws, we attack ALL 5 senses when someone steps foot onto this old plantation. We invest more and more money every year to give our victims a terrifying experience, that they want to experience year after year. We guarantee new and innovative haunts every year!

"New for 2011, we have a 1 of a kind, custom, entry piece that, by now, everyone has noticed when they drive past our property. Victims must enter into Frightmare Carnivore through this enormous Beast Facade Piece. There is not another example of this creation in the world. It was the Entry Piece to one of the largest haunted attractions in the U.S. for many years, until it's relocation to Frightmare Manor. This is only 1 example of how we will go the extra mile, traveling the U.S., to provide our customers with the Ultimate Haunted Experience. When customers come to Frightmare Manor, they will be seeing the fruits of not only our hard work, but the evidence of the vast industry connections we have, which allows us to bring the BEST props and scare-tactics to the Knoxville, TN area seen ANYWHERE in the U.S.!"

What can you tell us about the tales of a serial killer on this property?

"Jeremiah Lexer was the original property owner of this entire plantation around the turn of the 18th century. The past 2 years we have focused on more recent, controversial events surrounding the 2001 closing of the
successful restaurant on this property. Over the past year, we have dug into the record books and unearthed a lot of forgotten (or hidden) information about Jeremiah Lexer and his original homestead. We believe
Haunted House customers want to experience TRUE TERROR. Because of this, Frightmare Manor will remain at the old Jeremiah Lexer Plantation. We will continue to learn and share with our customers the evidence over the next few years."


This must take a lot of work from performers and tech crews - about how many people are involved?

"Many Haunted Attractions choose to use volunteers to staff their event. Frightmare Manor is proud to employ close to 80 staff seasonally. Most of our actors tell us it's an experience they would do for free, but we believe our actors truly appreciate the payment and we feel they absolutely deserve it! Working at Frightmare Manor is a unique experience and we have hundreds of applications per year. Providing seasonal employment to our community is truly a joy for us. It's a true Win-Win!"


I can verify for you, dear reader, since I worked at Frightmare last year, that everyone involved works very, very hard to make your experience unforgettable and uncanny.

Don't miss it!

'Grand Guignol' Opens At Relix in Knoxville

I've said it before many time - I like Halloween scares and events so much I frighten even myself. And that means it's time to share a unique fear-filled thrill being presented in Knoxville at Relix Variety Theatre on Thursday and Friday nights by The Wild Thyme Players.

Titled "The Ghastly Gala of the Grand Guignol", the show draws from the legendary productions of melodrama and mayhem of live shows in Paris in the late 19th century, shows which dared to shock, scare, and amaze audiences with theatrical madness. As the Wild Thyme Players explain on their website:

"The Theâtre du Grand Guignol, located in the bohemian Montmartre district of Paris in the late 19th century, was famous for its mystery and horror plays. These performances later inspired works by Alfred Hitchcock, Stephen King and Quentin Tarantino. Project Director Courtney Woolard says, “Grand Guignol was innovative and provocative theatre for its’ time, and remains relevant today as the basis for many of the modern horror films we love to scare ourselves with.”

Woolard explains that Grand Guignol translates into “puppet master,” and the performances are designed to manipulate the audience’s emotions with a “hot and cold shower” of horror, eroticism and comedy."

How about a little more enticement? Thursday's show is only 10 dollars, Friday is 15 dollars, so attend one or both and be prepared to wade deep into the disturbing world of the Grand Guignol. This show does include a parental warning -- Due to the adult nature of this show, parental discretion is advised. For more information call (865)325-9877

Shatner Sings 'Bohemian Rhapsody'?

Halloween seems the most appropriate time to release a new album from iconic actor William Shatner. It's called Seeking Major Tom and includes an also appropriate line-up of iconic musicians - Zakk Wylde, Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore & Ian Paice, The Strokes' Nick Valensi,  Scorpions' Michael Schenker, country star Brad Paisley, funk legend Bootsy Collins, '70s rock god Peter Frampton, folkster Sheryl Crow, Tangerine Dream founder Edgar Froese, The Kinks' Dave Davies, and Yes guitarist Steve Howe

More on the ... um, musical enterprise ... from FearNet.

This 2 disc collection arrives with a video for Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". And yes, Shatner's face is made of stars.


Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Dear Mr. Limbaugh - Survivor of LRA Horrors Asks For Humane Treatment

I've often had the misfortune to hear the bizarre rants and twisted fabrications which flows like a broken sewage pipe from talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Late last week, his idiocy and lust for attention brought him to claim that President Obama was attacking Christians in Uganda. Not only is that a lie, horrible enough, he also sided with the group known as the Lord's Resistance Army and read their propaganda on his program.

Oddly, for a change, his despicable comments have been rebuked by officials and average folks from all corners. However, a survivor of the unimaginable brutalities of the LRA, named Evelyn Apoko, abducted at age nine and forced into a life of endless terrors, filmed a calm, compassionate reply to him. Now at the age 22, she has begun traveling into the West to encourage support for ending what can only be called a war on children.

Here is her video response to Mr. Limbaugh, evidence of a courage and an honesty and compassion arrived at with an enormous cost - something Limbaugh is utterly incapable of understanding.


Dear Mr. Limbaugh: Evelyn's Appeal from Strongheart on Vimeo.

Late last year, The Hill published a vivid account of her ordeal, just one example of the hundreds of thousands of children and adults being butchered by the LRA. Her survival is a miracle. That she now seeks to aid those still left in grip of such endless nightmares come to life is testament to her courage and humanity.

Limbaugh, called out on the floor of the U.S. Senate for his lies, simply laughs and jokes about how officials are talking about him. He has yet to apologize much less to admit his vile statements were more than a result of being "misinformed".

This event is yet another example of how deeply deceptive lies and hateful tactics are the norm for Limbaugh. How anyone can listen to his show more than once or twice and not emerge with a realization his words are slimy and ugly distortions of reality, made in hopes of collecting fame and wealth, is beyond me.

Shame is but the smallest hallmark of Limbaugh and his followers.

(thanks to Xeni at Boing Boing for sharing the video)

A recent website is tracking the atrocities conducted by the LRA.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Frightmare Manor 2011 Now Open!

Ah, Halloween.

".... you don't know much, do you ... on this night, the barriers would be down, you see, between the real and the unreal, and the dead might be looking in..."

Chilly nights, shadowy forms shambling through the darkness, screams echoing across the rolling hills of East Tennessee - and the return of Frightmare Manor in Talbott, right on the border of Jefferson City and Morristown.

I worked there last year and had a real blast scaring folks silly, and owner Chris Wooden has gathered another horde of horrible things to scare you silly for 2011. Student night is this week, Oct. 20th, and with a student I.D. you can get a $2 discount off admission. Also on Oct. 30th at 2 pm it's Kid's Day - and it's free, people. And kids can meet some of the cast members too.

The Screampark (I love that!) is open Oct. 20th from 7 til 10 pm, Oct 21 and 22 from 7 til 1 am, Oct. 27 from 7 til 10, Oct 28 and 29 from 7 til 1 am, Oct 30 and 31 from 7 til midnight, and Nov 4 and 5 from 7 til midnight.

Order tickets online and you can save on admission too.

Here's a trailer for this year's amazing 4 Attraction Screampark:


In coming days, I'll share more behind-the-scenes info with you from Chris and his Frightmare Fiends. UPDATE: Click here for the interview and more secrets of Frightmare!

Ah, Halloween.

Zombie Politics 2011


A pair of recent editorials tries to crack the code to answer a "what does it mean?" aimed at the Occupy Wall Street and other spreading protests nationally and globally. But I'm not sure really that there is a code to crack.

Bernard Harcourt writes an editorial for the NYTimes that OWS is designed to be "political disobedience" - a rejection of the current state of American ideological political divisions, goals, and practices. "Ultimately, what matters to the politically disobedient is the kind of society we live in, not a handful of policy demands." Perhaps he is right.

Casey Seiler writes an editorial for the Albany Times Union saying a leaderless, shambling protest of the OWS stripes can accomplish little - that "Without direction, it's walking -- but dead." Perhaps Casey is right.

From my perspective, the Tea Party folks and the OWS are both expressions of the same deep dissatisfaction with American politics. Serious efforts to provide economic policies, devise solutions to complex global problems and limit the influences of corporate cash support are truly absent in today's political world. And none in charge seem to want to alter the current status in any way, instead doubling-down for more of the same, which leads to less than nothing and nowhere. Those in government, local and national, do not understand any of their failings and remain focused on one goal - election and re-election. Tragedy is poised for performance.

Sadly, as noted by Seiler, the overall effect looks far too much like the chaos of a society overrun by endless, mindless hordes of consuming monsters. The survivors want two things - survival and a way to reinstall some normalcy - but none have all the answers. Make your best guess, try and endure, and try to maintain some kind of human community.

At this point, as in most zombie movies, all I can say is "good luck with that".


Friday, October 14, 2011

Fearful Blogging Days Returns!

As always, Halloween brings the Night of the Living Cup of Joe Powell.

And I'm also directing the spooky, thriller production of a world classic of mystery and mayhem for the Morristown Theatre Guild -- Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" - which runs Nov. 11-20th at Rose Center in Morristown. The show is her script, based on her novel, which is the number one best-selling mystery novel ever published.

10 people are stranded on an island estate off the coast of England, trapped there by a diabolical killer, and none is likely to survive. Adding to the madness - each of the 10 guests are themselves accused of murder. We are performing the show 'in the round' so that the audience will experience the show as if they are in the isolated estate themselves.

The show was last produced by the Guild in 1983 and was the first show I ever saw them do - here's a shot of the cast from that production, which includes Tim Smith, David Green, David Horton, Hillary Faith Gerson-Krohn, Rohead Rex, Rodney R Oswald and Linda Dietrich.

In coming days I'll have some new pics about this newest production, and the cast for this edition is  Eric McDowell, Tana McClain, Kylian Andrew, Autumn Leming, John Carpenter, Larry Glover, Mitzi Akins, Hobart Smith, Dale Stanton, myself and the stage manager is Olivia Fee.

I will share one more thing about this show - as in the 1983 version, we too are tweaking the story so that the ending will be different depending on which night you see the show.

I do love a good mystery and this one is the mother of them all!

Tickets are on sale now via the Guild's website or call 423-586-9260 for more info.




Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Topeka, Kansas Repeals Domestic Violence Law


Elected and appointed officials in the state's capital city say it's because of budget cuts, which won't take effect until 2012. The city did not vote to repeal other misdemeanor crimes - shoplifting is still a crime, for instance.

D.A. Chad Taylor publicly announced his decision not to prosecute domestic violence due to county budget cuts, and the city feared it might have to pay for the court and jail costs, and by repealing the law, they say it is still against a state law - so everything is still jes' fine.

For residents of Topeka, a lesson is presented - crimes of violence won't be prosecuted unless money changes hands.

County officials have so far refused to increase any tax rates to insure crimes are prosecuted. Another ten cents on the property tax rate, for instance, is too high a price for public safety.

And so idiocy and pathetic leadership in one Kansas county has created public policy which will likely lead to third world physical brutality. Classy.

District Attorney Chad Taylor

Monday, October 10, 2011

Police To Decide Who Is A Journalist?

Press credentials apparently are no longer valid on Wall Street unless police issue them.

"John Farley, a reporter with WNET/Thirteen’s MetroFocus, was standing on the sidewalk interviewing two women who had been pepper sprayed during the Occupy Wall Street protest when it happened to him.

For Natasha Lennard, a freelancer for The New York Times’s City Blog, it happened as she live-tweeted events while walking alongside the crowd of protestors “taking” the Brooklyn Bridge.

And for Alternet freelancer Kristen Gwynne, who was among the bridge crowd, it happened while she was talking with protest participants.
---

"The New York Press Club unequivocally supports the right of legitimate working journalists, credentialed by NYPD or not, to freely report on events and issues of interest and value to the public without fear of arrest, detention or prosecution. A free press is a fundamental American principle. Upholding that principle is a core mission of the New York Press Club."

More here at the Columbia Journalism Review.

Sunday, October 09, 2011

Occupy Wall Street Protest Grows

A brief look at some images and descriptions of the Occupy Wall Street protests - solidarity with these protests are taking place in towns and cities all over America. (Be sure to read this report from Knoxville's event.)




Tuesday, October 04, 2011

This Is Post Number 2000

2000 entries seems notable, so I note it.

I had and have numerous items I'd like to include in this milestone, however I have some rather disconcerting medical woes at present and so good sentences are not easily obtained. Perhaps I am merely feeling the burdens of age and time, yet I despise not having the abilities I normally have - And rather than sit quiet, I decided to offer this humble post.

And I also write to express my endless thanks to all the readers from around the world who have stopped by at least once to explore a Cup of Joe. So thank you.

If you have found some value in one or ten or a hundred of the 2000 posts offered here, I am flattered and  grateful. I know I have at least another 2000 to share, and likely much more.

However today is for healing up, resting and giving thanks.

I'll be in touch.


Thursday, September 29, 2011

It's Free Coffee Day


A few years back America began a National Coffee Day, which is today, and a few places (like Krispy Kreme) offer free cups of coffee today. Of course, this very Cup of Joe you are reading is ALWAYS FREE (if you have internet access).

There's some old folklore which claims coffee beans eaten by goats clued in some Ethiopian goatherds to the magical bean, but more likely the bean wasn't really noted by anyone until around the 15th century at Sufi monasteries in Yemen. For some time, European Christians labeled it a "Muslim drink" but Pope Clement VIII deemed it a "Christian drink" in 1600. (More history here.)

A more recent theory has arisen that the development of coffee houses in Europe gave rise to the French and American Revolutions, and more, such as the modern business model, since both Lloyd's of London and the London Stock Exchange began first as coffeehouses - more on this theory in this video:



For me, and hopefully for you, a daily dose of a good cup of coffee is the foundation of civilized life.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Lightsaber Battle 2011, plus Daffy Duck Heavy Metal Wizard

Call us/them Nerds, pop culture junkies, geeks, dorks, obsessive fans, or anything you wish - it does not stop them. I for one consider the first video below a bit of proof that folks in Manhattan are pretty cool - witness this year's annual Lightsaber Battle held in Washington Square Park.

Kids and adults join for a bit of silly White People behavior, abandon all worries of the world and I'm pretty sure only Americans would do this.




Nerd Alert Number Two:

What happens when the new Looney Tunes TV show takes the slobbering Daffy Duck, turns him into a wizard, complete with an elfish harem and a heavy metal theme song? (Again, more silly White People fun, but as a Nerd, I like it jes' fine, thanks.)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Afghan War & Party Balloons


From the Who Knew Files:

Massive helium-filled spy balloons are in demand in Afghanistan, but getting the helium is getting much harder:

"
Demand for helium in Afghanistan has shot up, from 49,000 cubic meters to fiscal year 2009 to an estimated 531,000 cubic meters this year.

"Getting mega-blimps to landlocked Afghanistan is no cakewalk. Once filled, these spy blimps can’t be deflated at the risk of messing up their flight control surfaces. This means that helium either needs to be flown to a base where the blimps have to be filled up, or they have to be inflated in the U.S. and then shipped over to Afghanistan in a giant container."

Here at home, party stores are pondering the day when the planet has no more helium for balloons or all the other industries that need it:

"
Like oil and coal, helium is a limited natural resource, and as the supply dwindles, cost rises. "It's been like a 20 percent increase in helium but like gas prices as well, everything else has to go up," Berardi said.

"Did you know that MRI scanners use helium to cool magnetic imaging? Nuclear reactors and liquid-fuel rockets also use helium. And this natural gas detects leaks in vacuum systems."

Who knew?

Monday, September 26, 2011

Maybe You Can Vote, Maybe Not


Certain Tennesseans will have a tougher time voting next year, thanks to a Big Government push from state Republicans (and their out-of-state lobbyists like ALEC).

Via Knox Views, State Senator Roy Herron writes that his mother is one person among many who will have to pay to get the ID the state now demands, but only half the state's counties provide a way to get the necessary ID:

"
Only 43 of Tennessee’s 95 counties have such centers. Half the counties in West Tennessee, and two-thirds of the counties in my state Senate district, don’t have them. Some of the rural Tennesseans I represent will have to drive from their county through a second county and into a third to reach the closest driver’s license center — a trip of 40 to 60 miles each way. Taking a day off work and with gas averaging $3.58 a gallon, even at minimum wage the expense of travel and lost wages will cost people perhaps an additional $80 to $100 to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

This cost of this process—in many cases totaling $110 to $135, if not more — is such a burden that for many voters it will amount to disenfranchisement.

My Republican colleagues claim this legislation is necessary to prevent voter fraud, citing a state Senate election in Memphis in 2005 in which votes were recorded from two deceased people. But the fact is that the culprits in that case were dishonest election workers, not voters. Photo ID cards would not solve that problem."

Here's a map of state locations to get a new voter ID.

It seems clear the simplest way to create a photo ID for voters would have been to alter the current voter registration card issued by counties to include a photo. That would cost money - so rather than the state fund it, you now have to pay for the changes. (Either way, residents are paying). Even better, require each county's election office to verify applicants who want to register to vote (which they already do).

There is no proof voting fraud is widespread. Supporters of the new ID say that lack of proof is itself suspicious. The end result of this change seems clear - many voters, already discouraged in participating in voting, have now another reason to sit out the next election.

Sen. Ron Ramsey says he'll give anyone who needs a ride to a photo ID location, if they call and ask for a ride. So, see, your elected officials will help you if you ask for help and, in their opinion, deserve it. Thanks soooooo much.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

You Can't Dance Like This, Can You?

Human folk have created amazing dances for thousands of years which can express so much with movement and music. Below, one man dances (in ways I cannot begin to explain) to a hit song from this year - and (as if i needed proof) it reinforces the simple truth that I cannot dance. He goes by the name Nonstop and has been working on his dance moves for 17 years. Impressive. (You should click on the video to watch in fullscreen mode.)