by Deb Aoki Once upon a time, a little blue unicorn named Unico entered our imaginations, thanks to the boundless creativity of Osamu Tezuka.  Called “The God of Manga,” Tezuka was famous for creating many memorable characters and stories for kids, adults and almost everyone in between. The story of Unico is centered around a little unicorn who has the power “to bring happiness to the pure and true.” However, this sweet and seemingly harmless ability catches the eye of Venus, the goddess of love.

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt.  Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus:  “God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.

Happy Halloween! This is the second of four spooky posts I’m running this month a PopPoetry. Today I’m taking a look at one of the best horror adaptations and remakes in recent memory: the 2017 reboot adaptation of Stephen King’s It. It’s quotable, it’s terrifying, it features a mind-bending performance by Bill Skarsgård, and it uses extremely rational fears as the foundation of its message. Sure, the killer clown is the figment of an overactive childhood imagination (or rather, the twisted overactive imagination of adult Stephen King) but the book and the film also touch on disease, abuse, death, loss—and, of course, fear—in broad but affecting ways.

If you want to subscribe to LOL Sober, hit the purple button below. I’m mostly publishing free pieces right now, but paid subscribers do have access to monthly premium pieces—such as THIS comedy special about my 10 favorite addiction/sobriety jokes! A quick programming note: I am writing and recording this entry on Nov. 9, which means you’re probably reading it on Nov. 10. Nov. 10 is my sober anniversary. Hopefully, as you read this, I will have gone another 24 hours without a drink or a drug.

The Towne Center Plaza was home to a fatal fire in Gatlinburg that claimed the life of one person last year, and the new building for the businesses that were lost will soon return. There were four businesses that either suspended operations or moved to a temporary location: Pucker’s Sports Grill, China Bazaar, Cafe 420, and Gifts of Gatlinburg. The owner of Pucker’s, Chad Kennedy, was interviewed for the story on WVLT news in Knoxville, and he confirmed the business is returning to a bigger and better place next door to the large building being constructed.