Stephen Hawking
Elvis Presley
Today, the 8th day January, marks the birthday of Stephen Hawking: a theoretical physicist famous for his research on black holes; and Elvis Presley, a man known for his infamous blackouts.
Happy Birthday!
Funny Franken For Senate January 7, 2009
Well congratulations Minnesota, funny man Al Franken, former Saturday Night Live comedian and Air America radio host wins seat in the US Senate. Apparently the nasty mess of a race came down to a mere 225 votes in Franken’s favor.
Al Franken as Stuart Smalley
Buh bye Senator Coleman, yes it truly is a jack in the face to lose one of the most prestigious of political offices to Stuart Smalley. But don’t let Franken’s announced victory appear as the end of this belabored battle; Norm Coleman will dish any and all efforts to disprove the now Senator-elect’s triumph. Appeal until your blue in the balls old boy.
With any sliver of luck Franken will in fact take charge of his position among the political elite and join the other 98 senators in what is sure to be a tumultuous year on the floor. Now the Senate will only lack one empty seat– yep that’s Illinois. Thanks to Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich’s wheel and deal of President-elect Obama’s vacant senate seat, Blagojevich’s senate appointee Roland Burris is being blocked from taking assuming the position.
Secretary of the Senate, Nancy Erickson, refused to accept Burris’s credentials and allow him to proceed as Senator for Illinois. And though it may seem ludicrous that Governor Blogojevich maintains the right to appoint Burris to fill Obama’s vacant seat, it isn’t. Blagovich has only been accused of these corruption charges, not yet convicted or indicted. And at this moment, he maintains his authority as Governor of Illinois.
The opening of the 111th Congress may be the most dramatic of our life times, or the span of the Senate for that matter. Like so:
- 98 (that’s not 100) Senators are sworn into office
- the first African American to be elected President’s former post as US senator is mired in controversy, imagine
- Secretary of senate refuses to honor corrupt Governor’s appointment of now President-elect’s former post
- Apointee proclaims himself as senator for Illinois despite affirmation by Secretary of senate or Illinois secretary of state
- incumbent Minnesota senator loses seat to a comedian after a long disputed recount
- incumbent Minnesota senator files formal election contest in sad attempt to maintain grip on power
Damn.
blood stains at glen leven January 1, 2009
Glen Leven Estate
Nashville is many things, a city of music and entertainment, Southern hospitality and of course, history. One of those elements too often forgotten is Nashville’s rich historic quality. These reminders of the past are all around us, marquees and monuments spatter the city. And last week I had the opportunity to visit and experience one of these places first hand.
A couple of years ago, Susan M. West bequethed her more than 200 year old Glen Leven home and property to the Land Trust for Tennessee, a land preservation society in the state. The Glen Leven estate sits on Franklin Road, less than a mile from Thompson Lane. This tattered giant is a glimpse to antiquity that Nashville is so lucky to boast.
In the late 1700s the home was built and occupied by the Thompson family. The Thompson’s inhabited the estate during the Battle of Nashville, a battle which would cripple the Rebels and come to mark the impending doom of the Confederate Army.
During the Battle of Nashville, specifically the battle of Peach Orchard Hill, Union soldiers overtook the property and used it as their hospital. Pools of blood puddled on the polished wood floors of Glen Leven, bleeding through the fabric of many a Yank’s blue uniform. The exterior also bears the scars of the battle, the bricks chided by the marks of stray bullets.
Today the house is vacant, except for the occasional string band session, one of which I was so lucky to occasion. In the cool Nashville night, the thump of the stand-up bass and the twang of the banjo string echoed in the haunted halls of this centuries old manor.
We wandered through dark and empty rooms, a distant melody in the background, the only light spilled in through the large windows and the faint glow of an open cell phone. We searched the wood floors for blood stains, a permanent memory of the lives lost in the War Between the States and a close reminder of just how close to home these lives were lost.
The seemingly endless and connected rooms are colored by an occasional floral window treatment, their fabrics dust-stained and sun-bleached by reflection, the only furniture giant antique armoires left by Ms. West. The armoires are part of this place now; there are no closets, only these great chests that have held generations of fashions.
Glen Leven, an antebellum retreat off the Nashville highway, is a marker that will, under the guidance of the Land Trust for Tennessee and many a dedicated historical enthusiast, be restored or directed in the best interests of Ms. West’s will and the Land Trust for Tennessee. Until then the house will sit, under the care of an overseer and the occasional song of a string band.
Federal Auto Loan Fails December 12, 2008
This just in… US Senate vote to bailout auto companies GM and Chrysler fails. Fails. Fails.
Kampai Nashville! December 10, 2008
For those of you who didn’t know that Japan established an official consulate office in Nashville, you are not alone. Earlier this year Japan established what is Tennessee’s first and only consulate’s office. But why Tennessee? Apparently there are 151 Japanese-owned companies in Tennessee, employing some 38,000 people and generating $9 billion in cumulative capital investments. I guess that’s a healthy incentive and let’s not forget that little car manufacturer in Smyrna, TN, Nissan.
happy birthday akihito!
So why pray tell do I prattle on as such? Last night the Consulate-General of Japan at Nashville, Hiroshi Sato, and his wife hosted a reception in honor of the Emperor of Japan, Akihito’s birthday. In Japan, the Emperor’s birthday is observed as a national holiday and though his Imperial Majesty’s actual birthday falls on the 23rd, last night’s celebration was no wasted effort.
I knew no one, my eyes darted through the sea of Japanese faces, lost except for a pair of American missionaries to Japan who I ironically met waiting for a drink. The small room was stacked with people, they mingled between the two bars and four buffets. Unaware of Nashville’s rich Japanese population I slunk amongst the crowded tables and geisha girls, mesmerized and feeling much more like a voyeur than a participant.
It was only minutes before an announcer took the stage, addressed the crowd and all stood for the Japanese National Anthem. Following Nashville Mayor Karl Dean spoke about facilitation of Japanese relations and culture in Nashville and mentioned an upcoming first annual Japanese Festival and some kind of green initiative to plant Cherry Blossom trees along Nashville streets. Lovely, really.
Matt Kisber, Commissioner for the Department of Economic and Community Development, shared a few words about Tennessee’s lucrative business environment for Japanese investment and finally Consul General Sato greeted the audience and shared a lengthy explication of the role of the consulate’s office and even stronger bilateral relations between the US and Japan as a result of Barack Obama’s election.
Always game for a taste of the unusual or political, this was a perfect mix of both and overall an educational and encouraging experience. Tennessee is a boom town for investment– no income tax, financial incentives for businesses, great transportation infrastructure and an eager workforce that is Right to Work (that means you don’t have to be a union member to work for a manufacturer, like Nissan). And though our state is facing some financial strain, I’m encouraged to be located in the center of such a strong business environment.
Sinking “Like a Rock” December 5, 2008
Unless you’ve had your head buried in the sand for the past couple of weeks it’s been pretty damn hard to miss news of the proposed bailout of the automobile industry’s Big 3: GM, Ford and Chrysler. Bailout figures are landing anywhere from the $34 billion to $125 billion range.
Sound familiar? Well, yes, it was just October when President Bush, along with congress, established TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program), the $700 billion emergency relief package for financial institutions.
GM, UAW, Ford, Chrysler
Yesterday, the Senate Banking Committee held the second hearing for the proposed Big 3 bailout. Tennessee’s very own Bob Corker (R), a member of the banking committee, did his fair share of grilling.
Despite the varied perspectives, pitches and good sense business rationales of banking committee members many of us are still wondering how it is that we can bail out AIG and Citigroup, among others, but we cannot help the old boys of blue collar America– the auto makers. Here’s my figurin’…
If we bail these guys out, where does it end? If we give the Big 3 access to TARP (designated to relieve financial institutions only), then congress cannot very well deny other struggling industries– like retailers for example. Is it right to bailout Harold’s? Sharper Image? Linens and Things?
No, it’s not okay, that’s business, failure is a risk. If you start a business and it fails it is not the responsibility of the taxpayer to bail you out. We’ve all seen small businesses die with no one there to prop them up again.
Most businesses in the situation the Big 3 face have to file for bankruptcy, either Chapter 11 (reorganization) or Chapter 7 (liquidation). Some members of the banking committee and your fellow American taxpayers (myself included) find bankruptcy a feasible solution. The auto industry argues that no one will buy a car from a manufacturer in bankruptcy, but hell people are still buying gift cards from Circuit City;).
Now I’m sure I’d be singing a different tune if I was a union auto worker or the daughter of a union worker, and hell, I kind of wish I was. Unionized companies like GM, Ford and Chrysler pay their workers on average, over $30/hour, that’s more than $70/hour in labor costs compared to a non-unionized company like Toyota who’s labor costs average $45/hour (SFC).
Oh, yeah and don’t let me forget to mention the UAW job bank. Though the UAW has agreed to suspend this controversial program, which was created in the mid 1980s “to protect workers from layoffs” (NPR)– ie. union workers receive 95% of their salary while not being required to work– it was a pretty sweet deal while it lasted.
Ford: Sinking "Like a Rock"
Regardless, the Big 3 are in trouble, just like most of America and without some reformation in financial management we may all meet the unfortunate end facing these auto moguls. If America seeks to continue as a free enterprise then endless bailouts and loans via the federal government must end. We may tend to forget that capitalism is sustained by survival of the fittest and the more government intervention and ownership we condone, the farther we fall into the pit of socialism.
Tony Alamo and the Ice Box Dungeon of Oceanway December 3, 2008
Oceanway
Last weekend I had the opportunity to visit Oceanway studios on Music Row. For most of you Nashville music buffs this is just another day in the life, but for a humble scribe like myself it was quite the treat to explore this foreign world, the music studio.
My buddy who works for Oceanway scheduled a perk session and invited us to come by to check out the digs and hang while they recorded. Our initial experience was typical, a tour of the control rooms, a crank of the pitch perfect sound, a raid on the lavish lounges (no alcohol to be found).
As we explored we began to delve into a bit of Oceanway history and legend. Oceanway was not born a studio; in 1910, the greystone walls erected the Church of the Advent. The 30′ cathedral ceilings and stained glass are now part of Studio A; as I understand, Studio B was at one time an orphanage; and Studio C the guts, the innards of this aged building.
This Gothic revival church is host to many a legend, both of music and the supernatural. As our tour continued the tiny seasonal studio, Studio C, afforded us both. At the rear of Studio C’s basement lounge is a great door leading to what many an Oceanway aficionado call the “dungeon.” The “dungeon” is a small area of concrete and dirt, a web of cords and circuits and all around eerie space.
It gets weirder. In 1981 evangelist and impresario Tony Alamo purchased the property as a church annex for his cult-like fundamentalist group. You may recognize Tony from his September press appearance when his Arkansas compound was raided and he was later indicted on suspicion of child abuse.
September wasn’t Tony’s first run in with the law or the bizarre. A convicted felon, Alamo’s offenses cover weapons to Waco.
Susan and Tony
In 1982, Tony’s second wife, Susan Lipowitz, an active member of Tony’s religious organization, died of cancer. Tony preserved his deceased wife for some months under the premise that she would be resurrected. The running Nashville legend has it that Alamo preserved her body on ice in the “dungeon” of Oceanway. It is alleged that he shocked her with electrical current, causing her limbs to convulse and take life. When Susan failed to resurrect Tony blamed his followers as their faith wasn’t strong enough to bring her back. Right.
Since the days of Tony Alamo, the old church has been converted to what we know today as Oceanway. But tales like Tony Alamo’s icebox dungeon still haunt the stone walls. Many of Oceanway’s employees claim to have seen or felt the presence of a shivering orphan on the studio B rooftop patio, someone tapping on their shoulder in an empty room, an apparition at the head of the stairs…
Though I didn’t see a ghost on my tour of Oceanway, I certainly have no desire to visit the dungeon ever again.
let’s go party at some warehouse November 25, 2008
Here I sit, two days later, hands across the keyboard, I glance in fond memory at the faded outline of a rabbit stamp, black ink filling the tiny creases of my winter dry hands. Perhaps I’m a dirty kid, perhaps the ink too potent– but I am pleased, pleased with the stain and pleased to reflect happenings of the Rabbit Party.
Saturday marked what I understand to be the second release of the Rabbit magazine– a floppy collection of emerging art, prose and poetry on the Nashville scene. Though I should have worn my fur coat (mink a strong suit to the theme of the evening), much fun was had, the Rabbit party a grand success and perhaps Dirty Eye Booking’s largest production to date.
Around the corner from the Dirty Eye Warehouse, we rolled through the industrial district of Germantown and approached a warehouse not unlike all the battered ones around it. I was tickled to find a sea of vehicles parked in the overgrown urban prairies surrounding the building, scattered groups of people huddled, rushing up the rocky drive to the Neuhoff Warehouse.
Once inside and cleared the black curtain, I made rounds…
- beers (Yazoo and Magic Hat at $2 a glass ain’t a bad deal)
- art (a warm white corner collection with mini pen and inks to large scale installations)
- photographer (will try to find link asap)
- graffiti wall (though we used Crayolas instead of Krylon)
In addition to these diversions the Rabbit hosted a string of great bands. I caught a minute of The Janissary, most of Mother/Father and Jeff the brotherhood. As typical to a jeff show, the crowd roused a mosh. In a moment of pure fantasy I fought the temptation to do like the others, leap from a speaker into the snap of open palms. Fortunately for my reputation I accepted the limitations of a leather skirt and an empty cup of booze.
Similar to other such recent warehouse parties, the Rabbit party drew a big and eclectic crowd. I look forward to more of this not so recent Nashville trend, the warehouse party, an excellent all ages way to experience the spool of Nashville culture in an industrial kind of way.
others…
- lil hamilton
- the dirty eye warehouse
- the funhouse (the not forgotten dilapidated powder house of debauchery)
of airmen and cattlemen November 18, 2008
In the blistering cold and 5 o’clock traffic I headed south to Shelbyville, TN, to attend The Arnold Community Council Annual Banquet. Now I bet you’re thinking, “what the hell is the Arnold Community Council?” The ACC is an organization designed to support and raise awareness of the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC)– a flight test facility operated by the US Air Force, located at Arnold Air Force Base in Coffee County– bet you didn’t know that existed, did ya… I didn’t:).
General Schwartz, USAF
This year’s event, the 8th annual, was a biggie. The ACC managed to wrangle a very special guest speaker General Norton A. Schwartz, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, and some 580 people at $650/table, $75/person. Bling bling in the Bedford County!
As is typical, I rolled in just in time to swing by the bar and mingle for few before taking my seat. The banquet was held on hard-packed dirt in the center of the Calsonic Arena, where just two days before broncs were bucking and bulls were shitting. Despite the ruff and rural locale, the presentation was lovely, white table cloths, flower arrangements, lovely stage– impressive, really.
After an introduction of various elected officials and their representatives in attendance, a team of teens in servers uniforms filed out into the crowd serving endless plates of rib eye steak and baked potatoes prepared by the Lincoln County Cattleman’s Association. There was no veggie option, no chicken option, this is cattle country.
I threw back the last tastes of my wine as General Schwartz, a wispy airman with a big grin and ears to match took the stage reminiscing his rise to glory from the son of a typewriter salesman to a General and Chief of Staff for the U.S. Air Force. Much to the delight of the audience, he paralled the successes of our fine Titan’s teamwork to the teamwork that is essential to success in the Air Force. His occasional quip and playful tone dispelled any such gruff or stern notions of a military man.
I waited my turn to shake General Schwartz’s hand after the event and found him generous and patient, signing the program of many a military parent, their eyes welling with tears in pride and fear for their deployed son or daughter. The General will definitely have something to remember us by, more than dark liquor and well-done steak, a community in action and support of our men and women in uniform. A state and a people rallied around our country.
Hank Williams Jr for US Senate November 17, 2008
Really??? Wow. I wonder if Bob Corker is shaking in his boots? Should make for an interesting primary… Ha!
CMT (Country Music Television) News: Hank Williams Jr. Plans to Run for U.S. Senate
November 17, 2008
Written by Hazel Smith
Will wonders never cease?! Hank Williams Jr. says he will run for the U.S. Senate as a Republican candidate during the next primary election. It is my understanding that Hank has already talked with Sen. Lamar Alexander and former Sen. Bill Frist — both Republicans — regarding his candidacy.
Those of you who keep up with country music news by reading this weekly column are already aware that Hank spent a lot of time on the campaign trail with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain’s vice presidential running mate. ###
US Senator Bob Corker
Hank Williams Jr.
