Nashville, TN

Last night I got to live like a true Nashvillian and enjoy the perks of living in THE Music City.

I went to a free street concert hosted by Capitol Records on Music Row. They had literally blocked off the stretch of Demonbreun from Tin Roof to the roundabout, set up a stage, and set Dirks Bentley loose on us. It was awesome.

I think people who don’t live in Nashville think that people who live in Nashville do this all the time. That this is just what happens on any and every given week night. Yah - the stars just come out and set up their lights and sounds system and just start jamming. Well, I’m here to tell you…they sorta do.

And that is reason #57 why I heart my hometown.

Just a reminder…blogger picnic is Sunday.

Let’s get together and celebrate our blogging community!

This is an All-Skate. Families, kids, doggies, kitties and small farm animals are all invited.

Please bring a covered dish…or two. A grill will be provided for those who would like to fire it up. Sorry, no alki allowed at the park, but there is a great playground! (I’m sure a game of challenge-kickball will break out, as well.)

We will be under the covered pavilion…it has picnic tables, but you may want to bring a lawn chair along.

Sevier Park is located at the corner of Granny White Pike (12th Avenue South) and Kirkwood Avenue. Feel free to e-mail me at GingerSnapsTN-at-gmail-dot-com if you are unclear as to where that is.

We hope you can make it!!!!

I was totally going to post an update yesterday after the “big” announcement. But apparently it was so big…that nobody covered it.

What? I don’t get it. I can’t find a follow-up story anywhere. I have google at my fingertips, and yet - NOTHING.

I know someone out there knows what Bredesen announced yesterday. So clue me in.

What can I say, I like it here under my rock, but sometimes I like to venture out for the scenery.

Yesterday, I wondered if we might not be albe to avoid rain for Sunday’s big blogger picnic.

And as I drove into work today, I heard the weather forecast say the best chance of rain this week comes on….wait for it…Sunday.

You can send all your hate mail to me…

Anyone got any guesses on this big mysterious announcement that Bredesen is supposedly making today?

Vote:

a) free Bredesen bobbleheads to the first 50 new business owners in the first quarter of ‘08

b) Building a sequel to our newly endeared “Ghost Ballet”. He’s going to have locals vote on the new name. It’s going to be a close race between “Eye Sore”, “It’s not a freaking rollercoster, ok?!”, and “Begging For Grafitti to Improve my Look”

c) Buying another pro or minor league team that won’t win anything ever and we’ll eventually stop buying tickets for. And when someone else threatens to take them off our hands we will fight to save them. Even if it’s a synchronized swimming team, we will swear that we are a synchronized swimming town.

I vote for A. Bobbleheads are cute.

We’ve not had any significant rain for a long period of time and I know that our state desparately needs it.

I keep praying for rain and checking the forecast, hoping we might get some good, soaking rain that would at least put a tiny dent in the drought.

Well, except for Sunday.

See, Sunday, in case you forgot is the big Music City Bloggers picnic. And I’m looking forward to attending it. And yet I know if I allow myself to look forward to it too much, that means it will rain that day. Which we need, but if it’s going to have a good, soaking rain, can’t it at least wait until Monday?

I am planning to make Jell-O cake and honestly I don’t want to have to eat the entire Jell-O cake myself.

Selfish?

Yes, I am…why do you ask?

Just wanted to repeat a warning I’ve seen in a couple of papers the past few days.

Apparently there is someone out there calling people and phishing for information, claiming to be with the Tennessee Highway Patrol. This is a scam and you shouldn’t give out your information to them.

THP has issued an advisory on this.

If they call you, let us know…I’d be interested to hear what the scam is.

Two words. Funnel cake.

That’s really all you  need to know, right?

Oh, and where to get it. Right. The Wilson County fair is alive and kickin’ this week through Saturday the 25th. I know it’s hot folks, but come on. Funnel cake.

I’ve never been to this particular fair, but I’ve heard good things. I’ve heard it’s clean - which is something uniquely worth making the 40 mile one-way trip out to Lebanon to verify. I normally regard Lebanon about as likely a place to visit as the middle-eastern country of the same name, so the very fact that I am not only planning to go on Saturday, but also recommending it to you, is an historical record indeed.

Again. Funnel cake.

I’m actually not a fan of rollercoasters, or isolated heights in general, so my interest in this fair has nothing to do with the traditional mode of entertainment normally sought at a county fair. I, instead, am drawn to the opportunity to capture the nostalgia of such an event on my super sweet Canon 30D. That’s all. Oh, and funnel cake.

So if you’re interested - come on out on Saturday and try to find me. It shouldn’t be too hard. I will be the one (a) not on a ride, (b) taking pictures with the most beautiful camera in existence, and (c) eating funnel cake. It’s like Where’s Waldo, only I’m giving away clues. And possible a funnel cake, if you find me.

Or if you can’t come on Saturday, there’s always tonight, Wednesday night, Thursday night, and Friday night. All nights sell funnel cake. (because I know that was your next question).

Where: James E. Ward Agricultural Center, 945 Baddour Parkway, Lebanon

When: August 17 - 25

How much: Kids $3 (under 5, free); Adults $6

Why: funnel cake.

Just a quick promo for Thursday night’s RAINN benefit concert. The venue is 3rd & Lindsley. Be there at 7pm.

Several great acts will be there, including one of my recently added favorites, Peter Bradley Adams. Old schooler, Shawn Mullins will also be performing.

Brant Snedeker, who hails from the great state of Tennessee and played his college golf at Vanderbilt, has been having a great rookie year on the PGA Tour.

It got a lot better yesterday when Snedeker won his first PGA event, the Wyndham Championship. Snedeker started the day several shots off the lead, but shot a final round 63 to win the tournament.

Congratulations to Snedeker on his big win and hopefully this will be the first of many on the tour.

Photojournalist Joe O’Donnell passed away on Friday, August 10, 2007. He was 85.

O’Donnell was a White House photographer for twenty years. This is possibly one of his most famous images. It is titled, Sad Goodbye.

O’Donnell made Nashville his home for almost 40 years, and died here a week ago today. Services will be held this coming Sunday at Hillwood Presbyterian Church, 6220 Hickory Valley Road.

I guess with the Titans actually in practice preparing for the upcoming season and playing a few pre-season games that Pac-Man is having to work overtime to come up with ways to get his names in the news.

That would explain the latest–seems Pac is going after a singing career. He’s going to become a hip-hop artist and should have a single out in the next few weeks.

Yeah, let me run out and not buy that one….

Good grief, this guy just will not go away. If the Titans were to win the Super Bowl, I have no idea what this guy would do to try and get his name out there above the team…

The Sounds are in negotiations to move out to Franklin.

I’m happy to see they might stay in middle Tennessee, but disheartened that Nashville seems content to sit by and let them go.

Looks like all that revenue from a downtown stadium may head to Williamson County.

I realize this says “win”. What can I do? I can buy you a sandwich…I don’t know.

Monday’s W.i.N. was at Fuel on 2nd Avenue. Congratulations to nobody.

Can anyone tell me where this wall is?

If I posted it at full size, there are clues. Big ones. In fact, one of you might be in this picture. And I’d say it’s cheating for you to play, but seriously…nobody else is, so why not? There is also signage. What can I do? And no, I will not crop. Not this masterpiece.

Remember people, a sandwich.

Maybe.

I’ve heard a lot grumblings about our local assortment of journalism. This one leans too far left. This one reads right. This one might as well be a tabloid. Etc..

Lately, there’s been a lot of hype over a certain statement made by a certain journalist regarding the credibility of the media over the un-credentialed blogging community. Do they have a valid argument? Or are they simply afraid of the competition?

I want to know who you read. Who do you go to first when you want the real scoop? Who do you trust to tell the story sans the sugar? Do you even go to traditional news media anymore? Or have you started going straight to the blogs of your internet neighbors? Do we have a reliable source in Nashville?