Please keep our own Bad, Bad Ivy in your thoughts. Today, she lost her beloved Grandmother, Vivian Jackson Hogan.

Ivy was very close to her Grandmother, and had lived with her for a period of time.

So, if we don’t see Ivy around for the next few days, please know that she is dealing with a lot right now and will be back in the swing of things soon.

We love you, Ivy.

…the truck in front of you has a bumper sticker that says “If it ain’t King James, it ain’t Bible.”

I have to say, I feel really bad for those disciples in the first century with their silly parchments/scrolls/whatever in the original Greek and Hebrew. It would be another 1600 years or so until all the books were translated into Shakespearian-sounding English! That’s a long time to make it without a real Bible.

Anyone else see anything that left you scratching your head on the way to work?

…or…Teamwork! Teamwork! Everybody, Everywhere!

Our resident Coyote has given the call-out for some assistance.

I need to build a round pen, and I need to do it over a weekend. So, I will need one crew on Saturday, Sept 8, and another on Sunday, Sept 9. Two people on the auger, two on the saws for one day. Then, roughly the same number to set the rails after the Quick-Crete has hardened. It will be relatively easy work, but many hands is key. I will provide tamales and beer, or soda if you must, and of course material and tools, though, if you have a decent hammer, bring it. Saturday’s crew will mark and set posts, hang the gate. Sunday’s crew will hang the rails, and set railroad ties and spread footing.

This could be the first ever blogger joint effort day! If you think you can help, please leave an email in the comments, or send mail to me via freespeech43 over at yahoo.

Outside work. Sweat. Tamales. More sweat. Plenty of suds.

What the hell else could you want?

I’m in…big hair, painted nails, and a hammer! What the hell else could you want, Mack? hee!

Let’s help him out…it’ll be fun!
Remember: A blogger in need is a friend indeed!

– not that being paranoid would make any difference. On the other hand, if you want to make sure we’re doing all we can to stop the “tearists,” consider this:

The FBI has quietly built a sophisticated, point-and-click surveillance system that performs instant wiretaps on almost any communications device, according to nearly a thousand pages of restricted documents newly released under the Freedom of Information Act.

The surveillance system, called DCSNet, for Digital Collection System Network, connects FBI wiretapping rooms to switches controlled by traditional land-line operators, internet-telephony providers and cellular companies. It is far more intricately woven into the nation’s telecom infrastructure than observers suspected.

It’s a “comprehensive wiretap system that intercepts wire-line phones, cellular phones, SMS and push-to-talk systems,” says Steven Bellovin, a Columbia University computer science professor and longtime surveillance expert.

Feel safer now?

Is Ugly Betty A ‘Gay’ Show?

They’re talking about that over at the Ugly Betty News blog–which is run by a local Nashville blogger fave.

He has this to say:

* Marc is gay.
* Marc had a coming out episode.
* Alexis is a transsexual.
* The producers do everything they can to give the impression that Justin is gay.
* There was a character in season one who was a closet heterosexual (he gave the impression he was gay to advance in the fashion design trade)
* There is that certain sense of style at the Mode offices, in both the decor and the fashions people wear, that plays to every gay stereotype ever conceived.
* The upcoming season will feature a musical episode.

So, it’s a gay show right?

Dear Lifehouse:

The White Stripes called. They want their visual aesthetic back. Oh, and Jack says he’s hotter than you.

…on iTunes that is.
NBC Universal is letting their deal with Apple expire in December.

NBC Universal is ending its iTunes support, meaning no more “Heroes,” “The Office” or “To Catch a Predator” in the iTunes store after December, when the current contract expires. What makes the rift somewhat serious for Apple is that NBC is iTunes’ biggest video supplier, pulling in about 40 percent of downloads. On top of that, it could spur a mini-revolt among other media companies like CBS and News Corp., whose contracts are also coming due.

The issue seems to be the same old, same old: NBC wants to bump prices and complicate the packaging/pricing structure, while Apple ostensibly wants to keep things the way they are: simple.

Here’s what ticks me off…I already think $1.99 per episode is expensive for a 30 minute show, and approaching expensive for some hour-long shows. But I’ve paid it on a couple of occasions–when my TiVo missed an episode or I was having an off day and needed some Season One of The Office. However, I don’t think I’d ever pay more than $1.99. And I don’t know that NBC gets that.

I also think they don’t get what good PR it is to have downloadable episodes. In fact, I’m now slavishly devoted to two shows (F/X’s Damages and NBC’s Friday Night Lights) because I was able to get caught up on the show later through downloadable media.

I think these moves to take shows off iTunes in order to force a rate hike are short-sighted.

Terry Heaton also has some thoughts.

The gamble NBCU is making is that they can still make business decisions with their content that don’t include their customers. While I do believe that serious “Office” fans will go where they have to go to get their downloads, forcing everybody to do this is ultimately a fool’s folly, for most people will opt for the path of least resistance.
…

In the end, though — and has been evidenced so many times in recent years — it is foolish to mess with empowered consumers. Who negotiates for them?

Ken Levine throws down

t’s not enough to just turn your cellphone on silent . PUT IT THE [redacted] AWAY. Don’t look at it during the movie. It’s like someone turning on a flashlight in a dark room. It’s distracting. Don’t do it! And don’t text message.
…
In a fairly empty theater don’t take a seat right in front of me. Especially when there are twenty seats on either side you could choose instead.

And there’s oh so much more…

The Scenesters over at Nashville Cream are pretty much the local experts on irony, so I’ll leave it to them to debate whether the “Nashville is the New L.A.” t-shirts are tongue in cheek or not.

Anyway, so I’m looking at the picture on the flyer (above) trying to mentally note exactly how many levels of gross are going on with this concept, and I can’t even find a mission statement for who thinks Nashville is the New L.A., why, what’s wrong with them, if it’s tongue in cheek or if it will ever stop.

But leaving the potential irony aside, I do have two questions about the slogan:

1. Is Nashville the new anything?

2. Can anything possibly be the new L.A.?

Don’t get me wrong. I love L.A. — I used to spend a lot of time there when I lived in San Jose. (It’s a four and a half hour drive on highway 5, or a five hour drive on 101. The extra half hour along the coast is worth it.) I used to spend days there on business, and weekends there for fun. I’m a pop girl at heart; I love the pop art and pop music sensibility of L.A. and the contradictoriness of its crazes and trends. I want to live in a house on the Venice canals when I get rich and not famous from songwriting.

That said, I mean, L.A. is pretty much set up to be the only L.A. To replace L.A., you’d have to find somewhere with seventy degree weather all year round. You’d have to have an ocean near enough for photo shoots as well as the arbitrary appearance of women in bikinis on random city streets. You’d have to have sprawl so vast it takes up half the width of the state. You’d have to have highway congestion slow enough that you could give yourself a full manicure on your way to the manicurist. You’d have to have not one but several lucrative, self-involved industries concerned with appearances, power, and ass-kissing.

I mean, the list goes on and on. L.A. is the only L.A. there could possibly be.

And as for the first question — is Nashville the new anything — I actually mean that as “is Nashville the new everything?” Because Nashville seems to be such a self-conscious little city that its denizens eschew its own rhinestone-studded, guitar-carrying identity in favor of whatever might make it seem more grown up. But isn’t it cooler to know who you are and wear it proudly, rather than trying to be everything else instead? I mean, I don’t know, I’m the one whose blog is called High Holy Mass of Contradictions, for Pete’s sake — far be it from me to take anyone or anything else to task for not having a singular self-identity — but then again, maybe the contradictions are all part of Nashville’s identity.

What’s your take?

If you wanna know something about the political situation in LaVergne, I’m all over it. But Nashville politics, I’m a bit lost on. Even so, I love a good “We hate this politician” website, so I found this one about Charlie Tygard to be quite amusing. And like any good anti-politician website, it has its own blog.

What do you guys think? Should he be retired from the Metro Council? Is he really a “puppet of wealthy land owners, developers, builders, real estate interests, and others that profit from Charlie’s presence in the Metro Council” as the website purports?

Libby of the City Paper’s Style Arbiter blog must have been lookin’ pretty stylish when she randomly met the managers of the new Anthropologie store.

They liked my outfit - mainly the fact I was wearing shorts with my new white Frye boots (pics to come) - and asked me if I wanted a job.

Go see how she handled the situation.

And if it’s your kind of thing, go ahead and check out that new Anthropologie store at the Hill Center in Green Hills. It opens today. (I get the catalog. I love it. I also own two Anthropologie skirts I’ve found at thrift stores and they happen to be two of my favorite pieces.)

My girl Jag has some thoughts for the Officer who wrote her a ticket last night.
I’ll let her tell it.

When I was a kid, I was taught that police officers were safe, strong people that I could trust and always go to when I was in trouble. The only title higher than cop was perhaps a firefighter. Maybe an astronaut. Regardless of the few terrible experiences I’ve had with cops, I thought I’d always look at you with respect. It’s what I was taught and it’s what you deserve.

…
your behavior this evening leaves me no doubt as to why [my goddaughter] may grow up not having faith in your need to protect her.

Go to her blog and read the rest. It’s thought provoking.

—

Turns out last night was not a stellar one for Metro’s Finest, as Ginger has her own letter of complaint for another officer.

By the way, to the cop who directed us the wrong way: When you started seeing all of the (probably hundreds) of cars you sent that way coming back by you, perhaps that should have clued you in that you were doing something wrong.

But no…you are a Metro Police Officer. You can’t be wrong about anything, can you?

Sharon Cobb wonders if David Beckham is too Old Spice.

While there’s little question David Beckham is (perhaps) the best soccer player in the world, he is also getting a little long in the tooth, and it appears his best days are yester.
…
I think he’s good for the sport, insomuch as he draws a lot of attention to the game, but I think he’s being paid a ridiculous amount of money to be what is turning out to be little more than a cheerleader.

Les Jones explains “phrogging”.

The (perhaps fictional) practice of living in another person’s house, both while they’re away and while they’re present. Popularized by a set of videos of two girls living in a couples’ house.

I hadn’t heard of this until Les mentioned it here. Then again, I’m still not clear on that whole LonelyGirl deal. These Web Phenoms often escape my notice–probably because all of my Extended Network knows I’ll bitch about getting the emails forwarded AND give them an earful about Snopes and TruthOrFiction. We Buzzkills get left out of this stuff quite often.

I do wonder, though, if this isn’t fueled in part by the ongoing debates about illegal immigration. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard someone say “well how’d you like it if I broke into your house and just lived there?” (Myself included. I say that from time to time.)

It seems like some enterprising teens are riffing on that for their shot at 15 minutes. Why on earth they call it “phrogging” I’ll never know.

ACK at Volunteer Voters asks whether a slimmer Fred Thompson (he’s reportedly been exercising) is as attractive a candidate. Ironically, I had just read a Nashville City Paper on-line story accompanied by a horribly unflattering picture of the candidate.

(Ed. Note: Must…not…go…there…)

Michael Not Mike is talking about the recent decision in the Iowa court which allows same-sex couples to marry.

An Iowa district court ruled Thursday that same-sex couples can marry based on the state constitution’s guarantee of equal treatment, court documents show.
The ruling was in response to a December 2005 lawsuit brought by six same-sex couples seeking to wed. They were denied marriage licenses and claimed such treatment violates equal-protection and due-process clauses in the Iowa constitution.
The court also struck down a state law declaring valid marriages are only between a man and woman.

Michael has pretty much the same reaction to this news as did I.

I’ve never been in favor the the litigation strategy to achieve equal marriage rights for same-sex couples as it feeds the fear of those that believe the “gay agenda” will be pushed on them by so-called activist courts. Voter backlash often follows.

Guess who has a MySpace page?

I’ll give you a hint. I don’t think he’s in a band.

Seriously, though. All the cool kids are on Facebook. Unless they have a band.

This has been a krependous week all the way around. I spent most of it drowning in phlegm with my head pounding and my throat full of knives. But that was nothing compared to Holly’s week.

AP (perpetual “I’m about to roll my eyes” look firmly in place): We have you down for the Mac training Friday, but we can’t hire subs for everyone who’s going, so you’re going to have to help us find people to cover your classes…[insert some more loudly-articulated demands here, but I was already going into avoid-anxiety-attack mode because she scares the crap out of me]

I can’t imagine trying to deprive anyone of Mac training. The story does have a lot more twists and turns and seems to have a happyish ending. So check it out.

Continuing the Matryoshka Doll theming of his candidacy, Fred Thompson did announce yesterday that he would announce his entrance into the Presidential race next week.

I guess you can’t fault a guy for firing some warning shots over the bow, can you?

The blogger at Hennessy’s View (whom I assume is named Hennessey) is quite excited

I believe that Thompson will energize a lot of people. I also believe Thompson is the only candidate or potential candidate who can create a wave and provide coat tails.

I don’t know about you, but I’m jacked up over this. For the first time since 1988, I have a horse in the race.

Our own Bill Hobbsliterally wrote the book on Thompson (with a contribution from MCB/PITW/Krumm/(but not his own blog) blogger Roger Abramson). Hobbs also has a handy campaign donation button on his site, if you are so inclined.

Things are about to get all crazy up in the hizzy. (I sure hope that means that this is going to be fun to watch, because that’s what I meant to say.)

This review probably isn’t going to be all the great for two reasons. I have absolutely nothing critical to say and I missed half of the performance! (I left at 8:00 because I have young children that needed to be picked up from class, taken home and put to bed. I’m sure Phil & Co. kept playing for at least another hour.) But since I put the word out here that Phil Keaggy would be playing last night, I figured I’d better come back and tell y’all how it went.

First off, Phil didn’t disappoint me, he ended his first set with Shades of Green, my all time fave! The first set was Phil, solo. He played four or five songs among them Salvation Army Band and Here Comes the Sun. Phil, solo is just an ironic site to behold. Here’s this little guy who looks like someone’s grandpa jammin’ away on an acoustic guitar and just tearin’ it up. And Phil, live is so much better than Phil, recorded. I adore Phil and his music and I absolutely prefer to hear him live. There’s an edginess about that music when it’s live that is missing on recordings. Plus, he’s funny and real and when he makes a “mistake”, he shrugs it off and keeps going.

The second set added a violin musician by the name of Caitlin. (I didn’t catch her last name, but a little bit of Google-fu makes me think it may have been this Caitlin. But don’t quote me on that!) They performed County Down, a beautiful instrumental piece that, according to Phil, Caitlin had just learned a couple days ago. Of course, she played it flawlessly. The pairing of the guitar and the violin made a richer, more colorful sound. Next up was Bob Dylan’s Make You Feel My Love. Caitlin wasn’t as sure on this one but it was still a well-played song with some harmonies from Caitlin.

The third set brought out the Glass Harp members, John Sferra and Daniel Pecchio. Glass Harp is the band that Phil, John & Daniel formed in the 60s and they are still playing together and recording new music forty years later. What was really interesting about this set is how different Phil seemed on stage once he was joined by Glass Harp. First, he seemed to lose the “grandpa” look and once again became a teenager playing with his buddies. Second, he was no longer “the star”. The Glass Harp members work so well together that they are a true trio on stage and not Phil Keaggy with back-up. The set started with a song that John wrote in the late sixties, next they did a song, Ships, that John wrote just last year and then back again to another Glass Harp original that appeared on their first (vinyl) album in 1970. Nothing like musically bouncing back and forth between a couple of decades! The difference in the songs were striking as well. The older songs had more harmonies, sounded more folksy, and well, like they were written in the 60s. The newer song had a harder sound with fewer harmonies and no kitsch. Caitlin played with Glass Harp on the first two songs and again added a lovely layer of violin to the trio.

It was after the third Glass Harp song that I had to make my exit. I could have sat there for hours and listened to them jam with each other. It’s amazing to witness, not only through listening to the music, but also through watching the musicians, how well they interact together, how well they know each other and anticipate each others moves.

(A word about the Jimi Hendrix rumor. It’s most likely not true since it can’t be substantiated and there’s no footage of the supposed interview where Hendrix made the claim of Keaggy being the world’s greatest guitar player.)

Emily on her “useful Spanish phrases” calendar:

I have one of those page-a-day desk calanders. It is called Living Language/Spanish, and it teaches me a spanish word and phrase-a-day. I’ve noticed a trend over the last 8 months that I’d like to impart.

Ya casi no existen pizarras negras.

No se? Let me translate: “There are almost no black blackboards left.”

Umm… really? And not “really?” in response to the above statement, but “really?” in response to: Are you seriously wasting a 4×4 piece of paper on a phrase I will NEVER USE?

Well, here are some phrases you might use, Emily:

Estamos solamente aquí para la cerveza
We are only here for the beer.

Estoy aquí legalmente, prometo.
I am here legally, I promise.

¿Puedo pagarle mi multa directamente, oficial?
Can I pay my fine directly to you, officer?

Nunca intentaría sobornar a un oficial de la ley.
I would never try to bribe an officer of the law.

¿Puedo por lo menos tener una llamada telefónica?
Can I at least have one phone call?

Look, I’m not saying terrorism isn’t a serious issue, or there’s not anything at all to worry about, but I’m sick of hearing about it, anyway. So is Southern Beale:

I’m traveling this week. One thing I have always thought is a gigantic scam is the whole airport security thing. The rigamarole where you take off your shoes and dump your liquids strikes me as the kind of useless exercise designed to make travelers think something is being done for their safety while still reminding them to “be very afraid” because we have to go through this huge inconvenience.

It’s a not-so-subtle reminder that “terriss wanna kill us!!” because the two major procedures affecting passengers are the ones related to specific terror plots: Richard Reed and the shoe bomb, and those crazies with the liquids.

I’m not so sure either plot would have succeeded anyway, but I’m glad we’re still protecting ourselves from the “Get Smart” crew. Let’s hope no one invents the exploding pen, or we’ll all have to dump our writing implements before boarding.

Of course, without all the fear of terrorists, we wouldn’t get to read funny stuff about the scary beer-drinking “terrorists”, either. So, I suppose it goes both ways.

For this I rise from my deathbed.

Aren’t you glad I trouble meself to bring you the really important stuff of life?

Apparently Fred Thompson hasn’t officially announced he’s running for President of The U.S. yet.

Supposedly he will announce that today at 4:00pm.

Which may be now, seeing as how the article was in the WaPo.

(Hat Tip: Metroblog Nashville)

Charles Nelson Barkley over at Making It Rain is going on about football. How shocking:

Football starts today. Real football. Games that count. Let’s look at some schedule highlights:

Buffalo at Rutgers
Weber State at Boise State
Youngstown State at Ohio State
Florida International at Penn State
Western Kentucky at Florida
Western Michigan at West Virginia
Arkansas State at Texas
North Texas at Oklahoma
Idaho at USC

What a steaming pile of s*** we have here, folks. How can the people putting the schedule together at “perrenial powerhouse” USC keep a straight face when they get off the phone with Idaho?

I don’t know, how DO they?