Merry Christmas from Webbspun Ideas

Merry Christmas to you all! May this day be filled with joy and blessings.

Webbspun Ideas will be closed for Christmas and New Years.

We fly out tomorrow afternoon to Germany and so Webbspun Ideas will be closed for Christmas. We look forward to starting the new year with you all and hope Santa brings you all the gifts you wanted.

During this time of giving and receiving presents, remember to help the less fortunate and remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.

We'll be in the air most of the night so I wouldn't be surprised to find Santa flying past us as he delivers toys to all the girls and boys around the world. I look forward to bringing back pictures and video of our trip to share with you all.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night,
C. S. Webbspun

Nashville Rises due to Cooperation and Competition

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A consensus has formed among Middle Tennessee leaders that cities and counties need to work together more closely, but many critical decisions still have to be made before regionalism moves from a political promise to reality.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and other local elected officials have said they want to cooperate on a range of issues that cross city and county lines — traffic, air pollution, water and sewer rights.

These have grown in importance as the Nashville area's population has swelled from slightly more than 1 million in 1990 to more than 1.4 million today.


Nashphoto


But while the region's leaders say they support more cooperation, they differ over some fundamental questions:

• Should Nashville and its suburbs give regional authorities more power to make basic decisions, such as where and when roads should be built?
• Should the suburbs help pay for downtown Nashville's cultural and civic institutions, which benefit the entire region?
• Is competition within the region for company headquarters, factories and jobs good or bad?


Read the entire article in the Tennessean newspaper.

Jazzman, Milford Graves, Helps to Heal with Rhythm

Milford Graves, 63, a jazz drummer who made his mark in the 1960's with avant-garde musicians like Albert Ayler, Paul Bley and Sonny Sharrock, performs only occasionally now. He spends about half his week teaching music healing and jazz improvisation classes at Bennington College in Vermont, where he has been a professor for 31 years. He spends much of the rest of his week in his basement researching the relationship between music and the human heart.

After descending the psychedelic-painted stairway into his laboratory, visitors are faced with a collection of drums from around the world, surrounding a network of computers. Wooden African idols spiked with nails rub up against medical anatomical models. Amid a vast inventory of herbs, roots and plant extracts sits an old wooden recliner equipped with four electronic stethoscopes connected to computers displaying intricate electrocardiogram readouts.



In 1967, Mr. Graves was honored in a Down Beat magazine critics poll as the year's bright new talent. He had offers of lucrative gigs from artists like Miles Davis and the South African singer Miriam Makeba.

But after years of hard living as a jazzman, Mr. Graves began studying holistic healing, and then teaching it. He became fascinated with the effect of music on physiological functions.

"People with ailments would attend my performances and tell me they felt better afterward," he said.

Curious about the heartbeat as a primary source of rhythm, he bought an electronic stethoscope and began recording his and other musicians' heartbeats.

"I wanted to see what kind of music my heart was making," he said.



Read the entire story in the New York Times.

Visit Milford Graves website for more information on the man, his music and his studies.

Country Music Newsmakers: 2007 In Review by Country Hound

November

The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) announces it is buying Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Café to use as a songwriters venue.

Oklahoma native Toby Keith is inducted into the Sooner state's Hall of Fame. He also joins fellow Oklahomans Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Vince Gill, and Carrie Underwood in the Oklahoma Centennial Spectacular celebration.

The Judds announce they will reunite for one night only in May 2008, as part of the second annual Stagecoach festival in Indio, Calif. Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, Big & Rich, Carrie Underwood, and Dierks Bentley will also perform at the two-day event.

Kris Kristofferson, Shelby Lynne and the Rev. Jimmy Swaggart perform during a Nov. 10 concert honoring Jerry Lee Lewis at Playhouse Square's State Theater in Cleveland. The event also features Wanda Jackson, Cowboy Jack Clement, George Thorogood, Narvel Felts, Billy Lee Riley, Jason D. Williams, NRBQ's Terry Adams and Jerry Lee’s sister, Linda Gail Lewis.

Chris Thile and bandmates Sara and Sean Watkins are taking an indefinite break from Nickel Creek. The band’s Farewell (For Now) tour concludes with shows at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Chris forms a new band, the Punch Brothers, whose debut album is due in Feb. 2008.

Charlie Daniels is invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. His induction is set for Jan 19, 2008.

Shooter Jennings and his longtime girlfriend, actress Drea de Matteo, welcome their first child, a baby girl they name Alabama Gypsy Rose.

Read more at the Country Hound.

Judge Bean's Bar-B-Que is Moving and They are Growing

The well-known barbecue restaurant is hitching up its saddle and settling in new territory in the former Brown's Store at 6605 Lascassas Pike. The business is scheduled to open Wednesday, said owner Aubrey Bean.



The first Judge Bean's Bar-B-Que and Steakhouse opened in Nashville in 2003. It's current location on 12th Avenue North near downtown Nashville will relocate behind Greer Stadium the first of next year.

The Lascassas restaurant will be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m Wednesday through Sunday. On Monday and Tuesday afternoons, the restaurant initially will close in the afternoon. Bean said that may change depending on customer traffic.

A breakfast menu with tacos, eggs and hash browns will be featured served until 10 each morning. Bean said it's also BYOB - bring your own beer, wine or whiskey.

Bean said he and Rutherford County Sheriff Truman Jones are close friends, and Jones asked him to move out to Lascassas. Bean described the area as being "more me."



Read the entire story in the Daily News Journal.

Jessica Simpson's Movie Bombs, Cowboys Fans Hate Her and Maybe Time to Rethink the Country Album

Seems like Jessica's hopes of becoming a movie star wont happen with the movies she is choosing and I'm assuming her skills aren't so good either, I didn't see "Dukes of Hazzard" though so I might be wrong.

Maybe she should rethink the whole "country music" attempt as well and just stick to her anti-acne products and ditzy blonde music.

I doubt she is torn up about all this because the money is still pouring into her bank account. I think it might be a good idea to do a little more and better planning for the future though.
~C.S. Webbspun



Her current beau, Tony Romo, has made some folks in Texas mad and now she is being targeted at other stadiums around the country as the Cowboys play.


This section is from Perez Hilton.
Blonde Ambition averaged an embarrassing $48 per screen on Friday for a total box office of $384. Based on an $8 ticket price, that means that 6 people paid to see the movie at each of those theatres, and only 48 people went to see the movie!

A Berry Odd Dish for Christmas

Springfield Biker Church Protects Shoppers

Riders with Covenant Confirmers Motorcycle Ministries are patrolling the parking lot after dark to deter any criminal activity and keep shoppers and their belongings safe.

Men and women on foot approach shoppers to offer an escort to their cars and a hand carrying bags.

The "Biker Escort Service" began in early December. It is the idea of the Rev. Ron Baptiste, who leads the Covenant Confirmers Ministries in Springfield.

Baptiste says he was looking for a way to give back to the community that has been so accepting of his motorcycle-riding church congregation. A Wal-Mart official says the store has no objection to the church's offer of extra security.

Visit the church website HERE.

Ride the entire article in the Tennessean newspaper.

Going to Germany in a few days...Any Suggestions on what to see?

Festspielhaus in Bayreuth, Germany.

The Love Mattress and the Bath Organizer

Designed by Mehdi Mojtabvi, the mattress is actually made up of single slats, each covered in with a smooth fabric. The slats allow you to dip your arms to better hug your partner in bed.




Place it over your bath and you are provided with a handy shelf to keep all of your knick-knacks! You can be unoriginal and use it to store your soap and sponge, or you can indulge and utilise the adjustable wine glass holders, adjustable candle holder and adjustable book prop to full effect.

Find more cool and unique things at Freshome.

Pay it Forward at Starbucks

A customer in a South Florida drive-through paid the bill for the customer behind him on Thursday, and the chain continued throughout the day.



Drivers at a Starbucks in Pompano Beach paid for drinks for the people behind all day long.

"Your drink has been paid for by the driver in front of you," a Starbucks barista told a customer.

Read the entire story at NBC 6 South Florida.

Wines for the Holidays with Mark Johnson

Wines for the holidays with Mark Johnson

Best of the Year; Bon Appetit

Best of the Year: The Top Trends of 2007

Food is our passion, and there isn't much we like more than tracking its trends. Some rise and fall (like hemlines), while others start small and get big gradually. In this issue, we zero in on the keepers: the hottest, most intriguing trends out there, from the dish of the year to the one must-see city for foodies. It's our delicious guide to the best.
~~~

TOP INDULGENCE: French Fries
The lowly french fry was once relegated to fast-food restaurants and diners, but with the rise of the modern steakhouse and our continued love for all things bistro, fries have come into their own.

TOP CUISINE: Modern Greek
Today's Greek food is fresh and modern—just the thing for a great dinner party. Here's a menu from chef Michael Psilakis of New York's Anthos to give you and your friends a taste.

TOP DISH: Asian Noodle Soup
Forget gnudi (last year's "It" dish)—this year, we couldn't get enough ramen, udon, soba, and pho. Asian noodle soups, with tons more flavor than your average bowl of chicken noodle, are warming up restaurant-goers across the country.

TOP INGREDIENT: Fish
Fish fillets, fish steaks, gorgeous whole fish: Any way you slice it—and even if you don't—fish is the protein of choice this year. The trick to cooking it perfectly is tailoring your technique to the cut.

TOP DESSERT: Pudding
It's the most luscious and satisfying way to end a meal. Need proof? Find it in these four delectable recipes.

TOP FLAVOR: Brown Butter
It's rich, nutty, complex, and oh so easy. Master the basics of brown butter, then try it in dishes both sweet and savory.

TOP TECHNIQUE: Confit
The classic technique is back, turning up on menus everywhere. It's all about concentrating flavors for rich results, and it's surprisingly simple. We've got the how-

Wine, Culinary Bags and Aprons for Christmas

Visit Threadventures to order.

Nashville Restaurant Scores of the Week

HIGH SCORES:

Bar-B-Cutie
5221 Nolensville Road
Date Inspected: 12-13-07
Score: 91

McDonald’s
331 Harding Place
Date Inspected: 12-12-07
Score: 91

Ginza Japanese Restaurant
3900 Hillsboro Road
Date Inspected: 12-14-07
Score: 97

Cheeseburger Charlie’s
3811 Green Hills Village
Date Inspected: 12-14-07
Score: 95

LOW SCORES:

Arnold’s Country Kitchen
605 8th Avenue North
Date Inspected: 12-14-07
Score: 59
Major Violations:
· Baked chicken on shelf above over is out of temperature
· Can of Raid stored under prep table at hot-holding
· Employee rinsed knives off at spray hose at dish-machine, did not wash, rinse or sanitize knives.

UPDATES:

Sonic Drive-In
6308 Charlotte Pike
Passed Reinspection

Book of the Week: "48 Days to the Work You Love"

This is a great present for someone who is looking for a new start in their career or life. Dan lives in the Nashville area and offers career coaching and many other wonderful things to help get your life and career headed in the right direction.



Visit 48 days to learn more and to order.

3rd and Lindsley; This Week

Wednesday, December 19
The Wooten Brothers
9:30 pm

Friday, December 21
Jimmy Hall and Jack Pearson
10:00 pm

Visit 3rd & Lindsley for more details.

A Warning to the Tourists

Pocatello, Idaho

Submitted by Maureen Witwer to the Houston Chronicle.

Jeffrey Steele at the Bluebird Cafe This Friday

BMI Songwriter of the Year Jeffrey Steele ("What Hurts the Most") performs at the Bluebird Café Friday at 9:30 p.m. He'll debut songs from his new album, which hits streets in 2008. This is a rare solo Bluebird show for Jeff, and his last one sold out in three minutes. Tickets are $12.

Visit Beverly Keel's column to read more entertainment news from Nashville.

Today's cowboy isn't rugged and weathered

Josh Peek is a sponsor's dream: handsome, clean-cut, clean-shaven, polite.

And less than 30 minutes after tying for the National Finals Rodeo sixth-round calf-roping title, he looks like a Stetson ad and smells like a department store.

"Wait, tonight it's Cool Water," the calf roper and steer wrestler said, laughing at the fact that even a rugged cowboy can wear too much cologne.



This is a cowboy in today's rodeo.

Sure, the old guard is still here. Rough, tough, weathered, with a fat pack of chew and a snarl, there's no such thing as too much fun



Read more about today's cowboy in the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Celine's Last Night

Sights and sounds of Celine Dion’s last night of “A New Day…”

At the end of the historic evening, 100,000 red rose petals fluttered onto the stage as Dion received a standing ovation that went on for minutes.

A super-sized bouquet of 723 white roses was wheeled onto the stage, a gift from director Franco Dragone, who created the many Cirque-inspired pieces.

The significance of the 723: Dion performed 717 shows, two charity events and was to have finished with 723, but an illness caused her to cancel four shows recently.

While meeting with reporters during a post-midnight gathering in front of the stage, Dion left the door open to returning to Las Vegas as a headliner.

“I’d love to come back. I hope so,” Dion said, as she sat on the edge of the stage with Dragone. “The people of Las Vegas made us feel so welcome here. We loved it so much we are keeping our home. I grew tremendously. Five years ago I was very fragile."

This comes from Las Vegas Review Journal. Visit to read the entire story.

Make the Trip to Lambeau Field to see a Living Part of Football History

The first place Lambeau Field hits you is right in the nose.

It's 9 a.m. on game day here, and already the alluring aroma of brats grilling on Weber grills is rarifying the eastern Wisconsin air. The smell wafts through the gray skies of a crisp November morning, drawing you into the Lambeau Field experience as if it were a trap play drawn up by Vince Lombardi himself.

No GPS is necessary to locate Lambeau Field. The telltale signs surround the 50-year-old home of the Packers, inviting you in to the kind of big-time football experience that happens only in the NFL's smallest city.

The streets around Lambeau – which rises out of a neighborhood that's part industrial, part residential – are named for Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr and Mike Holmgren.

Just a couple of blocks down Lombardi Avenue sits the one and only Tundra Lodge. The neighborhood McDonald's eschews the corporate-mandated red tile roof in favor of Packers green with gold stripes. A bridge in town is named for Ray Nitschke.

This is Titletown, USA, in all its Sunday-morning glory.





Visit ESPN to read the entire story.

Titans Win Again and Have a Chance at the Playoffs

Vince Young threw a pair of touchdown passes to Roydell Williams and the Titans ralled to defeat the Chiefs 26-17 today at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Titans (8-6) remained alive in the AFC playoff race with two games to play -- next Sunday at LP Field against the Jets and Dec. 30 at Indianapolis.

With the Titans trailing 17-13 with 2:24 left in the third quarter, Young found Williams for a 41-yard touchdown play, their second scoring hookup of the game, to give Tennessee a 20-17 lead.

The Titans would not trail again, adding the third and fourth Rob Bironas field goals of the game to close out the scoring.





Read the entire article in the Tennessean newspaper.