Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Goats Employed in Fight Against Kudzu in the South



Kudzu kills other plants as it spreads quicklyOnce upon a time, people in the southern United States enjoyed kudzu for its beauty. Kudzu is a climbing woody vine native to Asia. It produces big green leaves and sweet-smelling purple flowers.

The Japanese brought it to the United States in eighteen seventy-six. It grew well in the warm, wet climate of the southeastern states. People planted kudzu around their homes to hide things like fences.

In the nineteen thirties, during the Great Depression, the government put people to work planting kudzu for soil protection. Between nineteen thirty-five and the nineteen fifties, the government even paid farmers to plant it. The kudzu also provided cattle feed.

Goats eating kudzu
But kudzu kills other growth as it spreads. Finally, in the fifties, the Agriculture Department no longer suggested it as a cover crop. Then, in nineteen seventy, officials declared it a weed. Today it is known as "the plant that ate the South."
A song by Randy Mitchell tells the story of the kudzu-eating goats:
It was the end of August in Tennessee's Chattanooga town
The weather had been hot and humid, summer was a hangin’ ‘round
The vines had been growing long and steady all season long
I knew it was time for me to write another kudzu song
That stuff is growing everywhere even choking out a railroad bridge
But now there's kudzu eating goats out on Missionary Ridge
Read the entire story and see more lyrics at Voice of America

Drew Emmitt Band at The Exit/In


August 8, 2007
8:00PM - $10.00

You've seen them acoustic-style, but are you ready to hear the Drew Emmit Band 'Lectric Style? That's right - Drew is "plugging in" and playing that electric-bluegrass sound pioneered by Leftover Salmon 15 years+ ago! Drew is going to break out the electric guitar in addition to the mandolin.

Drew Emmitt, the dynamic lead singer and mandolin player with the popular jamband Leftover Salmon, is a true renaissance man on musical instruments. Playing mandolin, guitar, fiddle, banjo, harmonica, flute and electric guitar, he's a string man to be reckoned with. Fresh off a Leftover Salmon reunion gig with Moe, Drew is making a stop in Nashville with band members Tyler Grant (guitar), Steve Sandifer (drums), and Ben Bernstein (bass).


Don't miss this opportunity to see the Drew Emmitt Band showcase the strength of Drew's bluegrass musicianship and the power, spontaneity, and celebratory elements of the Salmon concerts!

Sunday, July 29, 2007

20 wines at 20% off!

Now through August 4th drop by Vinea and stock up your wine cooler.


Vinea
2410 12th Avenue South
Nashville, Tn
615-269-6880

Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc 2005
Was $14.99-Now $12.99

Valley of the Moon Zinfandel 2004
Was $14.99-Now $12.99

Green Point Chardonnay 2004
Was $17.99-Now $14.99

LinCourt Chardonnay 2005
Was $26.99-Now $16.99

Robert Denogent Saint Veran 2003
Was $32.99-Now $27.99

Ferrari & Perrini Barbara 2005
Was $16.99-Now $13.99

Perrier Jouet Grand Brut M.V.
Was $49.99-Now$43.99

Domaine Zind Humbrecht Vendage Tardive 2004
Was $56.99-Now $47.99

Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir 2005
Was $31.99-Now $27.99

Kenwood Jack London Merlot 2004
Was $26.99-Now $22.99

Castano Solenera 2003
Was $19.99- Now $16.99

Green Point Cabernet/Shiraz 2004
Was $19.99-Now $16.99

Oliver LeFlaive Chassagne Montrachet Rouge 2001
Was $49.99-Now $42.99

Chateau La Louviere 1998
Was $49.99-Now $42.99

Joan D'Anguera "El Bugader" 2002
Was $59.99-Now $36.99

Nozzele "Il Pareto" Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Was $79.99-Now $69.99

Woodward Canyon Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Was $69.99-Now $59.99

Verasion Synchrony 2003
Was $64.99-Now $55.99

Silver Oak Napa Valley 2001 & 2002
Was $123.99-Now $111.

Friday, July 27, 2007

TALES & TUNES at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens


Every Thursday night through August at 6:30

In conjunction with Cheekwood’s Summer Garden Installation, Once Upon a Garden, storytellers and puppeteers from the Nashville Public Library will bring each of the ten classic children’s stories to life, while local musicians will fill the evening air with song. No two weeks will be the same!

Be sure to pack a picnic and bring a blanket! Regular gate fees apply.The following schedule includes the storytellers, the story they will be reading, and the music being performed each week
August 2 – Janet Ivey - Goldilocks & the Three Bears Music - Jazz Duo (Brook Sutton & Ben Graves – TSU)
August 9 – Barry McAlister - Jack & the Beanstalk Music - Jazz Duo (Brook Sutton & Ben Graves – TSU)
August 16 – Janet Ivey - Hansel & Gretel Music- "Bluegrass with the McLains and Lisa Manning"
August 23 – Janet Ivey - Peter Rabbit Music - Jazz Duo (Brook Sutton & Ben Graves – TSU) August 30 – Janet Ivey- Alice in Wonderland Music - Craig Duncan – Hammer Dulcimer Duo
Admission to Tales and Tunes is free for Cheekwood members, normal gate fees apply to non-members. Cheekwood’s Museum of Art and Frist Learning Center will remain open until 8:00 p.m.

Music City Picks: Choices from Cheekwood's Collection


In a unique exhibition, Cheekwood invites fifty Nashville residents known in the world of sports, politics, music, and more to browse through the collection and choose their favorite work of art. Music City Picks: Choices from Cheekwood’s Collection will provide visitors with a fresh perspective of Cheekwood. Guest curators can choose from familiar images such as works by Andy Warhol or Red Grooms, or they can bring a lesser known work back to light, such as an early American portrait or modern photograph.

Some of the guest curators participating include Andrea Conte, Red Grooms, Gordon Gee, Marty Stuart, Butch Spyridon, Demetria Kalodimos, Daron Hall, and Nancy Peterson.

Highballs and Hydrangeas


Friday, August 17
6:30-9:00pm

Music will be provided by San Rafael Band

1200 Forrest Park Drive

Free for Cheekwood Members
$10 for non-members

Cash Bar

Rain or Shine

West Tennessee Quarter Horse Association Summer Circuit

We are in Memphis this weekend for the WTQHA Summer Circuit show. We will be showing one horse and we also have the embroidery machine with us to showcase our amazing embroidery work. I probably won't be posting as much the next few days but will continue full speed upon our arrival back in Nashville.

Western Tennessee Quarter Horse Association Summer Circuit
Memphis
July 26-30
Agricenter International

For more information please visit the West TN Quarter Horse Association website

Thursday, July 26, 2007

Corey's Culinary Club

The next event will be held on August 24. Go to Webbspun Ideas Calendar for more information.

Dragon Boat Race Festival



Saturday, August 25, 2007
Riverfront Park
Nashville


The fastest growing sport in the world - Dragon Boat Racing lands at Riverfront Park Saturday, August 25, 2007. It's also a river festival - a cultural event and a competition you won't want to miss!Get your corporate or community team of 20 paddlers and one drummer ready for fun on the water - no paddling experience required!
Find out more at the Nashville Dragon Boat

Frist Friday Features Anthony David

Friday, July 27
6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Rain or Shine
Members FREE;
General Admission$8.50

This Frist Friday, enjoy Georgia-based singer/songwriter AnthonyDavid's soulful urban tunes inspired by the human experience. His immaculateblend of blues, R&B, and hip-hop creates a distinct sound thatbreaks open a new dimension of soul music.Also, be sure to visit the galleries featuring traditional Chinese art, modernChinesephotography, and Sylvia Hyman's clay sculptures.

Members attend free

Expect Vince Young to Keep Performing and Winning



Yes, Young already has a trip to Hawaii in his NFL scrapbook after one season. If the kid can book a Pro Bowl berth in a truncated rookie season, why can’t more success come in his first full season as the quarterback of the Tennessee Titans?

Yet, one of the burning questions around the NFL as training camps commence seems to be whether Young can have success in Tennessee. Don't worry. The guy is a already an NFL star.


Hall of Fame-type potential. There’s no way this should be a storyline of the summer. The concentration should be on how Michael Vick’s indictment will impact the Falcons, Donovan McNabb’s recovery in Philadelphia, Randy Moss’ impact on New England, Peyton Manning’s title defense. Not Vince Young.

The kid is a guaranteed success. Why? Because Vince Young has yet to fail.

Read the entire article at MSNBC.

Brewers Making Moves



On a busy day for the Brewers, the team reinstated center fielder Bill Hall from the disabled list and used him in the starting lineup against the Reds, batting fifth.

To make room, the team optioned outfielder Tony Gwynn Jr. back to Triple-A Nashville, deciding to stick with 13 pitchers for a scheduled doubleheader in St. Louis on Saturday. It was the second time this season that Gwynn was sent back to the Minors.


"I totally understand why they went with 13 [pitchers]," a disappointed Gwynn said. "It makes perfect baseball sense to me. This time around, it doesn't surprise me as much as the first time

You Are So Nashville If...


The annual You Are So Nashville If... is out and is always a must read for anyone that has lived in Nashville for very long. Enjoy and laugh, laugh, laugh...

Check it out in the Nashville Scene

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Wild Ponies Go to Auction


Wild ponies made their yearly swim to Chincoteague from Assateague Island, Maryland, today in front of tens of thousands of onlookers.

The ponies started the swim shortly after noon today. It was one of the latest swim times in years. The ponies make the swim at slack tide — the time between the tide change when the water is perfectly still.

They crossed a 200-yard channel to Chincoteague, where they will then be auctioned starting tomorrow to raise money for the volunteer fire department, which cares for the ponies.

Ponies that are not sold and those that donated back to the fire department will roam free for another year on the national wildlife refuge on Assateague.

The pony swim was made famous by Marguerite Henry's 1947 novel "Misty of Chincoteague."

National Geographic Amateur Photo Contest

1st Prize
Choice of 11-day trip for two to Arctic Norway OR 10-day trip for two to the Galapagos Islands. Sponsored by Lindblad Expeditions.

2nd Prize
7-day Photography Workshop for one in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Sponsored by Santa Fe Workshops.

3rd Prize
6-day cruise for two on a Maine Windjammer Schooner. Sponsored by the Schooners American Eagle and Heritage.


7 Merit Prizes
* Nikon Coolpix Digital Camera
* Bogen Prize Package, including
National Geographic Tundra Monopod,
National Geographic Tundra Tripod with 3-way head
Earth Explorer Medium Shoulder Bag

Bonus Award
Your winning images will be featured in the January/February 2008 edition of National Geographic Traveler, and exhibited at the World in Focus Gallery at PhotoPlus Expo, October 18-20, 2007 in New York. All winners will also receive a one-year subscription to Photo District News. All winning images will be featured on the World in Focus Contest website, and the National Geographic Traveler website.

Entry Fees
$12 per entry


VIEW RULES AND FAQVIEW 2006 WINNERSDOWNLOAD MAIL IN ENTRY FORM (pdf)

Entry Deadline: 8/21/07
Late Entry Deadline: 9/07/07*

Learn more about the contest at the World in Focus Contest website.

To see last years winners, click HERE

Recent Restaurants Rounds

Koto Sushi Bar
137 Seventh Ave N
Nashville
(615) 255-8122


This was my first time in this restaurant and we loved the service and the quality of food. I look forward to going back soon. It was delicious sushi.

From Citysearch/Nashville
Gurgling fish tanks and indecipherable Japanese tunes contribute to the relaxing atmosphere: a true getaway, whether shoeless in the dining area or shoed at the sushi bar. The chefs magically work raw fish, rice and seaweed into mouthwatering sushi--a mix of usual California and crunchy shrimp rolls and special rolls including Alaskan smoked salmon, tomato and shallots. A diverse selection of noodle dishes and unpronounceable Japanese specialties present diners with a chance to experiment.

Brown's Diner
2102 Blair Blvd
Nashville
(615) 269-5509

Cheeseburger with grilled onions and fries that was heavenly to the tastebuds. I still love Rotier's cheeseburger on french bread but I think this is my new "best cheeseburger in Nashville."

From Citysearch/Nashville
The mobile home-style building isn't the kind of place you want to get caught during a tornado, but it is a delightfully tacky, greasy spoon. The narrow bar, congenial bartenders and smoky interior confirm that this is a "burger joint" and make it a popular local hang for the Belmont-Hillsboro crowd. There are grilled cheese sandwiches, Frito pie and other diner-inspired foods, but when folks talk about Brown's, they talk burgers, fries and beer.

Hermitage Cafe
71 Hermitage Ave
Nashville
(615) 254-8871



Stopped in for biscuits and gravy as well as bacon, eggs and fried potatoes. Great service from our server Sissy and the food was a perfect blend of taste and grease. I have this one in my regular rotation.

From Citysearch/Nashville
This cozy greasy spoon just off the Cumberland River serves classic diner fare all day. It's a festive, occasionally cramped, destination after the bars on Lower Broadway close, filled with nocturnal hipsters and musicians. The decor features cinder-block walls, booths, red stools and autographed photos of country-music locals. The service is famously temperamental, adding to the character of this no-frills spot. Menu highlights include cheeseburgers and made-to-order steak and eggs.

Avis to Allow Customers to Rent a Car AND Driver




Moving into competition with taxis, limousines and local car services, car-rental giant Avis announced a new service that enables customers to book a chauffeur when renting.

A chauffeur can be hired with 24-hour notice in 10 big cities, including New York and Los Angeles. The cost in addition to rental charges: $30 per hour with a three-hour minimum.


Rental experts applaud the move and expect other car-rental companies to follow suit. "I'm surprised it hasn't been done sooner," says consultant Michael Kane.

But the service may set off a firestorm in the taxi, limousine and car-for-hire industries. "Local licensing restrictions in many jurisdictions would preclude Avis from doing this," says Hal Morgan, of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association, which represents 1,100 transportation companies.

But Avis Vice President Michael Caron says his company is "not in the livery business," so local laws regulating cars for hire do not apply to its Chauffeur Drive service.

Customers using the service are billed separately by Avis for the rental car and by WeDriveU, a company based in San Mateo, Calif., that provides chauffeurs and has been in business since 1988.

Read more on this in the USA Today

Tired Tourists Traveling in Vegas by way of Scooters

There's lazy, and then there's Las Vegas lazy.

In increasing numbers, Las Vegas tourists exhausted by the four miles of gluttony laid out before them are getting around on electric "mobility scooters."


Don't think trendy Vespa motorbikes. Think updated wheelchair.

Forking over about $40 a day and their pride, perfectly healthy tourists are cruising around Las Vegas casinos in transportation intended for the infirm.

You don't have to take a step. You don't even have to put your drink down.

"It was all the walking," 27-year-old Simon Lezama said on his red Merits Pioneer 3. Lezama, a trim and fit-looking restaurant manager from Odessa, Texas, rented it on day three of his five-day vacation, "and now I can drink and drive, be responsible and save my feet."


The Las Vegas Strip is long past its easily walkable days. Casinos alone are nearly the size of two football fields. That doesn't count the hotel rooms, shopping malls, spas, convention centers, bars and restaurants.

And that's just inside. For tourists who plan to stroll from one big casino to another, there are crowds, construction sites and long stretches of sun-baked sidewalks between.
A tourist could accidentally get some exercise.

"We're seeing more and more young people just for the fact that the Strip has gotten so big, the hotels are so large," said Marcel Maritz, owner of Active Mobility, a scooter rental company whose inventory also includes wheelchairs, crutches and walkers.

Most of those using the scooters are obese, elderly or disabled. But many are young and seemingly fit.

The number of able-bodied renters has grown in the past few years to represent as much as 5 percent of Maritz's business, he said. The company, which contracts with some casinos, has a fleet of about 300 scooters.

"It makes it a lot easier for people to see everything," he said.

At full throttle the scooters open up to about 5 mph, though crowded sidewalks allow little opportunity for such speeds. They can go anywhere wheelchairs can — elevators, bars, craps tables — but are banned from streets. They come with a quick operating lesson, an instruction booklet, a horn and a basket.

"At first, I figured it was for handicapped people, but then I saw everybody was getting them. I figured I might as well, too," Lezama said.


Las Vegas has other transportation options, although each has its problems. The Strip is regularly clogged with cabs and drive-in tourists. A double-decker bus system, dubbed the Deuce, often gets stuck in the mess. A $650 million monorail with stops at eight casinos has been plagued by poor ridership, perhaps because it runs behind the resorts, well off the Strip and out of sight.

Police and casino workers often use bicycles.

Some find the notion of using a device intended for disabled people unethical.
"It's the same principle as parking in a handicap spot," Mike Petillo, 64, a disabled tax accountant who recently visited from New York City.

Several hotel bell desk workers — who handle most of the rental requests from tourists — said they try to discourage people who do not appear to need the scooters from renting. But refusing the self-indulgent is not really an option.

"You can't really discriminate against anybody," said Tom Flynn, owner of Universal Mobility. "We don't require a prescription or an explanation of why they need it."

Michelle Bailey, a slender, apparently healthy 22-year-old, used a scooter to get around a recent pool tournament at the Riviera hotel-casino. "Four-inch heels," she explained with a laugh, pointing to her lipstick-red pumps.

But Troy Burgess, a 21-year-old optician visiting from Detroit, said he considers it "immoral" for an able-bodied person to rent wheels. And not only that, but "you probably wouldn't pick up too many chicks on that scooter."

Marriott Scraps Women-Only Floor in New Michigan Hotel



The 19th floor of a new, $100 million hotel will not be restricted to female guests, after all.
A spokesperson for the JW Marriott luxury hotel said Monday both men and women will be allowed to rent rooms on what originally was planned as a women-only floor in the 340-room hotel slated to open in September.

The floor's lounge that was to be only for women also will be open to male guests, said the spokesperson, who asked not to be identified because the plans have not been finalized.
Both the rooms and the lounge still will feature amenities designed to appeal particularly to female business travelers, such as chenille throw blankets, ionic hair dryers, jewelry holders and special bath products.

The hotel said last month that the 19th floor of the 23-story hotel, being built downtown alongside the Grand River, would be reserved exclusively for female clientele, in part to give businesswomen traveling alone a greater sense of security.

Soon afterward, the hotel received a "tremendous response" from its customers and others, and the decision was made not to go forward with the gender-segregated floor, the spokesperson said.

However, Roger Connor, a spokesman for Washington, D.C.-based Marriott International, said Tuesday it was his understanding that the idea for a women-only floor was under review after hearing from guests and taking legal concerns into consideration.

The new hotel is owned and operated by direct-sales giant Alticor Inc., parent company of Amway Corp., and will function under a license agreement with Marriott International Inc.

Alticor and its Amway Hotel Corp. subsidiary also own and operate another downtown Grand Rapids hotel, the Amway Grand Plaza.

TSA Warns Airport Security About Terror Dry Runs



Airport security officers around the nation have been alerted by federal officials to look out for terrorists practicing to carry explosive components onto aircraft, based on four curious seizures at airports since last September.

The unclassified alert was distributed on July 20 by the Transportation Security Administration to federal air marshals, its own transportation security officers and other law enforcement agencies.

The seizures at airports in San Diego, Milwaukee, Houston and Baltimore included "wires, switches, pipes or tubes, cell phone components and dense clay-like substances," including block cheese, the bulletin said. "The unusual nature and increase in number of these improvised items raise concern."


Security officers were urged to keep an eye out for "ordinary items that look like improvised explosive device components."

The 13-paragraph bulletin was posted on the Internet by NBC Nightly News, which first reported the story.

A federal official familiar with the document confirmed the authenticity of the NBC posting but declined to be identified by name because it has not been officially released.

"There is no credible, specific threat here," TSA spokeswoman Ellen Howe said Tuesday. "Don't panic. We do these things all the time."

Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke described the notice as the latest copy of a routine informational bulletin for TSA workers, airport employees and law enforcement officials.

A statement posted late Tuesday by the TSA on its Web site confirmed that "a routine TSA intelligence bulletin relating to suspicious incidents at U.S. airports" had leaked to news organizations. The statement added, "During the past six months TSA has produced more than 90 unclassified bulletins of this nature on a wide variety of security-related subjects."

The bulletin said the a joint FBI-Homeland Security Department assessment found that terrorists have conducted probes, dry runs and dress rehearsals in advance of previous attacks.

It cited various types of rehearsals conducted by terrorists before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon; the July 7, 2005, London subway bombings; the Aug. 2, 2006, London-based plot to blow up trans-Atlantic flights using liquid explosives and the 1994 Bojinka plot in the Philippines to blow up multiple airliners over the Pacific Ocean.

The bulletin said the passengers carrying the suspicious items seized since September included men and women and that initial investigation had not linked them with criminal or terrorist organizations. But it added that most of their explanations for carrying the items were suspicious and some were still under investigation.
The four seizures were described this way:

— San Diego, July 7. A U.S. person — either a citizen or a foreigner legally here — checked baggage containing two ice packs covered in duct tape. The ice packs had clay inside them rather than the normal blue gel.

— Milwaukee, June 4. A U.S. person's carryon baggage contained wire coil wrapped around a possible initiator, an electrical switch, batteries, three tubes and two blocks of cheese. The bulletin said block cheese has a consistency similar to some explosives.

— Houston, Nov. 8, 2006. A U.S. person's checked baggage contained a plastic bag with a 9-volt battery, wires, a block of brown clay-like minerals and pipes.

— Baltimore, Sept. 16, 2006. A couple's checked baggage contained a plastic bag with a block of processed cheese taped to another plastic bag holding a cellular phone charger.

Agri-Tourism in Tennessee? Hmm...

By Jim Beller

How to make more money on your farm was the basic thrust of an "agri-tourism" meeting held Tuesday at US Bank by the Tennessee Small Business Development Center.

"You're not going to make it in tobacco anymore," said Ken Givens, Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture and longtime farmer. "You're going to have to have diversity to make things go. It's time for something like agri-tourism."

Agri-tourism is a state initiative to help farmers increase their income by adding tourist-attracting programs and to expand tourist income within rural communities.


Letting people pick their own produce or work the fields, enjoy hay rides, corn and hay mazes, music festivals, pumpkin patches and petting zoos are some of the things farmers do to get those visitors. "Anything that brings people to the farm to experience agriculture," said Pam Bartholomew, Agri-Tourism Coordinator for Tennessee.

Those reasons could be a desire for peace and tranquility, interest in the natural environment, nostalgia for rural heritage, rural recreation and inexpensive getaways. For example, Ritter Farms, located between Bean Station and Rutledge, is hosting one of its many music festivals.

"Bluegrass on the Farm" on July 28 will feature musical guests Larry Sparks, The Seldom Scene, Blue Highway and Walk Softly.

Read the full article in the Rogersville Review newspaper
~~~~~~~
Sow & Tell
Agri-tourism takes root in Dickson County as farmers branch out

The tourism aspect of agriculture has played a vital role in maintaining the industry’s bottom line.

When Dickson County farmer Steve Shafer told his wife he wanted to turn their Three Creeks Farm into a tourist destination, she was skeptical.

“My reaction,” says Beth Collier, “was, ‘Yeah right, who’s going to pay to go to a farm?’ ”

But after hearing more, Collier was convinced, and in 2005, the couple began offering tours of their 56-acre farm seven miles north of Dickson.

At Three Creeks Farm, visitors can touch and feed the animals, which include exhibition chickens and pheasants, Cashmere goats and registered Icelandic and Shetland sheep.

They also can learn about blacksmithing, demonstrated by Shafer, and spinning, demonstrated by Collier. During such heritage tours, the couple dresses in 19th-century costumes and allows visitors to hammer on the forge or spin with a hand spindle.
Read the entire article in Images of Dickson

So what’s Nashville got that Oklahoma doesn’t?

The Gaylord family name is well-known to Oklahomans in connection with a certain newspaper. But to the folks in Nashville, Tenn., Gaylord is the name of the entertainment company that is the area’s 10th-largest employer, as the owners of the Grand Ole Opry.

Many Oklahomans are also familiar with the names of a list of top-selling country and western music stars who hail from the Sooner State – Reba McIntire, Vince Gill, Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton and many more. Yet, those stars are making money hand over fist for music companies that are not located in Oklahoma, but in Nashville.

So what’s Nashville got that Oklahoma doesn’t? That’s what state Rep. Randy McDaniel, R-Oklahoma City, wants to know. McDaniel, who serves on House subcommittees focused on tourism, arts and culture, has proposed an interim study to find out.

McDaniel’s study request asks what incentives Nashville and other cities offer to attract musicians, and how does Oklahoma rank in the economic impact of its music industry.


Read more in the Oklahoma newspaper Journal Record

Woo-Hoo! JetBlue Airways Announces Fall Sale



The Official Airline of Springfield, today launches a special 15-day Fall sale for travel between September 5 and November 14, 2007, with fares starting as low as $139(a) for travel between New York/JFK and Burbank; Long Beach; Oakland; Ontario; San Jose; or San Francisco. Fares as low as $59(a) are available between Orlando, Florida and New York's JFK or LaGuardia airports.

Earlier this month, the low-cost, high-frills airline was named "The Official Airline of Springfield" -- the hometown city of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson -- to celebrate the summer theatrical release of The Simpsons Movie. In honor of America's favorite animated family of comedy, JetBlue also unveiled its first-ever specialty aircraft, christened "Woo-Hoo, JetBlue!" and featuring an image of Homer along with a permanent logo of its new Springfield status. To celebrate Fall travel, the low-fare airline is offering special sale fares for Springfielders and non-Springfielders across the country.


See some of the deals and read more of the article at Money.CNN.com

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Trey Anastasio Jams with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra



Trey Anastasio doesn't have a whole lot to say on his new album, in a sense — The Horseshoe Curve is a wholly instrumental affair. For it, he called on Jon Fishman, John Medeski, a five-piece brass section, bassist, drummer, percussionist, keyboardist and the Nashville Chamber Orchestra — so the album can hardly be considered a solo outing.

A portion of the proceeds from The Horseshoe Curve will benefit the Seven Below Arts Initiative, a nonprofit arts-education group Anastasio founded last year.

Iron Horse Sculpture


"Grandfather Cuts Loose the Ponies" This sculpture commands attention from above a high plateau just off of I-90 in central/eastern Washington State.



See more pictures at the Peace of my Mind blog.


Governor seeks statewide natural disaster designation for Tennessee agriculture

To help Tennessee farmers who have suffered crop and livestock losses as a result of extreme drought conditions, Governor Phil Bredesen has requested a federal designation of natural disaster for agriculture for all 95 counties in the state. A designation from the United States Department of Agriculture would allow farmers to apply for low-interest emergency loans that could help them manage losses and plan for next year.

Collecting damage estimates on a county by county basis is the first step in obtaining a federal designation of natural disaster, which could take several days or weeks. Once a county is approved, eligible farmers can apply for low-interest loans and other possible assistance through their local USDA Service Center.

According to a press release from the Governor, Bredesen made the request in a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns.

"Tennessee farmers have been hit hard twice already this growing season with the deep freeze in April and now with one of the worst droughts on record for this time of year," said Bredesen. "It's obvious even at this early stage that crop and livestock losses will be heavy. We want to ensure that our state's farmers have access to all of the emergency assistance available to them to help them recover from this agricultural disaster."

Read more in the Tri-Cities Times New

Gaylord National Resort Set to Open April 25, 2008


Among William C. Marks’s favorites are the Gaylord Entertainment Company, which focuses on luxury hotel properties with convention centers, including the 2,881-room Gaylord Opryland in Nashville and the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Prince George’s County, Md., which is set to open next year with 2,000 rooms.

“Outside of Las Vegas, there are very few good-quality large hotels with more than 1,500 rooms being built,” Mr. Marks, a managing director at JMP Securities said.

Read the article in the New York Times.




Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center provides world-class convention and leisure-focused amenities – all in one place. It is located along the banks of the Potomac River, less than eight miles south of the nation’s capital, in National Harbor, Md., a new 300-acre waterfront destination offering world-class dining, retail and entertainment venues in Prince Georges County, Md. The Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center is the largest convention resort on the Eastern Seaboard, offering 2,000 guest rooms, including 108 lavish suites; more than 470,000 square feet of convention, meeting, exhibit and pre-function space; acclaimed restaurants; Relâche™ Spa; and a soaring 18-story, 1.5-acre glass-covered atrium.

Myriad appoints Jack Vaughn to board

Way to go Mr. Vaughn! You are one of the greatest ever in the hospitality world.

~~~~~~~
Myriad Entertainment & Resorts, Inc., a Delaware corporation, today announced that Jack Vaughn has been appointed to the Company's Board of Directors on June 22, 2007.

Mr. Vaughn, who is respected as one of the premier leaders in the hospitality and attractions industry, currently operates Tunica Hotels & Resorts, LLC, which holds hotel management contracts and has offices in Nashville, Tennessee and Las Vegas, Nevada. Mr. Vaughn began his career with Westin Hotels; his last two responsibilities being general manager of the Continental Plaza in Chicago and the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. He joined Opryland in 1975 with responsibility for the concept, design, construction and staffing of the Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. Having developed and operated what is now Gaylord Opryland, one of the most successful meeting and conventions hotels in the world, Mr. Vaughn retired as Chairman Emeritus of Opryland Hospitality Group in 2000.

"We are extremely excited to bring someone of Jack's caliber into this organization," said John Meeske, Myriad's CEO. "Jack's experience in developing and operating several of the most successful meeting and convention hotels in the world and his commitment to Myriad's vision will be invaluable to helping us create Myriad Botanical Resort in Tunica, Mississippi."

During his 40 year career, Mr. Vaughn has been recognized as an Independent Hotelier of the World and a Convention Liaison Council Hall of Leaders Inductee. He also received the Distinguished Service Award from the International Exhibitors Association. He holds honorary doctorate degrees from Johnson and Wales and Cumberland Universities and is a past board member of the Oklahoma State University and Tennessee State University School of Hotel Administration. He has chaired AH&LA's Educational Institute and Resort Committee, served as Chief Delegate and Treasurer to the Convention Liaison Council, and chaired the nation's Trade Show Bureau. Mr. Vaughn also is a Trustee for life of the American Hotel Foundation.

Read more at the Casino City Times.

Sullivan's Steakhouse to move into the old Seanachie Pub on Broadway

Sullivan's Steakhouse will be moving into the long-dormant Seanachie pub at the corner of Broadway and Fourth Avenue. The high-end steak chain went private last December and separated from Lone Star, its former publicly traded parent. That slowed plans for the prime spot in Nashville, says Mark Mednansky, CEO of Sullivan's.

They are still coming and it begs the question...How many steak chains do we need in Nashville? Can we add some more variety? How about some upscale Southern restaurants, meat and threes that stay open for dinner or something ethnic?

I have nothing against steaks or Sullivans but it just seems like overkill to me. Do you agree or disagree?

Is Steve Earle America's greatest living songwriter?

Interview by Robert Chalmers

He's survived seven wives, 50 arrests and a monstrous drugs habit. He's lambasted the War on Terror and infuriated the political establishment at every turn. Meantime, his music just gets better and better, as his long-awaited new album proves.

It was early one morning, in the lobby of a Stockholm hotel, Steve Earle recalls, that he told Elvis Costello how he was planning to spend the next 24 hours. "Costello listened to me," Earle says, "and told me I was f'n crazy. He has known me a long time; I believe he was genuinely concerned for my safety." Also present at this meeting was Bobby Muller - the President of Veterans of America, and co-founder of the Nobel prize-winning charity International Campaign To Ban Landmines, in whose support both musicians had been performing the previous evening.
"I regard Bobby," Earle says, "as the most brilliant activist of modern times."

"And what did he say?"

"He told me I was f'n crazy too."


Read the entire interview in the Belfast Telegraph.

Ellendalels Lunch Buffet

Lunch buffet week of July 23 - 27

Entrees
Roasted Sirloin with Roasted Garlic and Rosemary Jus
Teriyaki and Almond Pork Loin
Southern Fried Chicken


Vegetables
Steamed Broccoli with Hollandaise
Fresh Steamed Veggie Medley
Grilled Eggplant with Spinach & Tomatoes

Pastas
Cavatappi Florentine with Roasted Tomatoes
Artichoke & Olive Lasagna
Rice & Potatoes
Honey Ginger Rice Pilaf
Roasted Red Pepper Mashed Potatoes

Salads, etc.
Ham & Egg Salad
Sesame Rice Noodles with Peppers & Onions
Black Bean & Barley Salad
Pepper Onion Celery Feta Salad
Black Bean Hummus
Caesar Salad
Fresh Fruit
Soup du Jour

· Bonus dish: Red Pepper & Cheddar Fondue

Ellendales
2739 Old Elm Hill Pike
615-884-0171

City Medley- Tony Bennett and Andy Williams



Would love to take my map, this song and my car and visit each place.

Sailing on Moon River



Traveling Webbspunerys

Hocus-Pocus, and a Beaker of Truffles

By DANIEL PATTERSON


A TRUFFLE by any other name may smell as sweet, but what if that name is 2,4-dithiapentane? All across the country, in restaurants great and small, the “truffle” flavor advertised on menus is increasingly being supplied by truffle oil. What those menus don’t say is that, unlike real truffles, the aroma of truffle oil is not born in the earth. Most commercial truffle oils are concocted by mixing olive oil with one or more compounds like 2,4-dithiapentane (the most prominent of the hundreds of aromatic molecules that make the flavor of white truffles so exciting) that have been created in a laboratory; their one-dimensional flavor is also changing common understanding of how a truffle should taste.

When I discovered truffle oil as a chef in the late 1990’s, I was thrilled. So much flavor, so little expense. I suppose I could have given some thought to how an ingredient that cost $60 an ounce or more could be captured so expressively in an oil that sold for a dollar an ounce. I might have wondered why the price of the oils didn’t fluctuate along with the price of real truffles; why the oils of white and black truffles cost the same, when white truffles themselves were more than twice as expensive as black; or why the quality of oils didn’t vary from year to year like the natural ingredients. But I didn’t. Instead I happily used truffle oil for several years (even, embarrassingly, recommending it in a cookbook), until finally a friend cornered me at a farmers’ market to explain what I had should have known all along. I glumly pulled all my truffle oil from the restaurant shelves and traded it to a restaurant down the street for some local olive oil.

That truffle oil is chemically enhanced is not news. It has been common knowledge among most chefs for some time, and in 2003 Jeffrey Steingarten wrote an article in Vogue about the artificiality of the oils that by all rights should have shorn the industry of its “natural” fig leaf. Instead, the use of truffle oil continued apace. The question is, Why are so many chefs at all price points — who wouldn’t dream of using vanillin instead of vanilla bean and who source their organic baby vegetables and humanely raised meats with exquisite care — using a synthetic flavoring agent?

Part of the answer is that, even now, you will find chefs who are surprised to hear that truffle oil does not actually come from real truffles. “I thought that it was made from dried bits and pieces of truffles steeped in olive oil,” said Vincent Nargi of Cafe Cluny in Manhattan, which made me put down my pen and scratch my head. The flavor of real truffles, especially black, is evanescent, difficult to capture in an oil under the best of circumstances.

But, much as I did for years, chefs want to believe. Stories of sightings of natural truffle oil abound, like a gourmand’s answer to the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus. One chef told me in an excited, slightly conspiratorial tone that Jing Tio of Le Sanctuaire in Santa Monica, Calif., who sells high-quality specialty ingredients to chefs, mixed his own oil to order.


Read the entire story in the New York Times

Tennessee Winery Directory

Apple Barn Wineries
230 Apple Valley Road, Sevierville, TN, 37862

Arrington Vineyards
6211 Patton Road, Arrington, TN, 37014

Beachaven Vineyards & Winery
1100 Dunlop Lane, Clarksville, TN, 37040

Beans Creek Winery
426 Ragsdale Road, Manchester, TN, 37355

Century Farm Winery
1548 Lower Brownsville Road, Jackson, TN, 38301

Chateau Ross Winery, Inc.
5823 Fulton Road, Springfield, TN, 37172

Clinch Mountain Winery
1335 Bullen Valley Road, Thorn Hill, TN, 37881

Countryside Vineyards
658 Henry Harr Road, Blountville, TN, 37617

Highland Manor
2965 South York Highway, Jamestown, TN, 38556

Holly Ridge Winery
486 O'Neil Road, Livingston, TN, 38570

Keg Springs
361 Keg Springs Road, Hampshire, TN, 38461

Long Hollow Winery
665 Long Hollow Pike, Goodlettsville, TN, 37072

Mountain Valley Vineyards
2174 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, TN, 37863

Old Medina Winery
2894 Old Medina Road, Jackson, TN, 38305

Old Millington Vineyard and Winery
6748 Old Millington Road, Millington, TN, 38053

Red Barn Winery and Vineyard
1805 Tanyard Road, Lafayette, TN, 37083

Savannah Oaks Winery and Gift Shop
1817 Delano Road, Delano, TN, 37325

Smoky Mountain Winery
Winery Square, Suite 2, 450 Cherry Street, Gatlinburg, TN, 37738

Stonehaus Winery, Inc.
2444 Genesis Road, Suite 103, Crossville, TN, 38558

Strikers' Premium Winery
480 County Road 172, Athens, TN, 37303

Sumner Crest Winery and Vineyard
5306 Highway 52, Portland, TN, 37148

Tennessee Mountain View Winery
385 Union Grove Road, Charleston, TN, 37310

Tennessee Valley Winery
15606 Hotchkiss Valley Road East, Loudon, TN, 37774

Tri-Star Vineyards and Winery
168 Scales Road, Shelbyville, TN, 37160

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream



You will need:
2-1/2 cups half-and-half

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered

Pour half-and-half into a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. In a bowl, beat egg yolks and half cup of sugar until pale and smooth. Stir one-quarter of hot half-and-half into egg mixture, stirring well. Then pour yolk mixture into warm saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat a spoon, about 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Cool to room temperature and cover with plastic. Refrigerate at least 4 hours.

An hour before making the ice cream, in a bowl, combine berries with 2 tablespoons of sugar and let sit for one hour. Then mash berries with a fork until they are bite-sized. Stir into chilled custard mixture and pour into ice cream maker. Follow manufacturer’s directions. Freeze at least 2 hours before serving.

Yield: 6 servings.

Fresh Strawberry Storage Tips
Strawberries do not continue to ripen after harvest. Therefore, make sure you pick berries that are completely red.

Store the berries unwashed in a single layer on a baking sheet and refrigerate.
Just prior to using, rinse berries under a gentle spray of cool water. Do not cap until after washing.
Get more recipes from the Pick Tennessee Products website.

Fresh Corn Cakes


You will need:

3/4 cup salsa or chopped, seeded and peeled tomatoes, divided

1 cup sweet corn, fresh or frozen

1-1/4 cups Martha White cornbread mix

1 cup sour cream, divided

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Tops of green onions or green bell pepper strips

In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of salsa and 1/4 cup of corn. Mix well and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine remaining salsa and corn, cornbread mix, 1/2 cup of sour cream and egg. Mix well. Spray a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat until hot. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into skillet. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Serve with remaining sour cream and salsa-corn mixture. Sprinkle with pine nuts and green onions.

Yield 12 servings.

Note: corn cakes can be kept warm in a 200-degree oven until serving time.

Get more delicious, Tennessee recipes on the Pick Tennessee Products website.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Vince Sings to the Undies


In a new song and video, serious musician Vince Gill sings the praises of underwear with so much passion that you'd think he was crooning about a doughnut.

In "Daddy Was the Apple of My Eye," Vince sings, "No castle in the South of France/but what we had were underpants/That made us feel like royalty." Duet partner and mono-monikered Apple then sings, "his hands were hard/his waist band soft." The video also features several other grown men dressed in fruit costumes playing instruments.


Read the Beverly Keel article in the Tennessean

A Southern sound check along the 'Music Highway'

From Elvis' Graceland to the Grand Ole Opry, America's legends sing a siren song along Tennessee's fabled Memphis-to-Nashville route.

By Robert Hilburn
Special to The Los Angeles Times


Memphis, Tennessee
Knowing how obsessed Elvis fans can be, I wasn't surprised when my wife and I drove up to the Heartbreak Hotel and found, true to the song's lyrics, that it was actually "down at the end of Lonely Street" and that the desk clerk was "dressed in black."

Our room was lined with photos of the King, and two TV channels were devoted 24/7 to Elvis Presley's music and movies. And, as expected, the souvenir shop contained such Elvis novelties as "Love Me Tender" tea sets and copies of the work shirt that a teenage Presley wore when he drove a truck for Crown Electric. (Guess which one I bought.)

But one thing that did surprise me on this, the first night of our five-day Memphis and Nashville music tour, was the Elvis look-alike chatting it up in the lobby. You might expect an official greeter in a
Vegas skyscraper but hardly at a modest, 128-room place like this.

It wasn't until I saw him chowing down on biscuits and gravy at the complimentary breakfast the next morning that I realized the laugh was on me. The guy wasn't a hotel employee but another guest, which brings us back to the point about obsessed Elvis fans.


Read the entire article in the L.A. Times

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Bush, Buns and the Border

By DEB RIECHMANN
The Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn.


At a town-hall style meeting, Bush also rebuffed a question about whether he would consider pardoning two Border Patrol agents in prison for the cover-up of the shooting of a drug trafficker in Texas.

"No, I won't make you that promise," Bush told a woman who asked about a possible pardon. Many Republicans in Congress have said the men should not have been convicted and have criticized the federal U.S. attorney for even prosecuting the agents.

"I know it's an emotional issue but people need to look at the facts. These men were convicted by a jury of their peers after listening to the facts" as presented by U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton, said Bush. Bush called Sutton a friend.

The president also toured a bun bakery here, and used the business to illustrate a warning to Congress that he'd veto any government spending bill that he thinks is excessive.

"You can't keep making buns if the Democrats take all your dough," Bush joked in a speech shortly after taking in the aroma of fresh bread at the bakery, which supplies fast-food restaurants.


Read the entire article in the Washington Post

Rock of aged

Seasoned performers keep packing in the fans at area concert venues

By David Lindquist
david.lindquist@indystar.com


Cincinnati Reds outfielder George Foster won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 1977, the same year Jimmy Buffett reached the Top 10 with his hit "Margaritaville."

The passage of time has made it impossible for 58-year-old Foster to play baseball in front of thousands of paying customers in 2007, but 60-year-old Buffett continues to perform tropical-themed tunes for sellout crowds in the nation's largest concert venues.

Forging an emotional bond with listeners and creating a festive atmosphere in concert are two tickets to career longevity, according to music-industry experts and fans.

Buffett, specifically, is known for playing concerts where his loyalists -- commonly termed "Parrotheads" -- wear grass skirts, floral shirts and inflatable sharks as accessories.

"These (shows) have become more than a night out," says Dave Clark, vice president of marketing for concert promoter Live Nation.


Read the entire story in the Indy Star

Let's clear the air at Arcade

By GAIL KERR

There's a warning sign at the Fifth Avenue entrance of Nashville's historic downtown Arcade, between Walgreens and Phillip's Delicatessen.

The sign forbids "running, playing, disorderly or alarming conduct." No radios. No CD players. In fact, the Arcade prohibits "any behavior that may cause injury to oneself or others."

The sign lies. Because it is perfectly fine to smoke your brains out there, and share the smoke with everyone else.

Read the full story in the Tennessean

Hit the Road with Phil Lesh this Fall

Sat-Sep-22
Santa Barbara County Bowl
Santa Barbara, CA
6:00

Sun-Sep-23
The Greek Theater
Berkeley, CA
3:00

Fri-Sep-28
The Phillmore
Denver, CO
8:00

Sat-Sep-29
Red Rocks Amphitheater
Denver, CO
7:30

Sun-Sep-30
Paolo Soleri
Santa Fe, NM
6:00

Tue-Oct-02
The Pageant
St. Louis, MO
7:30

Wed-Oct-03
Uptown Theater
Kansas City, MO
7:30

Fri-Oct-05
The Riviera Theater
Chicago, IL (18+ only)
8:00

Sat-Oct-06
The Riviera Theater
Chicago, IL (18+ only)
8:00

Sun-Oct-07
The Riviera Theater
Chicago, IL (18+ only)
8:00

Tue-Oct-09
The Orpheum Theater
Boston, MA
7:30

Wed-Oct-10
The Orpheum Theater
Boston, MA
7:30

Fri-Oct-12
Tweeter Waterfront
Camden, NJ
8:00

Sat-Oct-13
Charlottesville Pavilion
Charlottesville, VA
7:00

Sun-Oct-14
The Echo Project
Atlanta, GA
7:00

Tue-Oct-16
Lyric Opera House
Baltimore, MD
7:30

Thu-Oct-18
Shea's Performing Arts Center
Buffalo, NY
7:00

Fri-Oct-19
Mohegan Sun Arena
Uncasville, CT
7:00

Sat-Oct-20
Glens Falls Civic Center
Glens Falls, NY
8:00

Sun-Oct-21
War Memorial at Oncenter
Syracuse, NY
7:00

Wed-Oct-31
Nokia Theater Times Square
New York, NY
8:00

Thu-Nov-01
Nokia Theater Times Square
New York, NY
8:00

Fri-Nov-02
Nokia Theater Times Square
New York, NY
8:00

Sat-Nov-03
Nokia Theater Times Square
New York, NY
8:00

Mon-Nov-05
Nokia Theater Times Square
New York, NY
8:00

Tue-Nov-06
Nokia Theater Times Square
New York, NY
8:00

Thu-Nov-08
Nokia Theater Times Square
New York, NY
8:00

Fri-Nov-09
Nokia Theater Times Square
New York, NY
8:00

Sat-Nov-10
Nokia Theater Times Square
New York, NY
8:00

Phil has a MESSAGE about his upcoming tour.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Chick Corea and Bela Fleck


Tonight I watched Bela Fleck and Chick Corea on the Tavis Smiley show. They talked about music and also played some amazing music. They had some amazing chemistry together. I hope they do a show together in Nashville, I'll be there.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

A walk on the Wilder side of life



Webb Wilder works hard, rocks hard, eats hard, sleeps hard, he grew big and he wears glasses ('cause he needs 'em). Heck, he'd better live like that -- because as his fans well know, that's the singer's credo. And evidence of all that hard stuff is everywhere in his two-bedroom Nashville apartment.

more of the article...

1. If you had to save one "thing" from your home, what would it be? The guitar I use the most in the band, a "Frankenstein" (made from various after-market parts) Fender telecaster type of guitar. That particular one has the autographs of Chet Atkins, Duane Eddy, James Burton, Scotty Moore, Hank Garland, Jimmy Johnson (Muscle Shoals), Don Helms, Bill Kirchen and Redd Volkaert.



2. One thing on a wall in your living room: Framed, original lobby card for "Bells of Colorado" starring Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Roy and Dale autographed it to me personally when I met them in California. My then manager, Willie Perkins knew I was gonna meet Roy and had the lobby card sent out to my publicist at the time who helped set the whole thing up. It was all really cool.Roy Rogers was my first hero and the first prominent media figure that I admired. Keith Richards feels the same way. Ask him! Anyway, meeting him and Dale was a dream come true. Roy Rogers is the "King of the Cowboys" just like Elvis is the "King of Rock and Roll." (The "Roy" on the guitar is a coincidence...or is it?)

3. Do any walls in your home match the color of your eyes? Sorta. The living room is kind of a sick shade of green.

4. Best furniture bargain you ever got and where'd you get it? My golden oak hall tree with cow horns. [I] got the cowboy hall tree from an antiques mall in Adams, Tenn., and brought it home in a horse trailer.

To read the entire article, please visit Metromix in the Chicago Tribune.

5 Observations on D.C.


1. Aircraft - With the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport located a couple miles south of the Mall on the Potomac's western edge, commercial planes are an almost constant presence. On the three days I was in D.C. planes took off to the north and west, flying low over the Jefferson Memorial (above), the western edge of the mall, and Arlington Cemetery. These three areas are home to monuments, places of remembrance and reverence, so I was surprised to almost always have the sound of engines overhead, be it planes or helicopters.


3. Grand Streets - Grand MetroThe streets in D.C. are extremely wide, helping to give the place its monumentality and scale that makes people feel small in the face of the government. One thing these wide streets enable are similarly grand underground stations for the Metro. Unlike many of the stations in New York that are constrained by not only street widths but other service snaking their way underground, the D.C. stations are beautifully spacious, aided by dramatic, indirect lighting illuminating the concrete vaults. Interestingly, the light levels are lower in D.C. than New York, though the feeling of security is greater, achieved via the large, open spaces.


To see the rest of this list, visit the archidose blog. It is an architectural blog.

Bon Jovi in Nashville





It's a Superlative Sunday