Bad news for drivers...Saudi king wants higher prices on oil

Saudi Arabia's king says the price of oil should be $75 a barrel, much higher than it is now, but his oil minister indicated Saturday that no measures will likely be taken until OPEC meets again next month.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi said that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries will "do what needs to be done" to shore up falling oil prices when the group meets Dec. 17 in Algeria, but for now it was "too early."
~

Read the entire story at Yahoo News.

~

Visit Opryland USA again on NPT's "Memories"

The show will spotlight much-loved rides, performances and attractions, as well as popular entertainers (including singer-songwriter Chely Wright) who launched their careers playing at Opryland, USA.

The program’s writer and producer, Justin Harvey, reached out to the community in search of personal memories, photos and videos of time spent at the park. He said the response was overwhelming.

“So many people called me or wrote to me to share their fond memories of summers spent at the park,” Harvey told Nashville Public Television. “For many, Opryland was their childhood. For many of the performers, it was their first big gig and entrance into the entertainment industry. Everybody, it seems, loved Opryland.”

~

Read the entire article in the Tennessean.
~

"Local Aficionado- Nashville " episode 1

If you want the best pralines in the world, whether for yourself or to give as a Christmas present, visit Pralines by Leon now to find out how to place your order for them or just stop in and by them in person.

Please visit our friends over at Corrieri's Formaggeria for great cheeses, sandwiches and many more delightful foods. Here is Brandon Fuson to introduce himself.

Nashville Restaurant Health Scores- November 28

High Scores:

AIRPORT DELI
1321 MURFREESBORO
Date Inspected: 11/20/2008
Score: 93

SUBWAY
6688 NOLENSVILLE ROAD
Date Inspected: 11/19/2008
Score: 99

SUBWAY
857 BRILEY PKWY
Date Inspected: 11/20/2008
Score: 92

YAMAMOTO JAPANESE RESTAURANT
2695 MURFREESBORO ROAD
Date Inspected: 11/18/2008
Score: 92

Low Scores:

There are no low scores available for the date range you selected.

Updates:

There are no updates available for the date range you selected.

Amtrak's best and worst on-time train routes

TOP FIVE ON-TIME ROUTES
**As of July 2008

Hiawatha
Milwaukee - Chicago
Year-To-Date (YTD): 87.7 percent July: 88.5 percent
Amtrak’s most on-time route is, probably unsurprisingly, also one of its shortest.

BOTTOM FIVE ON-TIME ROUTES:

Texas Eagle
Chicago - St. Louis - Dallas - San Antonio - Los Angeles
YTD: 14.3 percent, July performance: 0.0 percent

Visit the Webbspun Ideas website to see the rest of the list.

This list comes from Peter Greenberg. Visit his website for more great info about traveling.

Tenn. officials say 2008 harvest deemed a good one

~

Despite lingering drought conditions in some parts of the state, Tennessee agricultural officials say 2008 is a good year for the harvest.

~

Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens said the rain that fell during the growing season was timely, if not abundant, and the weather wasn't overly hot when corn was pollinating.

~

Read more in Forbes. Article written by Randall Dickerson

~

Great quote by Rick Steves

If your life is a canvas, travels bring new color. And journaling is like being a painter who stands back every once in a while to understand and enjoy the art as it unfolds.
~Rick Steves

The Art and Value of Journaling as You Travel

By Rick Steves

Travel can make you a poet. Travel can be spiritual. You meet people on the road you'd never meet otherwise. Traveling rearranges your cultural furniture, challenging truths you assumed were self-evident and God-given. By traveling, you learn not only about the people and places you visit — you learn about yourself.

But without capturing your thoughts on paper, the lessons of travel are like shooting stars you just missed...and butterflies you thought you saw. Collecting intimate details on the road and then distilling them into your journal sharpens your ability to observe and creates a souvenir you'll always cherish.

Choose your travel journal carefully. I prefer a minimalist journal, light yet stiff enough to protect the pages and to give me something solid to write on (since I often write on the fly without a convenient table). I like invitingly empty pages — not pages decorated with extra literary frills and verbose doodads. It's my journal, not someone else's chance to decorate my observations with cute quotes, clever tips, and handy reminders. I use black ink or a mechanical pencil. Nothing should compete with the simple words. Avoid spiral notebooks — they fall apart quickly. A bound book will become a classic on your bookshelf.

Read the entire article on Rick Steve's website.

Small-Mart Revolution by Michael Shuman

In Michael Shuman's new book, "Small-Mart Revolution," he explains why local businesses create a vibrant local economy with more local jobs and wealth. This is true and should be something practiced by us all.

See more of Michael and his thoughts on YouTube.

Plumgood Food is going out of business

Plumgood is closing its doors on Friday, December 5th.

A portion of a message on their website to customers from Eric Satz, cofounder and ceo is below:
We believe our service was not only good for our customers, but good for Nashville, which continues to diversify its economy by attracting large corporations from major cities and supporting local ventures with assistance from the Nashville Capital Network and the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. Similar businesses to ours exist in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago, Boston, Washington D.C., Virginia and New York City. We expect to see another grocery home delivery service plant itself here in the future.

Today’s economy has taken its toll on our business the same way it has on many other businesses our size. The primary driver for our customer was always convenience. This consumer value proposition becomes far less compelling in an environment where the perceived value of one’s time declines as significantly and rapidly as it has over the past few months. We’ve seen our weekly deliveries decline from more than 800 to less than 700. We simply do not have the scale and purchasing power required to compete on price with the country’s largest grocers and outlast the current economic crisis.

Please visit the Plumgood website to read the entire goodbye letter.

A brief look around the Loveless Cafe

Delicious experience and had the pleasure of talking about good, local food with "the Biscuit Lady" Carol Fay. They will be open for Thanksgiving but stop out there anytime for a great experience.

A new form of heating?

Lard in the fireplace...Hmm, maybe it would be cheaper then gas.

American Heritage with Charles Kuralt

U.S. rail network facing congestion ‘calamity’

“For those of you who’ve ever seen a good rail meltdown, this is what it looks like,” Rose, CEO of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp., said as the crowded hall shifted uncomfortably in their chairs. “It’s literally chaos in the supply chain.”

While the nation’s attention is focused on air travel congestion and the high cost of fuel for highway driving, a crisis is developing under the radar for another form of transportation — the freight trains used to deliver many of the goods that keep the U.S. economy humming.

The nation’s 140,000-mile network of rails devoted to carrying everything from cars to grain by freight is already groaning under the strain of congestion, with trains forced to stand aside for hours because of one-track rail lines.

Read the entire article in Better Roads.

Pfunky Griddle

Location: 2800 Bransford Ave., Nashville, TN

Smokin' Turkey BLT $8.00
Smoked Turkey and crispy Bacon served with Chipotle Aioli, crisp lettuce and tomatoes.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup Bowl $4.50