I won’t go into great detail on this… but I just got back from a hellacious road trip. My apologies to the MetBlog community for the lack of postage. I’ll be sure to post more very soon!
I love Nashville for a zillion reasons and I’m very glad to be back home.
OH… weren’t we in the middle of a “100 things about Nashville” list?
One of these days, I’m going to have a big garden. There is nothing more gorgeous to me than a big vegetable garden. At this point in my life, I don’t have the time or energy to devote myself to it, but, one of these days….until then, I’ll go down to Farmers Market to get some good, grown in Tennessee stuff.
It’s not just the Farmers Market where you can get good, fresh, locally grown produce. I was watching the news this afternoon and saw a piece about a “Food Fair” that apparently, has been going on in Nashville for some 30 years. What they do is have some local vegetable gardeners set up their tables in various church parking lots and they bring their stuff to sell. I could just about smell the peaches and blueberries through the tv. They looked some kinda good.
Tomorrow they’re setting up in the parking lot of Woodmont Baptist Church all day long and I am so there at lunchtime to get me some good, fresh vegetables. They’ll be at the Woodbine Cumberland Presbyterian Church on Nolensville Rd. on Saturday.
Today I finally got fed up with the pathetic speed traps that are being set up around downtown. On my way to work, I pass three: 1) On 8th Avenue North, near Farmer’s Market; 2) On 8th Avenue South, near Division Street and Frugal McDougal’s; 3) On the Church Street Bridge between 9th Avenue and the Interstate.
It’s the same gimmick: Old fat cop has the radar gun and flags drivers as they slow nearing the stop light; rookie cop writes ticket after ticket.
I once heard Serpas speak and he’s a big believer in using speed traps to catch people with outstanding warrants (he of course has stats to back this up). But, what gets me is that the speed limit is only 30 MPH in these three zones, making it easier to catch speeders, write tickets, and make money. I understand pulling over the guy who’s blazing down the Interstate, doing 95 in a 70. But pulling over the people on their way into town who floor it going 36 in a 30? Gimme a break.
At 8:30, all of the addicts and burglars and arsonists are NOT on their way into work at the BellSouth building or Capitol Hill (okay, maybe those wanted for fraud are). So how about putting your speed trap boys to work on a cold case or something and let us go back to the days of living life in the fast (36 mph) lane.
And now, if there are traps in your neck of the woods, list them in the comments so that all of us hardened criminals can keep living on borrowed time while warrants are out for our arrest.
This article is impressive, if only for its use of the phrase “scofflaw clubs”. Scofflaw. When was the last time you heard that used in reference to a business? A moment of reprieve has been granted by a circuit court judge in the ever-languishing great strip-club battle, due to the fact that apparently the original strip clubs didn’t receive proper notice to shut down, and blah blah blah.
Joe Hall, president of a different adult club, Déjà Vu of Nashville, said his company is in a legal battle over the law too, but it is complying with it while the legal issues are settled.
The fact that other clubs are pursuing a different strategy doesn’t bother him, he said.
Ted Russell, owner of three downtown clubs, said he thinks Metro should shut down the scofflaw clubs, however, out of fairness to the clubs that comply with the ordinance.
“I don’t blame the Brass Stables and Club Platinum for what they’re doing,” he said. “Either you have an ordinance and enforce the ordinance or you don’t have one.”
In other words, Ted Russell isn’t shedding any tears over potential competition disappearing, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Anyways, it will come as no surprise that I stand with the Stables here. What’s that quote widely-attributed-to-Voltaire-but-maybe-it-wasn’t-him: “I disapprove of your desire to solicit sub-par strippers, but I will defend to the death your right to give them your money.”? Something like that. Cue Michael Jackson’s “Just Leave Me Alone”.
Say hi to Nashville’s newest fluffy resident. The Nashville Zoo is getting a new exhibit habitat: Alligator Cove, which opens this Saturday. It’s replacing the shockingly-unpopular otter display. No word on the fate of the otters, but my guess is that the first breakfast in Nashville for Smiley up there is aaaaall taken care of.
An interesting stand-off is materializing between privacy advocates and open-government advocates. The controversy swirls over this page on the Metro Police Department’s webpage. The page features names, age, and clear pictures of people arrested for soliciting prostitutes and other sex-related crimes (mostly indecent exposure). The webpage is linked prominently from the Police Department’s main page.
Privacy advocates are claiming that the publication of these names and photos amounts to punishment without due process (and they’re right). However, the opposition claims that arrest records should be kept open:
“Records of arrests are public records, generally,” said Paul McMasters, of the First Amendment Center in Arlington, Va.
Frankly, this is a load of crap. There’s no reason to make the information closed to the public, but their names and faces don’t need to be plastered on a constantly-updated website, either. This webpage serves as nothing but an attempt to shame and humiliate the people who have been arrested — and before they have even been convicted of a crime! A federal court order has been issued to take down the page, and Metro Police are currently assessing the order and determining how they will comply.
Guys? I do a little bit of work in the world of web technology. It ain’t that hard. Take it down.
Why is it that just about every single afternoon, round about 4:00, on that little stretch of interstate in front of Metro Center (formerly known as 2-65. Don’t know what it’s official name is now) can someone tell me what the big deal is through there that everybody feels they must slow down as they make their way to either 65 North of 65 South? Please enlighten me if you know what the big secret is.
It can’t be because MetroCenter is so beautiful as you cross the bridge…no way.
Is it the homeless guy that lives up under the bridge?
Is it the flatulent-like smell from that plant (or whatever it is) on the right?
Last week, as I was trying to get home, the usual Afternoon Bottle Neck was kickin’ and I saw what the hold up was…a policeman had pulled somebody over. That’s it. No accident…didn’t appear there was a search happening. Didn’t appear anything was happening. This was what made what could’ve been a 25 minute drive turn into a 40 minute one?
The clogging (and I don’t mean the kind you do with tap shoes) is just as bad on the Vietnam Veterans Bypass coming from Hendersonville and Gallatin every morning. Difference here is it’s obvious what’s holding traffic up: Candidates holding their signs waving to us as we drive to work. Like seeing some retard wanna be politician standing on the side of the road offering me a morning wave is going to make me say, “You know…he’s a nice feller. He waved at me. He gets my vote.”
I’m purposely NOT voting for any of these people because they slow traffic down.
For those of you who love real gambling (not the Metropolis, Evansville, or Tunica kind), US Airways is now offering nonstop flights to Las Vegas. It sucks that it’s US Air, but now there’s some competition for those usually-low Southwest fares.
Wild Oats is getting some competition in the Green Hills upscale overpriced organic yippie (yuppy + hippie) grocery store market — the Nashville Post is reporting that a Whole Foods will be landing in the new Hill center, located on the site of the old H.G. Hills grocery store. In addition, plans for the site currently contain 162,000 square feet of retail space and 120,000 square feet of office space.
Meanwhile, construction has begun on the site of west Nashville’s new Costco, located at 6670 Charlotte Ave (you know, where there once was a veritable near-forest of trees and now there is .. not).
Consumerism ahoy!
I know it’s been around for a while, but last night I made my first trip to McDougal’s Village Coop for dinner. I’m a huge Otter’s loyalist (mainly for their special sauce), but McDougal’s bested them in several areas:
1 - They bring the food to you. No more listening intently above the conversations and televisions for your random number to be whispered.
2 - The chicken is damn good (yes, better than Otter’s)
3 - Huge deck (with mister for the summertime).
4 - Napkins on the tables. At Otter’s, you have to rip them out of the bathroom-style dispenser.
5 - Beverage station inside AND outside (along with ketchup and other necessities).
There was a lot of traffic for a summer Sunday night, so I can only imagine what it’s like when the Vandy kids get back. At and rate, it was delicious, affordable, and they have a $0.99 kids menu. Check it out.
