The Nashville Feed

Four years ago I was knocking back blue drinks at the Belcourt Theatre, watching the election results on the big screen with increasing frustration. I finally just gave up and got drunk.

Last night, I was in Memphis, in its hip Cooper Young neighborhood. There were no big screen events to be enjoyed, but I had no problem finding alcohol and a television tuned to CNN. There was no sound, but cable news has made audio unnecessary with easy color coding, maps that can zoom in enough to get cleavage shots of unsuspecting voters, and bottom of the screen numbers updated to the minute.

I honestly didn’t care what Bill Bennett had to say anyway.

CNN’s technology is so advanced, in fact, that they can call a winner with 0 percent of the votes tallied. They did this several times through the evening. Tennessee was actually one of these states. I don’t know how they could offer such ungrounded speculation as a final result, but they did turn out right on each call.

Perhaps it was their ability to break down the voters in surprisingly specific categories. They somehow could tell us precisely how Latino hockey moms, welfare recipients, pregnant lesbians, Enron convicts, and dismembered vets were voting.

Remarkable.

After a mammoth margarita and a few Dos Equis, we headed home to catch the equally as accurate but far more humorous reporting of The Daily Show. Comedy Central was perhaps the only network without a commentator in pin stripes. I guess that reassured me they could be independent. Commercial breaks provided us with opportunities to check back in with CNN’s pundits and gadgets.

At some point, Bill Bennett vacated his chair. I did not hear an explanation for his sudden disappearance. Perhaps he had to consult his bible, or try to get in a last minute bet, or just bawl unashamedly off camera.

Back to The Daily Show. It was Mr. Jon Stewart who told me that Barack Obama had officially won. I was, appropriately, sipping on a New Belgian Brewery 1554 “Enlightened Black” at the time. Someone outside began setting off fireworks.

Of course, there were still several states’ electoral votes to acknowledge. Still, the victory was decisive. It would end up making the Supreme Court completely irrelevant.

Senator McCain conceded in a very gracious speech to what appeared to be an exclusively white crowd. They couldn’t find even one Hispanic in a border state? As we’ve come to expect from these groups, there was a great deal of jeering. Mr. McCain attempted to rein in the angry villagers before they reached their torches and pitchforks. This was the McCain I had liked so many years ago, the McCain I shook hands with in 2007. Well done, sir. You maintain my respect. I still have a distaste for many of your supporters and your vice presidential pick, but I do raise my glass to you, Senator.

Bill Bennett returned to his chair. He was not happy with the outcome, but announced he would pray for our country. Hey, fatass, if your prayers couldn’t get McCain elected, do you think they’re going to do our country any good?

Our new first family soon took the stage in Chicago. CNN cut to a weepy Oprah. President elect Obama gave a speech that stirred my drunken soul.

Mr. Obama overcame more than 200 years of racism, a Clinton, and the Republican machine to become our leader. Now he must fix a broken country. He bid on it, he won it, now he has it. I hope he can do the impossible with the nation. But his victory Tuesday demonstrates that very little is truly impossible in these United States.

The internet value increases with each generation that grows up using it. We now have the first generation that never knew a world without it and probably wouldn’t know what to do if they didn’t have access. Even the Generation Xers as I am one would probably have difficulty if we were cut off. Think of some common things that you do every day online and now try to do it without the internet. I’ve compiled a short list of tasks:

• Find out if brand X computer has a recalled battery
• Look up a number for X business in X city
• Find the answer to your illness at 2am puking your guts out (happened to me last night)
• Research a product before buying.
• Find out how to make wine?

Some answers you might have is check the yellow pages or ask a friend but those take time. In this day and age people want what they want when they want and the old ways of doing things just don't work.

So where am I going with this post you might ask? Really I'm reiterating that the next generation is online and if your an artist of any type you should be also.

It's changed everything and shouldn't be an afterthought. A simple blog or YouTube video can change the world or just your world. It's a part of who we are now. It's where we are going. Watch the video below and see.

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Technorati Tags: generation x, music, internet, YouTube

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The seemingly longest week ever is over and now it is time for some Rock & Roll and good times! Yeehaw!

Friday!

• I want you all out for this...Les Honky More Tonkies w/ Ballhog (MySpace) & Adam McIntyre and the Pinx at the 5 Spot. 9pm
• Ghostfinger (MySpace) w/ The Clutters, Forget Cassettes & We Were The States (MySpace at Mercy Lounge. 9pm ($7)
• I highly recommend you make your way to the Belcourt at midnight for Taxi Driver or Mean Streets.

Saturday!

• Hotpipes CD Release w/ Cortney Tidwell & Hands Off Cuba (MySpace) at Exit/In. 8pm
• Will Hoge w/ Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit & Dawn Landes at the Cannery. 9pm ($15)
• Space Capone (MySpace) w/ K.S. Rhoads (MySpace) at Mercy Lounge. 9pm ($7)

Sunday!

• Wilco w/ John Doe at the Ryman. 7pm (hope you got tix, it's sold out!)

Seriously guys, the list isn't long, but I think we've got some pretty stellar choices going on. Have fun and be safe!

Cheers, j.

P.S. - No Hot Nashville Music Sales for this Week

Grimey's hasn't posted an updated list so we don't have a list. Sorry, hope we will be able to make an update later today. - mdave

Technorati Tags: weekend, nashville, it list, wilco, will hoge

I have WiFi at home and at work but sometimes I need to get away for a change of atmosphere to get things done like writing for this blog. It’s kind of sad that one of my considerations for coffee shops is if they have free WiFi but I have a feeling I'm not the only one. So today I did a quick Google search for open access WiFi in Nashville and found out that Nashville has almost 90 locations.

OpenWiFiSpots.com has detailed listings along with maps and other great information such as signal strength, working environment and if the place has power outlets. You can submit locations, updates and feedback via comments to help others. Overall it’s a really good site.

One final note OpenWiFiSpots.com isn’t just for Nashville, it has listings for all 50 states. They claim to have 24,647 free WiFi hotspots listed as of this posting. So if you’re traveling and need to find open internet access I highly suggest OpenWiFiSpots.com.

Technorati Tags: openwifispots.com, open wifi nashville, nashville, wifi

Busy day today I didn't have time for a post. Back on track tomorrow. Until then enjoy a video of Charlie the Puffer Fish. He's the new guy in my tank. The people talking is me and my girlfriend. Sappy yes but he's a cute fish.

I highly suggest Vimeo for you video. High quality and quick website.

Where were you on this day 6 years ago? I think almost everyone can remember, I do. It was sureal. Work closed early and I headed home spending the rest of the day with my family. Everything that has happened since then feels so screwed up. Looking back the common thing I remember was seeing that there was no color, no race everything and everybody was gray. Wish it would have stayed that way symbolically.

A few days later the following images were emailed to me and I felt like today I'd like to share them. I don't know who the photographer is and I ask you not to repost them. The titles are mine but the images are stunning enough. The first is the one that hits me the most.

Standing at the Edge of Darkness

Important To Somebody

Continuing On

Technorati Tags: September 11

It’s a super busy week for me so I don’t have much time today to post except a cool video from BarCamp Nashville. In the video it was mentioned that they hope to have another BarCamp next year. I wonder why they don’t have a mini-BarCamp as a happy hour. Get one speaker and do drink specials once a month or every 2 months. Make it real casual and allow more time to network.

Further Reading:

• BarCamp Nashville
• BarCamp Nashville: Are You Creating Community?

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Technorati Tags: barcampnashville, online marketing, social networking

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