Friday, November 30, 2007
Breaking News / Politics PR Gun Hired by Bredesen Bunkerites
Posted by Liz Garrigan on Fri, Nov 30, 2007 at 3:48 PM
The neighbors who are all atwitter over the so-called Bredesen Bunker have hired The Brumfield Group to represent their cause. Among the new opposition strategies for these naysaying neighbors is the project's cost. "This is an issue that will have significant impact on all taxpayers," a talking points document says. "They're projecting $3.84 million in taxpayer money to pay for this. Of course, that's the starting point—government projects always seem to go up from there, don't they? "
The same document compares the size of the proposed underground entertainment facility at the Executive Residence with that of the East Room of the White House: 13,000-plus square feet compared to 4,000. "Is the State Building Commission saying that Tennessee needs a ballroom over three times the size of what the President of the United States needs to entertain dignitaries and heads of state?" the talking points doc goes on to say.
The neighbors are now saying that what they want is "a fair hearing of our concerns...and notice to be published statewide so all taxpayers in the state have ample opportunity to participate. Again, this project is to be funded by taxpayers from Johnson City to Memphis."
Yes, in part. But mostly, first lady Andrea Conte has raised private funds for the project.
By the Way Dear Readers
Posted by Liz Garrigan on Fri, Nov 30, 2007 at 11:42 AM
Today the Scene is introducing a slightly redesigned version of its blogs—our general interest Pith in the Wind, the music blog Cream and food blog Bites. Readers will be better able to search the blogs’ archives, as we’re now using categories and tags for content. Also, now it will be much easier to refer to the Scene’s home page or specific content sections, as they’re right up there at the top of your screen.
As always, your comments are half the fun of this whole enterprise, and we look forward to your bloviations, irrationality and occasional point well taken, not to mention the so-called “shit fights,” as our Cream contributors put it. We anxiously await the celebrity blogger death matches between such characters as Gilbert Martin and Gilbert Jr. (Pith), Burrito and Battletapes (Cream), and Claudia and TobeintheGnome (Bites).
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Screen Saver
Posted by Pithmaster on Thu, Nov 29, 2007 at 9:55 AM
Dear Readers:
Our blogs will be undergoing some maintenance and, as a result, things might get weird around here for a while—around noon today comments will be disabled and soon thereafter some stuff may not work right, or at all. Don't worry, things will return to abnormal soon.
Thank you,
The Management
Our blogs will be undergoing some maintenance and, as a result, things might get weird around here for a while—around noon today comments will be disabled and soon thereafter some stuff may not work right, or at all. Don't worry, things will return to abnormal soon.
Thank you,
The Management
Politics Thompson: Not Good Enough
Posted by Jeff Woods on Thu, Nov 29, 2007 at 8:45 AM
The reviews are coming in, and no one seems to think Fred Thompson did much in last night's CNN/YouTube debate to help his struggling campaign.
Thompson launched the campaign's first attack ad during the debate, slapping Mike Huckabee on taxes and Mitt Romney on abortion.
But as the Washington Post points out, Thompson passed on the opportunity to hammer home his point: "As has happened time and again in this campaign, Thompson, himself, seemed less willing than his own campaign to throw punches. When asked about the video, Thompson said simply: 'These are their words.'"
No one took the trouble to attack Thompson. Why bother? Unless things change dramatically, he won't make it out of Iowa. More reviews:
NBC's Chuck Todd says Thompson "seemed more comfortable in this debate than in his first two outings but just because he was comfortable doesn't mean he had enough great moments. He seemed like a supporting member of the cast rather than a centerpiece of the debate. His shots at Giuliani and Romney were probably lines that sounded better in his head than when he delivered them."
Time's Mark Halperin gave ol' Fred a grade of C+. "Better than he's been, but not better than the others—and thus not good enough."
Thompson launched the campaign's first attack ad during the debate, slapping Mike Huckabee on taxes and Mitt Romney on abortion.
But as the Washington Post points out, Thompson passed on the opportunity to hammer home his point: "As has happened time and again in this campaign, Thompson, himself, seemed less willing than his own campaign to throw punches. When asked about the video, Thompson said simply: 'These are their words.'"
No one took the trouble to attack Thompson. Why bother? Unless things change dramatically, he won't make it out of Iowa. More reviews:
NBC's Chuck Todd says Thompson "seemed more comfortable in this debate than in his first two outings but just because he was comfortable doesn't mean he had enough great moments. He seemed like a supporting member of the cast rather than a centerpiece of the debate. His shots at Giuliani and Romney were probably lines that sounded better in his head than when he delivered them."
Time's Mark Halperin gave ol' Fred a grade of C+. "Better than he's been, but not better than the others—and thus not good enough."
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Media The Rack: Inside This Week's Scene
Posted by Pithmaster on Wed, Nov 28, 2007 at 3:55 PM
[image-1]
Down With J.C.: In the movie Saved!, a satire of evangelical teens at a Christian high school, there's a scene that brilliantly captures just how lame most efforts are to spin Christianity as hip and relevant for kids. "Let's get our Christ on!" chirps Pastor Skip, an enthusiastic cheerleader for God played by Martin Donovan, somersaulting onstage during a pep rally for the Big Guy Upstairs. "Let's kick it Jesus-style!"
Movies: Basement Tapes: It was the early '60s in Greenwich Village, and the bars were closing down in the wee morning hours. When that happened, Murray Lerner recalls, you went back to somebody's apartment and kept the party rolling.
Art: Lost and Found: Great loss and tragedy turn some people to substance abuse, others to violence or suicide. The horrors James Makuac witnessed during the nearly 14 years he endured as one of the Lost Boys of Sudan turned him into an artist, and he vividly remembers how it happened.
Sports: Oblong Ball: Fred Taylor, the legendary basketball coach at Ohio State, used to have a favorite term of disaffection for America's autumnal gridiron sport. He called it "oblong ball."
Suburban Turmoil: Into the Wild: While most of you were sleeping off a turkey overdose last Friday at 4 a.m., I was answering my front door.
Dining: Counter Offer: Amid all the breathless hyperbole about the debut of Whole Foods Market in Green Hills—the panting at the pastry case, the elation at the hot bar, the rapture at the cranberry bog—no one's bothered to make much mention of the restaurant in the back of the store, by the meat department.
Plus: Our Critics' Picks, The Fabricator, Helter Shelter and more.
Down With J.C.: In the movie Saved!, a satire of evangelical teens at a Christian high school, there's a scene that brilliantly captures just how lame most efforts are to spin Christianity as hip and relevant for kids. "Let's get our Christ on!" chirps Pastor Skip, an enthusiastic cheerleader for God played by Martin Donovan, somersaulting onstage during a pep rally for the Big Guy Upstairs. "Let's kick it Jesus-style!"
Movies: Basement Tapes: It was the early '60s in Greenwich Village, and the bars were closing down in the wee morning hours. When that happened, Murray Lerner recalls, you went back to somebody's apartment and kept the party rolling.
Art: Lost and Found: Great loss and tragedy turn some people to substance abuse, others to violence or suicide. The horrors James Makuac witnessed during the nearly 14 years he endured as one of the Lost Boys of Sudan turned him into an artist, and he vividly remembers how it happened.
Sports: Oblong Ball: Fred Taylor, the legendary basketball coach at Ohio State, used to have a favorite term of disaffection for America's autumnal gridiron sport. He called it "oblong ball."
Suburban Turmoil: Into the Wild: While most of you were sleeping off a turkey overdose last Friday at 4 a.m., I was answering my front door.
Dining: Counter Offer: Amid all the breathless hyperbole about the debut of Whole Foods Market in Green Hills—the panting at the pastry case, the elation at the hot bar, the rapture at the cranberry bog—no one's bothered to make much mention of the restaurant in the back of the store, by the meat department.
Plus: Our Critics' Picks, The Fabricator, Helter Shelter and more.
Politics Seeing Fred Everywhere
Posted by Jeff Woods on Wed, Nov 28, 2007 at 12:41 PM
Now that we've given the obligatory lip service to substance, let's move on to more important matters. Who does Fred look like? Slate thinks the young Fred now appearing in one of his TV ads is a dead-ringer for the serial killer in No Country For Old Men. Which reminds Pith in the Wind of the time we reported on Fred's resemblance to the Klingon Star Trek character Worf.
Then again, for a Fred look-alike, how 'bout this good ole boy?
Politics Fred Sticks to Issues; Is Anybody Listening?
Posted by Jeff Woods on Wed, Nov 28, 2007 at 11:28 AM
If ever there was a political candidate who could justifiably complain about the media's relentless focus on style over substance, it's Fred Thompson. His poll numbers falling everywhere, he's become the object of scorn and mockery in some circles for his gaffes and seemingly ho-hum attitude toward campaigning. At the same time, it's gone hardly noticed that, unlike his rivals, he's taking detailed policy positions. His political strategists must think he's crazy.
Thompson is winning some praise. Today's Wall Street Journal lauds his tax reform plan as "more ambitious than anything we've seen so far from the rest of the GOP field." Previously, the Washington Post of all newspapers said Thompson "deserves applause for making some tough choices" with his proposal to fix Social Security.
Are voters hearing any of this above the usual white noise of the campaigning? Yesterday on Sean Hannity's radio show, Thompson wasn't sure about the answer to that question. "I got into this to talk about issues that I think are important to our country," Thompson said. "If the personality part ... outweighs all of that, then so be it. I've taken my shot."
Thompson is winning some praise. Today's Wall Street Journal lauds his tax reform plan as "more ambitious than anything we've seen so far from the rest of the GOP field." Previously, the Washington Post of all newspapers said Thompson "deserves applause for making some tough choices" with his proposal to fix Social Security.
Are voters hearing any of this above the usual white noise of the campaigning? Yesterday on Sean Hannity's radio show, Thompson wasn't sure about the answer to that question. "I got into this to talk about issues that I think are important to our country," Thompson said. "If the personality part ... outweighs all of that, then so be it. I've taken my shot."
By the Way / Media Fair Enough
Posted by Steve Haruch on Wed, Nov 28, 2007 at 10:31 AM
A recent blog post (which we found via VV) drew our attention to a new group, or at least a new website: makethefairgroundsgreen.org. In Town Nashville writes, "The folks behind this website really should identify themselves somewhere, but that's my only quibble with their early efforts to build support for relocating the Tennessee State Fairgrounds." Rachel, of Women's Health News, responds cautiously in the comments:
We were, however, able to catch up with the site's creator. Pith in the Wind spoke to Mr. Moorman by phone yesterday.
The lack of identification makes me skeptical as well, especially given all of the "developers aren't so bad!" language. The only thing I can tell is that the site was registered by a Keith Moorman. I'm also interested in knowing whether they have been in contact with any existing neighborhood groups, like South Nashville Action People, who have been talking about and involved with the Fairgrounds issue for a while now (haven't received a response to my email inquiry). While I'm all for improvement because I live nearby, it's hard to know right now who these people are or what their real intentions are.We asked around a bit, and no one seemed to have heard of the group or the website. Shannon Hornsby of Walk/Bike Nashville said she had never seen the site before. An email to the Middle Tennessee chapter of The U.S. Green Building Council was unanswered as of this writing.
We were, however, able to catch up with the site's creator. Pith in the Wind spoke to Mr. Moorman by phone yesterday.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Chest Rockwell in Nashville!
Posted by Jim Ridley on Tue, Nov 27, 2007 at 9:32 PM
John C. Reilly, one of our favorite actors on the planet, will be in Nashville Dec. 8 for a special screening of his new Judd Apatow-produced comedy Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. While in town, he'll also play a gig with his band at the Mercy Lounge.
Above is the trailer, which has more laughs than anything I've seen in the past few months. Any resemblance between this and a certain Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopic is purely intentional. And dig the cameo by a mystery Nashvillian who appears to be playing Elvis.
Politics Son of Ned Won't Run
Posted by Jeff Woods on Tue, Nov 27, 2007 at 11:54 AM
Mike McWherter, the Democrats' only hope to seriously challenge Sen. Lamar Alexander in 2008, has decided against running. The news, first reported by the Nashville Post this morning, leaves only a couple of lightweights considering the race: former state Democratic Party chairman Bob Tuke and Nashville attorney Kevin Doherty.
One factor in McWherter's decision: His father Ned's friendly personal relationship with Alexander would have made it hard for Mike McWherter to criticize the senator, one source tells Pith in the Wind. "His heart's just not in it," the source says of McWherter. "He got a lot of encouragement and he raised some money, but he just wasn't into it."
To try to persuade McWherter to run, Democrats had been touting polls purporting to show that Alexander is vulnerable. But McWherter, who had been thinking about it for months, had probably waited too late to raise enough money. It's expected to take at least $7 million to run a competitive campaign against Alexander.
One factor in McWherter's decision: His father Ned's friendly personal relationship with Alexander would have made it hard for Mike McWherter to criticize the senator, one source tells Pith in the Wind. "His heart's just not in it," the source says of McWherter. "He got a lot of encouragement and he raised some money, but he just wasn't into it."
To try to persuade McWherter to run, Democrats had been touting polls purporting to show that Alexander is vulnerable. But McWherter, who had been thinking about it for months, had probably waited too late to raise enough money. It's expected to take at least $7 million to run a competitive campaign against Alexander.
