A new group calling itself "Nashville's Priorities" plans to convene community meetings and raise questions about the risks of the proposed Music City Center. ... Meanwhile, a phone survey of undetermined origin targets Gaylord with questions seemingly slanted against the company and for a new convention center. ... A challenger in the Metro Council district 5 recall race kicks off his candidacy. ... Tennessee lawmakers join the crowd in Washington trying to figure out what the hell to do next in Afghanistan. ... Over Memphis way, Shelby County commissioners are trying to decide if sensible urban development policy includes turning over inner-city lots to a developer who is more than $1 million in arrears on county taxes on almost 500 properties.
On the competition front (athletic and journalistic), City Paper writer Terry McCormick and The Tennessean's David Climer each put a Jimmy Hoffa metaphorical spin on the Titans' Sunday loss and dwindling playoff chances. We're pretty sure McCormick was there first with his story posted Sunday at 3:09 pm (the folks at 1100 Broadway don't timestamp). ... And in truly strenuous athletic competition, Takeru Kobayashi of Tokyo downed 93 burgers at Sunday's Krystal Square Off in Chattanooga to take the 2009 world hamburger eating title. The head of "Major League Eating" (the NFL of gluttony, one gathers) says this comeback effort re-establishes Kobayashi "as a force in competitive eating," but he doesn't say what kind of force exactly.
