Another Blog and a Boot Camp update

I've recently taken on the position of administrator for the Operation Boot Camp (Knoxville) blog, so if you're interested, you can check it out over here.

I just wanted to take a minute to give the program I love so much a little plug. It's a 30-day workout and meal program that really does, if you commit to it, create great results. Currently, we have two camps that both meet at Lakeshore Park (@ Northshore and Lyons View). The next month long camp starts on July 28th, so if you've been itching for a change, you've got a few weeks to think about joining. If you go to OBC Knoxville blog, you'll see a post telling you about free Saturday work outs that are open to the public. These work outs are a great chance for you to check out the program, meet some instructors and get your questions answered. My favorite section of the blog is the testimonials section. I always get a little choked up reading them, because I can really sense how much people love and appreciate the program. It radiates.

Come check us out (virtually or live and in color!).

Meli-kaliki-Birthday

Well our good friend Stan is having a birthday. But where is he? Is he celebrating at the brewery? Is he catching dinner at Nama and a show at the Bijou?

No, no, he is in Hawaii, sipping away on overpriced booze and swimming in shark infested waters. Well Happy Birthday Stan my boy, hopefully you’ll com back with a better appreciation of what you have, because (to paraphrase a great movie) “Who wants to spend their birthday in a tropical climate anyways?"

Here’s a picture message from him to everyone back home:


(Caption: Wish You Were Here)

blue plate redux

Another good Friday concert at WDVX's Blue Plate Special: The Shake'em Ups sound like a fun upbeat show, Adrienne Young sounds plaintive and a bit Irishy (?), but it was Jay Clark on the billing that caught my attention. I've had the pleasure of meeting Jay a few times and he is a really unpretentious guy. His songs are simple, but his lyrics are layered and evocative- in other words, he's a good storyteller. Which, as an aside, is one of Bluegrass's strengths as a genre. People are getting tired of "i want to have a good time/get with you/verse/chorus/verse/chorus." They want a story, something that engages them, something they haven't heard before. Aside over.
Jay was the leading force in The Stringbeans, Cruz and Robinella's original band, that I first saw when I came to Knoxville in the late 90s. He moved away for a while and they formed another band that you may have heard of. He still keeps close ties with Knoxville and his old bandmates, and I try to go see him perform whenever he's in town. For good songwriting, go check Jay Clark out on Friday, 12:00 noon at WDVX's studio on Gay Street. [map]

photo blog : wedge house

This is one of my favorite houses in Knoxville: the "Wedge House" in the Mechanicsville neighborhood. I've heard it was once the local hardware store, and then an enterprising pioneer gutted it and made it into a multi-level residence, back when the downtown was still severely blighted. Definitely one of the coolest places to live in Knoxville. Located at the corner of Deaderick Ave. and Carrick Street. [map]

no love

The Pol gets no love (or mention) from the News Sentinel:
[article here]
Old media still hasn't caught on to pay attention to new media, i.e. the Political Knoxville website and Spellings big win in their straw poll.

farragut needs to pony up

See? Riding the bus is fun!

But that's not what we're here to talk about. KAT (Knoxville Area Transit) is on the ropes. Ironically, as ridership increases, the budget crunch is forcing them to consider scaling back their operations. One popular route, the Farragut Express, may be on the chopping block.

Why? Because it goes out of the city (Knoxville proper) and therefore isn't subsidized by the city government. Let's face it- fares only cover a fraction of the cost of mass transit. The government (meaning our taxes) ponies up the rest. Or at least most governments do. Some just get a free ride. Other long distance express routes are helped by the receiving end. ORNL helps subsidize the Oak Ridge Express. Why can't moneybags Farragut help with their route?

It's bad enough that the whole idea of Farragut is based on an unsustainable suburban model (which will go the way of the dodo in the next few decades, I think) and that they don't offer any mass transit. The bit of transit they do have is the Express. Many Farraguttans are trying to do the right thing and ride the bus to work. Granted, not living in far-flung suburbs would be better, but we'll take what we can get. The Farragut Express is a service for Farragut. Our little rich neighbor to the west should help pay for it.

B

Knoxville

I like long walks on the Neyland Drive Greenway, winding along the Tennessee River, the smell of Calhoun steaks in my nostrils.

I like riding my bike from home to work to downtown and all the places in between. I like that just about anywhere I go, I'll see someone I know who will wave and smile. I like that if I don't want to be known, I can drive out west. I love the thrift stores here, the seedy parts of town- Magnolia, Broadway, Central. I love the fact that going out hasn't become old, even though downtown is comprised of only a few blocks. I like that I can dress up or dress down for almost every occasion.

I love that Ijams Nature Center, The Knoxville Botanical Gardens, and greenways galore are a stone's throw away. I love that I can see the Smoky Mountains if I stand on the hill by my home.

I love the alleys in 4th and Gill, the square dancers, the old time players, the banjos, the bikers, the artists, the patios on Market Square.

I love when people move away from here and come back because they realize it's better, or at the very least, affordable.

I love that I can make art here, that I can go out on a limb and see my ideas (thoughts, dreams) come true.



To learn a little more, visit my portfolio or my very own blog.

Knoxville is Blessed

We have been blessed by the presence of the master. Tom Waits performed here Sunday evening at the Civic Auditorium. The show was, in a world, heavenly.

I'm always a little shocked to hear that people haven't heard of Tom Waits. The fact is, too, that a lot of people have not heard of him. In the long run, I take the ignorance of the masses as my bliss; but it's still funny to me that so few people are actually tuned into his genius. He is one of the most iconic and sincere musicians of all time. I heard someone say recently, "there's been no good music since Miles Davis" and I laughed out loud. Of course there are others, but Tom's the reason why that statement is utterly false.

I've had the privilege of seeing him live 6 times, twice now in places I consider home. The best trip was when my dearest and I flew to Seattle to see him after Real Gone came out in 2004. The best venue was the Ryman in Nashville. The best show and set I've seen falls on Knoxville. It was stupendous, miraculous even.

The ticket prices this time were high: around 85 bucks a pop, as opposed to the 65 dollar price point in tours past. I heard a bit of grumbling about the prices, because, yes, that is a lot of money. The grumbling is understandable. The thing is, it wasnt a question for me. Not going to the show was not an option. That's just me, but that's the truth.

Very few cities in this country can claim they've hosted Tom Waits; and now we can. We're lucky that way. We're in the club.