I think I need Glenn Beck's blackboard. Especially now that he won't be using it. This almost seems like a victory for the left, as he'll be off of Fox by the end of the year. But I think it's really a story of making up shit and people getting bored with it. Half his audience under age 50 had left. I used to laugh when Olbermann called Beck, "Lonesome Rhodes", but the truth is he was pretty much that character.

But the reason I need that blackboard is I finally did my taxes. Just in time for the looming government shutdown. I'd like to trace where my refund is heading. Or stalling.

Meal of Links

The thing about the Paul Ryan budget is it really cuts back funding on low-income programs. Probably close to 70% of the cuts are there. That's a huge difference from what the Budget Commission proposed. Of course, the Democrats hopped all over the budget, but you have to admit, it's the closest thing to serious reform we've seen in a while. That's why the D's need a plan of their own. Come up with an alternative to that $2.9 trillion in low-income cuts and show how it can be done. Like taxing the highest 2%. How long will it take to get that in there.

Playing with Spam. I'm always surprised when someone says they've never had the stuff.

Did you see the list of material selected by the National Recording Registry? Steely Dan's "Aja" made it. Reminds me to listen to that again soon. "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" and "Stand By Your Man" also recognized. De La Soul, Mort Sahl and Al Green, if you need 'em.

2011's Ten Ugliest Cars. There are some bad ones here.

You asked for it. The Complete Guide to Jerry Seinfeld's Sneakers. Chronologically, I might add.

Mark me down for this one. The Bill Hicks doc is starting its release this week. Better get here soon.

Will Ferrell. MeetGary Sanchez.

The Grammys got revamped again. No more Best Hawaiian, Native American or Cajun/Zydeco awards.

The road to Nashville ends. In Nashville.

Exercise Yard

Speaking of docs, did you catch that surprise 25-year look back at the 1986 Masters that ESPN ran today? Once again, had the best line ever in golf lore for me. Conversation between Jack Nicklaus and his caddie, also his son, on the 16th hole. Nicklaus stripes his tee shot on 16.

Caddie: "Be right."
Jack (bending over to get his tee): "It is."

Jack on 16 (1986)



Visitor

23 Down: His 3,000th hit was a homer (5 letters) Answer: Boggs

Hey, I'm back from Music City. I went to visit Mr. and Mix and try and extend summer a bit. So, to keep up with what had been happening weather-wise in the South, it continued to rain through Saturday. Lots of rain this month. Probably about 2.5 inches in the last storm that blew by. Finally got sunny and Sunday and Monday were very nice. Cooler, but nice. Of course, I arrive back in town yesterday and it's winter.

I got to meet their new dog and here he is...Brutus!

















A black lab and pit bull mix that is just the right kinda dog you want. Nice temper, hustles around (hell, he's young!), and is a great companion. Even when I had to sit with him for a time, he was cool.

I went to a few places I had not been before for chow. Ted's Montana Grill was one. This is the chain owned by Ted Turner. Remember when he went crazy and bought bison in Montana. Well, this is the end result. I actually buy bison now and then and was eager to try Ted's place. It actually is pretty good. All of the burgers can be beef or bison. I opted for the bison, of course. Unlike our local buffalo purveyor, you can actually get a pot roast or meatloaf done bison-style. And I think I had 17 gallons of sweet tea. Nice touch with salt and pepper onion rings, too.

We also had some barbecue over at Calhoun's. If you recall the glory days of the National Rib Burnoff locally, you may recall Calhoun's being an entrant for a few years. Pre-scandal winner as well, I think. I wish I was a bit hungrier here, but the pulled pork was very good. And they had Shiner Bock, too.

Since we had a chance to see some preseason hockey on Saturday, we went to Rippy's, which is right across from the Sommet Center. Who cares if it was more barbecue? We got here in plenty of time, as it was packed. Tennessee had a 6:00 game on TV and the hockey game started at 7:00. Unfortunately, the kitchen lost our order. A discovery made only about 45 minutes after we ordered. Uh-oh. But one of my favorite words appeared via the manager. "F-R-E-E, that spells free." Great pulled chicken sammie. Which I think I inhaled. Good stuff.

After the hockey game, it was time for a snack. Wild Bill's (it seems he may have a shady past, but his food is good) Beignets and Bikes. This was right across from the Sommet Center and it's a little shop that combines, oddly enough, beignets and motorcycles. I had the banana with caramel sauce and, lemme say, it was outstanding. It is hard to describe, but this concept may actually work. Can't speak for the bikes, or any alleged shady past, but the food was a real thrill.

















As I mentioned, we took in a Nashville-Carolina preseason hockey game at the Sommet Center. We got last row seats for not a bad price. And they had a pretty good view. It was good to see hockey again. I cannot stand the Monsters games because the speed of the game is way too slow for me. But it had been a while since I saw a live NHL game. Cheerleaders, louder music, Kiss Cam (with Kiss band members over your face), etc. It's just a different experience these days. And I loved it.

Meal of Links

We had to get out of the rain, so Mr. Mix and I bolted quickly to catch a matinee of "Surrogates". You know you are in the big city when you have to shell out $10 for a matinee. The local Regal only allows the first show cheaper. This is the movie where Bruce Willis plays an FBI agent who wants to start living his life again instead of using a surrogate. Did I mention surrogates are the rage in the not-so-distant future? You lie on your ass at home while it does the work for you. The movie was OK. I decided that I like the fact Bruce Willis is left-handed. I don't know, when he beats a guy with a bunch of lefts, it looks pretty cool to me. I saw Bruce on Letterman that night, and I gotta tell ya, I'm not sure Bruce is really into the final product here. Not necessarily going through the motions on the publicity tour, but not giving it the hard sell either. After seeing it though, one could hardly blame him.

At first, this was a big WTF when I heard it over the weekend. But this is why Roman Polanski was arrested. i still think it's a big WTF.

The Senate Finance Committee took two votes today on the public option for the healthcare bill and denied it twice. Check out Sen. Jay Rockefeller from West Virginia during these deabtes. He may be the smartest guy in the room.

"A Serious Man" congers up memories of "Barton Fink". "You're a sick fuck, Fink."

Dear God. She's back.

"The Brady Bunch" has turned 40.

The Austin City Limits Music festival takes place this weekend. It's live here.

Exercise Yard

While in Nashville, we witnessed the debacle that was the Browns game against the Ravens. The Browns are just not bad, they are historically bad. One offensive TD in 9 games. That is now more than half a season over two years. I don't think the Browns are at Chris Palmer, expansion-level yet. But it's getting perilously close.

And after only three games, is it really this bad?

Visitor

22 Across: Japanese sleuth Mr. ____ (4 letters) Answer: Moto

After some minor technical issues, I am back.

The strangest thing I heard today was on Fox Sports Radio. They were interviewing Chris Landry, who is their self-described "NFL Personnel Director". He is another member of the Belichick Tree, having worked here in the early '90s with the Browns. So, he knows all of the principals getting these NFL jobs lately.

They asked him about Scott Pioli, newly appointed GM of the Chiefs who also interviewed with the Browns. He said he would be a really good administrator. The next question was about his scouting ability and Landry stated that Pioli has never done scouting, that he never travelled around in that capacity. So, it makes sense that Pioli would opt for the Chiefs job, where he can report to the owner and lean heavily on that scouting department.

If he came here, God knows what his role would have been, but it seems to me he would have been responsible for drafting and it's obviously not his forte. Maybe that's a good reason for him not being here.

Meal of Links

Samuel L. may not play Nick Fury, after all. He doesn't seem too happy about it. All I know is, he got cheered when he showed up onscreen in "Iron Man".

"Flight of the Conchords" returns this Sunday. Right after a long day of football. Here is an interview.

Bonnaroo is making concert footage and some music available to the masses. The first band up? "The Raconteurs"! Yeah, baby. That will warm you up.

"Idol" is back. Plus, the BBC decides to have "Butcher Idol".

The "Dog Whisperer" has advice for the Obama family dog. I am sensing a "Very Special" episode of the program?

Steve Jobs is taking a Medical Leave of Absence. That can't be good.

Johnny Cash was once a deputy in Davidson County (Nashville).

I am fascinated by this accidental cartography. Kinda like when Al Bundy sweated Elvis. How can you not like "Australia as a puddle"?

They are dropping like flies. Mr. Roarke and Number Six both died today.

Exercise Yard

ESPN says, yeah, we are bidding for Premier League matches. The next contract determines my future programming provider.

Visitor

60 Across: 1960s-'70s group, and this puzzle's theme (8 letters) Answer: The Doors

Can you tell I was in the South this weekend?

















I visited Mr. and Mrs. Mix in Nashville this past weekend and their dogs visited me while I was sleeping on Friday night. Well, it was toward morning and I was awake, but they hopped up anyhow. When they say it's a dog's life, they are not kidding. The main reason for the visit was to attend the...

RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival in Bell Buckle, TN

















It seems each person who has been in attendance before this year has called this festival "interesting". Bell Buckle itself is a small burg, known mainly for its antiques. On Saturday, that was the main focus. Thoughts about attending the Taste of Music City were dashed because we spent too much time in Bell Buckle and the weather by that time of the day was not cooperating as it rained a bit.

On Friday night, Mrs. Mix had an array of meats and cheeses awaiting for me to chow down on after my arrival. That goes swell with bourbon, I say. She had to run off to work, it seems the Moon Pie Flu was not enough to prevent her from working, although there weren't enough ill people to keep her there from doing a full shift, as we found out later. I was in charge of the dogs for about 20-30 minutes. My hands weren't very full, because they were in their normal watchdog pose. Which meant they were lying down, nearing nap mode.

After Mr. Mix (BTW, with new tattoos, a feisty looking Brutus Buckeye and a Pisces sign on each gun) came home, we finished watching the end of that Euro 2008 quarterfinal on the replay. Seems Turkey and Croatia were deemed an Instant Classic, although as it was nearing the end of Extra Time, I was wondering why. Two goals, one each, in the last 2 minutes was why. They went to kicks, where the Croats offered the lamest PKs you'll see in a long time. That meant it was the Turks against the Germans coming up on Wednesday in the Semis.

We then decided to wake up the echoes and catch a movie over by Opryland. Hey, the Gatlins were at the Opry that night, BTW. Anyhow, it was "Hulk" on the menu. The movie was pretty good, although it seemed there was a serious plot flaw, because a professor who was cooperating with Edward Norton (Bruce Banner) was found out and you would have thought the government would have been on his ass in an Instant Classic kind of way. Hey, and Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr., you know, Iron Man) shows up at the end as they keep setting up "The Avengers" movie.

But the coolest thing is at this Regal, there is a pick up line for concessions. See, this girl has a candy cart, and you think she's only selling candy, but wait, there's more. As long as you are paying in cash, the entire concession stand is within her purview. She calls in your order over the walkie-talkie and voila, you don't have to stand in line with the great unwashed. It's so cool when you hear that "2 Large Icees" order spoken into someone's collar.

Post-movie can only lead to one place...Sonic! 99-cent Hot Fudge Milk Shake, baby! Then it was back home to watch and listen to Vin Scully call Friday night's Indians-Dodgers game. How did the Tribe pull that one out of their collective ass? And that ended really late in the Central Time Zone, who stayed up that late here? I think I finally got that time zone thing down on this visit.

Then, on Saturday it was off to Bell Buckle. But first, it was lunch at Pawbowsky's in Murfreesboro. It's a mystery, but why does Nashville do better at Chicago-style dogs and sausages then Cleveland does. Beef sandwich, too, was a killer. I had me a sausage before we hit the festival, because you really can't do Moon Pies for lunch. And this is not a festival where there is a lot of other stuff. It's mainly RC Colas and Moon Pies, hence the name.

The festival itself was "interesting". Admission is free. You could park in a gas station on the corner for five dollars. They had lots of vendors selling jewelry and other boothy type items. I assume these vendors are there every week, although they may have been set up just for the Festival. When we entered the grounds of the Festival, we were taken aback, because it appeared it was in someone's backyard. I'm not kidding, it was in a triangular shaped field, with houses to the left and houses to the right. There we were, stuck in the middle with RC Colas and Moon Pies.

But as I was hoping, there it was, like from a dream. Four huge ice buckets filled with RC Colas. Not, just any RC Colas, but RC Cola in freezing-cold 12-ounce bottles! For a dollar and a quarter. I felt like Ray Kinsella's Dad from "Field of Dreams".

"Is this heaven?" "No. it's Bell Buckle, Tennessee."

















We opted for the Deep-Fried Moon Pies. Choice of chocolate and banana. They were both very good.

Ancient Tennessean Deep-Frying Secret

















Deep-Fried Chocolate Moon Pie

















That's pretty much what the festival is about. Oh, there are other activities. A 10K in the a.m. They have a play. They have Synchronized Wading. They crown a King and a Queen. They have clogging. And more clogging. Not only of your arteries, but of the dance variety, as well. They have a band. The Uncle Tom Band. Could you get away with that name locally, BTW? They also have a bunch of Olympic-type events. We stayed for the Moon Pie Toss and the RC Cola cans balancing on your head race. The field had to eventually try three cans. I think the winner may have been credited with two steps. I think she ran and got credit for them not falling as quick as the others.

But, as things usually go in the South, things were not exactly running on schedule. And it didn't appear that anyone really cared, so we moved off from sitting on hay bales, and decided to leave before the watermelon seed spitting and hog calling contests. And we missed out on the unveiling and cutting and eating of the world's largest moon pie.

The day kind of tuckered us out and we opted for a pizza place, Mellow Mushroom, down by Vanderbilt for more pies. I actually had a beer. First one in almost two months. Hey, it still tastes the same. And it goes good with a meaty pizza.

Today, it was a stop at Vanderbilt Hospital to unclog my arteries and then off to the airport. Where my flight was delayed for over 2 hours. Because our plane couldn't take off from Tampa. Hey, what to do? Bloody Marys at the Gibson Cafe, that's what, and make mine a double! We then had a window to beat the rain to the south and east and miss the hail that blew through this region. And I got back about 5:20.

I already pining for next year's Festival.

Meal of Links

I guess everyone has tired of Mike Myers. It's safe to say, with the constant publicity this movie has received, "Love Guru" bombed.
TEXT

How to save a skyscraper. Against earthquakes.

Hey, I thought only the NBA had fixed games. The betting scandal in tennis seems to be getting some legs.

Exercise Yard

They won't be at the semis.
















Neither will she.































In Euro 2008, you knew the Dutch were gonna flop yesterday, didn't you? Today, it was not Spain, but the Italians who lost on Penalty Kicks. Geez, that was boring. That sets up the semis as Germany-Turkey on Wednesday and Russia-Spain on Thursday.

It's gotta be a Germany-Russia final, n'est ce pas?

Visitor

None, I was airborne. Then Rainborne.

I just flew back from Nashville and boy, are my arms tired. I dropped in on Mr. and Mrs. Mix and their dogs and took in the Foo Fighters concert. Unfortunately, life issues took over and Mr. Mix had to visit his sick Mom in the hospital, so he scurried back to Cleveland on Saturday morning. But Mrs. Mix and I maintained the previously scheduled events and they went on as planned.

The Dogs

The dogs were OK. Apparently, Daisy had some...ahem..."anal gland" problem recently, but is better now. My goodness, that's a phrase you don't want to hear. And Penny, a Rottweiler so rough and tough, she sleeps at the vet.

An action photo of those two:

















BTW, they are also terrified of the Roomba. I witnessed that. The other Rottweilers probably walk around muttering, "What happened?"

New Word

The new word that I learned our friends to the South use is "toboggan". Mrs. Mix told me they have codes at the hospital for all sorts of things. When patients decide to take unauthorized smoke breaks, it's announced with a description that doesn't panic anyone, but leads everyone to find the culprit. This week with the cold snap in Nashville, one was described something like "wearing a green jacket with a toboggan." Being from the North, she declared, "They should be easy to find carrying a toboggan." It was explained to her that's a knit hat, not a sled. I don't know, that's so "cattywompus".

MapQuest is The Devil

The Devil of All Navigation Tools reared its ugly head, not once, but twice this weekend. Being in Music City, we had lots of music to hear. Through a friend of a friend, we headed over to a coffee shop near Music Row to hear some guy on Friday. Me, in a coffeehouse? I'll explain later. Anyhow, MapQuest led us on an adventure to non-existent alleys and we ended up chasing our tail a while. Then we phoned for real directions.

On Saturday, the Foo Fighters were at the not-often used venue of the Nashville Auditorium. The address listed led us to the parking lot of the Country Music Hall of Fame on 4th Street. Then we phoned for real directions. They went as follows: Take 4th to Broadway, then go to 5th and go down 5th for EIGHT BLOCKS! Thanks, MapQuest!

Our love of MapQuest is like the lure of a Siren, we keep going and meet with eventual doom.

Friday Night

On Friday when I first arrived in Nashville at home base for the weekend, I didn't even unpack and was already munching on Brisket Sliders and sipping Old Grand-Dad. You know, why can't every weekend start like that?

Then the three of us headed over to Edgehill Studios Cafe to see some guy singing. He reminded me of a Teddy. Not Teddy Kennedy or Teddy Ruxpin or Teddy Atlas, but Teddy Geiger. Anyhow, they served beer, so I was down with that. We were the last ones to leave. Note: Bud Light born-on date was 1/4/08. Not bad!

Eventually, we made it to La Hacienda, a Mexican favorite in Nashville (Dig that musica loca, amigo). The easiest descriptor of this place would be that it is like the Luchita's of Nashville. I had the Enchiladas Supremas. You got your beef, your chicken, your cheese and your bean. I ran out of petrol before I got to the bean. It was very good.

"U2 3D"

On Saturday, Mrs. Mix and I forged ahead as best as we could, given the worry in the air. So, we headed over to the Regal Beagle IMAX at Opryland as planned to see "U2 3D". Once again, it's the Vertigo tour revisited. I have now seen this live, on the Chicago DVD, and now in 3D. But this is not your father's 3D. You know, the "Monster Chiller Horror Theatre" knife lunging at you. No, thirteen dolla and an ICEE purchase later, this is IMAX and Bono and yellow-rimmed 3D glasses, baby. Here comes the science.

Boy, IMAX is in a bigass auditorium, isn't it? Anyhow, it was a bit chilly in there, I don't know if that's to keep the equipment warm or what. They needed yellow-rimmed blankies, I'd say. That was another thing. The Nashville weather folk said it would warm up on Saturday. They lied or I missed that revised forecast.

Anyhow, the opening credits start rolling and what's this name I see, David Modell? As one of the Executive Producers? Brother John Modell as Producer? No. Could it be? Sure enough. In the closing credits, under "The Producers Would Like to Thank the Following", who do you think got top billing? Yep. Arthur & Patricia Modell. Bah! All, I could think of was Raven Money.

As for the movie. Awesome. Filmed mostly at an outdoor stadium in Buenos Aires without much of Bono's preaching. Mostly musica. Trust me, you have never seen 3D like this. From the beginning credits, the words are right in your face. There was a dude about four rows ahead of us and I'm telling you, it seemed there was movie action that was behind him! When there were audience members (on the film) sitting on someone's shoulders, or water being splashed or one of the mic stands up close, my God, it was like you were there. The only time Bono played to the camera was during "Sunday, Bloody Sunday". "Wipe your tears away...". Here comes his hand. I thought I could touch it. Or maybe slap it. Then everyone jumping during "Where The Streets Have No Name" is incredible. I'm tellin' you, this was tres cool.

Oddities:

Larry Mullen, Jr. looks like he drinks Hawaiian Punch Orange during the show.

Bono kissed Adam Clayton on the lips. In 3D. Huh?

Does The Edge ever take his toboggan off?

Guys were on other guys shoulders on the field. Not sure that happens up North.

I think everyone in the audience had a cellphone and was taking pictures.

For most songs, The Edge uses Fender, as does Clayton. Bono plays a Gretsch.

The Modells.

This may actually come to Cleveland, as I think it will be at some 3-D digital theatres in a few weeks.

We followed the movie up with lunch at Five Guys. It's a burger joint that has a couple of locations in NE Ohio. Great burgers. When you order a burger, remember it's two patties. That's real ground meat with that bun. I had A-1, grilled onions and mustard. And some Cajun fries. This was good and someone with a brain had the sense to build one diagonally from Vanderbilt. Oh, they'll get hungry walkers.

Foo Fighters

Well, you know it's a rock and roll show when Dave Grohl is in town. And the man did not disappoint.

The Venue: Nashville Municipal Auditorium. Not sure how much this is used these days. Upcoming events there include the Ohio Valley Conference Basketball Tournament, Sammy Kershaw, Bell Biv DeVoe and the Doodlebops. Not exactly a stellar lineup, as most head over to the Sommet Center and the Ryman. Anyhow, it's an old bowl with no elevators to the top. We have ramps!

Oddly enough, when we arrived, we see two long lines of people going in opposite directions. Wait a minute, it's 20 minutes before showtime and no people are inside yet? WTF? Someone didn't have the keys or something. Mrs. Mix and I join the line going away from the entrance because we figure there will be an end somewhere. After walking halfway around the building with no end in sight, we just cut in. These lines reminded me of "Midnight Express". People just walking with no clue as to what the hell is going on. Once inside though, gee, this building reeks of old. Since there aren't many events there, don't ask "employees" anything. They must contract them all and no one knows about seats, directions, etc. Even official looking-people. Mixed drinks were $7 and $13 for a double. Trust me, get the single Crown Royal and soda. I got Kevin pours for the $7.

Dave Grohl: There's something about Dave Grohl. Man, he is quite the entertainer. First things out of his mouth after a couple of songs: "How long do you think bands play? Hour fifteen, naw, that's barely a show. Hour-and-a-half, anyone can do that. Hour forty-five, if you're lucky. I'm thinkin' TWO FUCKIN' HOURS!"

"We're gonna play old shit, new shit, acoustic shit, rock shit". God, he makes me laugh.

I can't remember which song he did this for, it was early in the set. But the audience was singing along, and he stops the music. He said, "Look, it's my song, I fuckin' wrote it. I get to fuckin' sing it."

During the acoustic set, he mentioned when you come to Nashville, there's a lot of pros in the audience, guys who can play music. So, you have to show something extra, like a secret weapon. He mentioned KFC and the 13 spices and introduced his percussionist as his special sauce and made him do a...triangle solo!

He also introduced the folks in his band during the acoustic set. Some were "bad motherfuckers", even the strings woman, by this time on violin. Others were "fuckin' genius".

After the last song when everyone's waiting for encores, the video screen comes on. Night vision camera shows a wall backstage. It has sheets of paper taped to the wall. One reads "1/26 Nashville". People cheer. Then the next long sheet has the setlist. So, the camera scans from top-to-bottom over the list of songs. Louder cheering. You see after the finale, there is a sheet of paper covering the encores. Then who do they switch to? Of course, it's Grohl standing there pondering with hand on chin. Are they gonna play. He cups his ear to the crowd, they go crazy. This goes on for a while and it is funny. Then Tyler Hawkins gets into the act and eventually they decide to come back. It was pretty unique.

The Tickets: We were in the Balcony in Section H-2 in Row S. Worked out great (Thanks, eBay!). It's not really a balcony, it's the section behind the main aisle, but you have to use the upper portals to get to your seats. Row A starts at the floor, so you can see, we were not really that high. They had no seats behind the stage. Our section was the second one being used on that side, but the first one fully in front of the stage. The crowd was a fairly typical one, but slanted toward the younger set.

















The oddest thing happened though. While Mrs. Mix went on a drink run, all of a sudden, in my periphery, I see a body come hurtling through the air. Yes, a woman comes flying over the seats and does a faceplant two rows ahead of me, landing between the first and second aisle seats. Uh, the seats were occupied, but I think miraculously, she wedged herself between them and did not have a direct hit on the occupants. It was funny, because she was like a tripod with her butt in the air for several seconds. She finally sat down in the aisle seat in the row directly in front of us. Then male companion finally showed up to get her drunken ass out of there. He had to come back and get her cellphone, which she dropped on the floor. Thought they were done, but no, they later came back and he made her apologize to all that had been troubled. That's when I learned she also had the wrong kind of shoes on. I'm a guy, I don't notice those things. The girl in front of us said she recognized those two from Titans games and they are always drunk. Now that football is over, I guess it's the Foos and then the Doodlebops for drinking.

The Sound: I have no reference point. The first act was an LA band named Hello Stranger. They were playing as people were still circling the building, so we didn't hear a lot from them. Chick lead singer. Their closing song was AC/DC's "Thunder". Seemed like an odd choice, I thought I was awaiting kickoff at a Browns game. Sound was very muddied.

The middle act was Against Me! Love that exclamation point. The sound was much better. They were punky and were the men in black. T-shirts and pants all black. A band with some angry music, I'd say. Vocals remind me of The Offspring. They have a single that got some airplay, "Thrash Unreal". Spin named their album, "New Wave', the best of 2007. I liked them.

The Foo Fighters sounded great. I heard every one of Dave Grohl's screams and F-bombs with clarity.

The Stage: The setup is a rather sparse stage with a platform in the back. Stage juts out into the audience, so Grohl can run up front and a small addition on each side of the stage upfront allows for the typical gesturing and running around with your guitar. Four video screens behind the stage, not very elaborate.

The coolest thing though was a long ramp from the stage that ran down the center to what appeared to be a circle at the other end. Was it a covered pool, a trampoline, a fire pit? No, it was a circular stage. Omigod. It afforded people who thought they had shitty general admission seats, standing in the back, an opportunity to see the "Unplugged" section of the show up close and personal. How about that? As Grohl is playing the intro to "Skin and Bones", walking down the ramp with his guitar, a stage (with full load of mikes and instruments) is descending from the heights. He does the vocals on that stage, as the band has now followed him down there. Awesome.

Here is the band deployment. Wait a minute, the first song starts and the Foos are now an eight-member band. We have four guitars, including Grohl up front. A cellist in a nice little black dress on the right. Yes, she is female. In the back, we have, left to right: Keyboards, Tyler Hawkins on drums, of course, and percussion. This outfit went back and forth, used mostly for the new album, all of the acoustic portion and the first encore.

The Music:: A really strong performance last night, I thought. Terrific version of "The Pretender". The overall setup and conclusion of "Skin and Bones" was a kick. The acoustic version of "My Hero" was spot on. Grohl did a SOLO version of "Everlong" that was unbelievable. A pleasant surprise was Arcade Fire's "Keep The Car Runnin'" for the first encore. Grohl said it was a great song, it isn't ours, but we're gonna play it. Fit the makeup of the larger ensemble quite well. And how can you go astray with some "Monkey Wrench"?

Setlist:

Let It Die
The Pretender
Times Like These
Breakout
Learn To Fly
Cheer Up Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)
This Is A Call
Stacked Actors
Skin And Bones
Marigold
My Hero
Cold Day In The Sun
But, Honestly
Everlong
Monkey Wrench
All My Life

Encore:

Keep The Car Running
Best of You

I will definitely see the Foo Fighters when they come back to our fair city. This was a really, really good show and they are in absolute fine form. They are on the Grammys soon, doing that Justin Timberlake thing from last year, where they will play with a contest winner. I lucked out to see them, because they cancelled shows on Monday and Tuesday of this week, due to illness. Grohl was drinking out of a cup before the encores and said he was a good boy, drinking some tea for his throat. So, maybe it was him.

I've had some strange injuries over the years. Indeed, I have hurt myself during sleep numerous ways, but today may take the cake. My pants attacked me! I had just made some OshKosh B'Gosh reference while sitting down, and for some reason, needed to tug at a belt loop behind me.

I could feel said loop cutting the back of my thumb as it happened, and then "There Will Be Blood". Not quite a gusher, but Mills Lane was on hand, just in case he needed to stop it. Thankfully, we have Band-Aids at my place of employ. I must have offended the Denim Gods in some way, because I haven't had that happen before.

Regardless, I gotta get out of this cold, so I'm heading to Nashville this weekend. Gonna drop in on the Mixes and see the Foo Fighters, as well.

Meal of Links

Here's what made the Hulk turn green. Lots of funny incidents.

Do's and don'ts with babies. Waking Baby made me laugh.

Calm down. Slim Whitman is still alive. You know, he killed Martians once. Maybe I'll see him in Nashville.

Robin Zander's birthday was yesterday. Therefore..."Would you like to do a number with me?"

"Hello There" and "Come On"/Cheap Trick



Warren Zevon's birthday is today. Listen to his cover of Springsteen's "Cadillac Ranch". (Move mouse over link...play!) He kicks major ass on it.

Exercise Yard

Gregg Doyel is tired of hearing from a Manning. Not Peyton. Not Eli. Archie!

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1 Across: The Miners of Conference USA (4 letters) Answer: UTEP

I was in Nashville to see Mr. and Mrs. Mix and, of course, two of my favorite dogs, Penny and Daisy. Gale also went so she could reminisce about bowling with the Mixes and make sure we visited a Sonic. I have the magic touch with Penny, the most non-Rottweiler of all the Rottweilers. She tries to be stealthy sometimes, and it is funny to watch, but I guess she doesn't realize how big she is. Daisy is not crazy and remains as fun as I remember from my last visit.

Speaking of Sonic, I loved the fact we tortured Mr. Mix by taking 10-15 minutes to decide what food and drink we wanted, after we pulled up at the drive-in. I'm sure the wait staff thought we were prepping our lines and disguises for a robbery, but we were there only to make life difficult for "Dad". BTW, I heartily recommend the banana shake, especially after drinking Old Grand-Dad upon arriving in town.

Nashville itself is really a cool place. Get the countrified crap out of your head. The airport is so efficient they actually have 10-minute free parking by the baggage claim, so you can be picked up easily and without being told to move along. That's great for locals and visitors alike. And it was where we saw our only celebrity of the trip, Eddie George, on Sunday. It's a nice blend of the Old South with a college vibe mainly from Vanderbilt, and of course, a diverse music scene. I mean Widespread Panic was in town for three days at the Ryman, while we there. The goal, I guess, is to become the new Atlanta some day and they are on their way, it seems.

BTW, Tennessee's new smoking law went into effect on October 1, and this place may have actually got it right. In effect, if you are at a place open to all ages, there is no smoking. Think Applebee's. However, if you congregate at a place where adults hang out, like, oh, at a bar, it's OK to light up. (BTW, I actually saw a guy field a grounder on a Downtown street Friday evening.) Plus, smoking is OK on outdoor patios. This solves the issue that currently plagues Ohio smokers. Some patios allow smoking and others do not, because of how they are constructed. Tennessee says anything outside is fine.

The last time I was in Nashville, I was held hostage at the Opryland Hotel. This is the kind of scenery you get inside this venue.

















Oh, it's quite the nutty place, because it is so big. And, of course, it's humid. And many people get married at this gazebo.

















Couldn't find the onsite divorce lawyer, but we found the sports bar there Friday afternoon, where I continued my newfound habit of completely botching Central Time. Having major troubles with the concept of being an hour behind lately. Thank God they take American money there.

Since my last visit was mainly confined to being indoors, we visited the Parthenon on Friday. The Parthenon is an exact replica of the Parthenon in Athens. Why in Nashville, you ask? Well, some dude a long time ago insisted that with all of the institutes of higher learning, Nashville should be known as the "Athens of the South". Not sure if Athens is the "Nashville of Europe". But a wooden Parthenon was constructed for a centennial celebration in 1897 or thereabouts. It proved unbelievably popular, so in 1921, they opted to build a permanent replica, using stone, and that was finished in 1931.

















A relatively new feature of the Parthenon is this bigass statue of Athena.

















The Parthenon also has a gallery inside, which you can view for five bucks. The current exhibit was a mixed media presentation from the artist, Maureen McCabe. I really liked it because it was extremely quirky, while incorporating many themes of mythology. And she used some interesting items to place into her art. I was impressed.

I was also impressed at our lunch spot on Friday. Yes, Chicago Dogs at Hot Diggity Dogs in Nashville.


















I found this via Chowhound and it really hit the spot. Only open from 11:00 to 4:00, so it can't be a late night stop. For lunch though, it was good. Lots of care in construction of said dogs, as well. I had two Chicagos and on that patio, it felt like it was 40 degrees, as the sun did not make an appearance until Saturday afternoon down there.

Friday evening, we got a taste of Downtown Nashville. Lots of country bars are open and these are "pass the hat" kind of joints for the bands. We took in a few songs each at world famous Tootsie's and also at The Stage on Broadway. The Stage had a cool painting of The Outlaws that I wanted to confiscate. Anyhow, both places were fun, but unfortunately, when you hear that phrase "original song", you give it a shot and then leave fairly quickly.

Nashville is also the home of many brewpubs. Many are located Downtown, but we ate at Boscos, which is located in the Hillsboro Village neighborhood of Nashville, near Vanderbilt. This place exudes a pretty cool vibe and I went for the Gorgonzola Pear Salad, which I thought was terrific.

On Saturday, we headed to Lynchburg, Tennessee for the 19th Annual World Championship of Barbecue.

















A neat event, this matches winners of BBQ competitions around the world in a unique, invitation-only event. Lynchburg is located in a dry country (and there were liquor busts there on Saturday!), so there is no alcohol allowed. But the sun came out, just in time for some lemonade. And for some pickin' and grinnin' from the younger hip-hop crowd.

















It is also unique, because there is no admission fee. You can park at the high school for free and take a shuttle or walk to the distillery. When you arrive, there are a few booths selling food. Typically, three bones for $6, and associated half-slabs and full slabs; chicken, brisket, or pulled pork sammies; and other stuff. However, the competitors are there to compete, not to sell. So, you go from booth to booth scouting out free samples. It took us a while to figure that out, but once we did, it was very nice! For instance, hard to believe, but we had brisket from Germany that was outstanding. All in all, that was a great place to spend a day and view victory lane with Mini-Jack. Man, these statues were all over the place. Did you know Jack Daniel had size 4 shoes? But, he's a tall man in the world of spirits.

















And there was also time to cram in some World Series games, because they take forever to play, and some Ohio State-Penn State action, as well. So, that meant pizza time from a chain called NYPD Pizza. Don't be put off by the theme or name, this stuff is very good.

There you have it, an action-packed few days in Nashville to unwind for a bit. Only an hour and 20 minutes away by plane. Cannot beat it and plan to do it again. Maybe the RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival in Bell Buckle.

Meal of Links

Since I had still had some time off today, I snuck over to the Regal Beagle at Crocker to see Wes Anderson's latest movie, "The Darjeeling Limited". Sparse crowd of 6 in attendance. I liked this movie very much. How can you not like a movie on a train? Especially in India. The movie stars Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman and Owen Wilson as brothers. Real subtle humor and it shows how some families can get along one minute and not the next. Oddly enough, it was preceded by a 15-minute short film by Anderson that set up some of the background of the main movie, which lasted about 90 minutes. I think this was tacked onto the release this week. Not sure why this was not included in the feature or it was conceived as a promo for the film, but they showed Natalie Portman's ass and that's not a bad thing. The movie and the short are definitely worth seeing.

The great thing about crowning a World Series champ lies in the immediate aftermath of the final out. The emotions come pouring out and it's like everyone is a little kid again, regardless of the millions they make. I don't think you could smile any wider than Jacoby (or it now "Tacoby", because of the Taco Bell stolen base giveaway?) Ellsbury running in from left field. Then reality sets in and each player tries to come to grips with what they just accomplished. Captain Jason Varitek having trouble maintaining his composure. Jonathan Papelbon seemingly in a fog, not quite comprehending what happened. Even Manny running from the dugout and enjoying things in a rather calm way. It's quite a sight. And the Red Sox are who we thought they were.

While I was in Nashville, "The Office" Convention was in Scranton. No wonder we didn't see Al Roker eating.

Exercise Yard

Can we do the impossible? Mention the dreaded "P" word for Browns Version 2.3? I have tried not to look ahead at the schedule, but there are a few winnable games out there, as the Browns now stand 4-3 after yesterday. Come on, the Jets, Bills, Texans, 49ers lie ahead. A tough Seattle team and three division games on the road also loom. OK, I won't mention the "P" word, especially after giving up 400 yards to the Rams, of all teams. But, I am thinking about it.

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28 Across: Gary of "CSI:NY" (6 letters) Answer: Sinise