Nashvegas/ Amy and Vince/ Community High
Posted by Reed Harrison
(09.28.07, 3:56 PM)
Last night I had the pleasure of attending a benefit for Community High at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Community High is a high school designed to help students recovering from substance abuse problems complete their high school education in an environment which is supportive and conducive to their recovery (as you might imagine- the typical high school setting presents some challenges to that effect). The food was great, the crowd was fun and the entertainment was lovely. This was my first opportunity to hear Amy Grant and Vince Gill sing together. They brought along Alison Krauss, John Waite, Chris (last name escapes me but I'll update as soon as I figure it out) and several other extremely talented musicians. Historically this is not my go-to type of music but I really enjoyed the show (a full 2 hours) and the banter between the artists. Also noteworthy is the fact that apparently Vince/Amy duets are basically erotica for the baby boomer set. I think everyone in that room was hot and bothered except for me and Grace, who were decidedly not so hot and bothered but definitely enjoyed the show all the same. These artists are to be lauded for the generosity with which they give of their time and talent for such worthy and human causes. They are a metaphor to me for this city in and of itself- unique in its genius but unrelentingly down-to-earth. What a testament to their craft that I left feeling so positive, not only about the evening, but about Nashville at large. http://www.communityhighschool.com/about
All That Glitters
Posted by Mandi Coleman
(09.26.07, 12:53 PM)
I wandered into ReCreations the other day; that wonderful store where anything you can possibly dream up is probably tucked into one of their shelves or hanging from their ceiling. This visit, they had all of their Christmas decorations up for the season open-house. Some people might say that it's way too early for St. Nick and fairy lights. Some people may also think we live in a culture that is too rushed. But I could only stare at all the glitter that was bursting from each of their decorated trees, and then rush around like a mad woman loading my arms with baubles.
Cheap Imitations?
Posted by Mandi Coleman
(09.24.07, 08:25 PM)
This weekend my mailbox was completely full of magazines. It's the best way to get mail! No bills, just the promise of hours worth of reading enjoyment in between pages of colorful advertisements (Yes, I love the ads also!). As I was flipping through the pages of Bazaar, I realized that I desperately needed a new moisturizer...most likely from the tub after jar after bottle of creams I kept seeing, all telling me they would give me 20-year-old skin for a lifetime. Grabbing Vogue, the expert in all things beauty, it showed the same variety of creams and lotions. Crème de la Mer promised the same things as Avon. Lancôme even looked and listed the same ingredients as L'Oréal.
I got hit by the Hitmen
Posted by Heather Burchfield
(09.24.07, 03:06 PM)
.jpg) The Hitmen of Music Row definitely threw me for a loop. As you all know, the Nfocus team covers party after party. Eric and I finished covering the Leadership Music's Dale Franklin Award this past Tuesday at the Schermerhorn, and we were walking over to the Ryman for our second event. Craig Wiseman, Tony Mullins, Jeffrey Steele and Bob DiPiero, The Hitmen of Music Row, were taking the stage for a benefit concert for Second Harvest. We took some pictures of those who were going to attend the concert, then went to find those in charge. Eric and I went backstage, and that's when I made my television debut. Read more...
Eat on China, not from China
Posted by Anne Clayton
(09.21.07, 07:44 AM)
I read food lables religiously for things like calories, sugar, fiber, salt...the usual stuff, but I have really never paid much attention to where the food comes from. I will from now on. I was in a hurry and in the mood for something sort of Thai and spicy, so I picked up one of those boxed Asian dinners. I had some leftover grilled chicken to add and bought some mushrooms, snow peas and an onion to stir fry and add. Quick, easy and looks pretty good. Cook some noodles mix with the sauce and extras, top with the peanut topping and good to go. First bite...bad. Something is wrong...I detected the smell and taste of rancid nuts. Amazingly, a very small amount of rancid nuts or oil can really ruin a dish. It smells and tastes really bad. It won't kill you (I hope). But it will send you to the garbage disposal pretty quickly. As I was reading the box, I noticed that the product, Simply Asia brand, is made in China. These people have deliberately doctored ingredients for the foods destined for our beloved pets, with deadly results, added dangerous ingredients to toothpaste and knowingly sold toys coated with lead based paints to our children.
Bypassing Diabetes
Posted by Mandi Coleman
(09.18.07, 03:18 PM)
A friend was telling me about someone she knows that has recently decided to undergo Gastric Bypass surgery. She opted for this route instead of the Lap Band not because it was more effective for weight loss, but after a visit to the doctor and what he had to tell her about the procedure. After comparing the two for her, the physician made it clear that while the lap band is effective, the bypass surgury would rid her of her current diabetic state. I had no idea this was possible!
Tennessee's Finest
Posted by Mandi Coleman
(09.17.07, 8:39 AM)
This weekend a big group of friends went to Centennial Park for the annual Walk for ALS. As we rounded our first corner in the park, taking in the hungry ducks in the pond and the absolutely amazing flowers, we noticed that sitting along the bank of the "lake" were both men and boys...fishing. Is that even legal? These guys, clad in baseball caps and stocked up on Kroger brand coke, had cast their fishing lines along the man-made pond and were taking it easy on a Saturday morning. I guess they thought it was the most normal event in the world to catch fish in the middle of the city as people strolled by gawking at the spectacle they had created. I laughed for an entire lap of the park, after someone beside me so eloquently described the scene as this entry's subject.
Empty
Posted by Beth Alexander
(09.16.07, 4:25 PM)
coming soon
Paint the Town Red
Posted by Anne Clayton
(09.16.07, 2:09 PM)
I do not know much about historic renovation/preservation, so maybe someone out there can help me understand what possessed the powers that be at Belle Meade Plantation to paint the roof, gutters and downspouts such a bright lipstick red? It's truly awful and in the sunlight it reflects on the white stucco walls and turns the house pink! Maybe the roof was originally red. I do remember it as a rust or barn red but not this awful color. It sticks out like a sore thumb! Hopefully time and Mother Nature will calm it down but one has to wonder what were they thinking?
Needless deaths
Posted by Anne Clayton
(09.16.07, 1:42 PM)
I was out and about on Monday, and I was so saddened by the number of dead and dying trees and shrubs in areas of this town that could well have afforded the cost of a soaker hose, gator bag or sprinkler, a timer and a little water. Everywhere I look, there are dead dogwood trees, azaleas, expensive boxwoods, evergreens and other trees and shrubs to numerous to name. Many of these are not just small new plantings...they are big, old well-established plants and trees that will be sorely missed this spring not only for their beauty but for shade, habitat and food for various wild things. The replacement costs for these lost trees and shrubs will be much higher than the cost of the water that could have saved them. The cost of having the dead trees removed will also be a shocker. All during the drought, which is not over yet, I saw homeowners watering the grass and beds of annual flowers but not the landscape plants that anchor and define their homes or the trees that shade them. Grass is fairly easy to replace and not too expensive either. Some grass seed this fall will bring up a beautiful green lawn this spring. You are going to miss that faithful old dogwood this coming Easter and that red maple that blazed a glorious red for oh so many falls. Not watering the plantings around your foundation can and does cause the ground to shrink and recede and can cause severe cracks and leaks in your homes' foundation. The next big windstorm is going to act as Mother Nature's tree surgeon and bring down huge amounts of dead wood on homes, businesses and lawns. Mother nature threw us a smokin fast ball this summer, and she may not be finished with us yet. Even with cooler temps, those plants and trees still need water. As the song says, "you don`t know what you've got till it's gone."
Call Me Pollyanna
Posted by Julie Schoerke
(09.15.07, 10:29 AM)
You could certainly cynically call me Pollyanna with big rose colored glasses because I walked out of the Green Hills Kroger yesterday smiling. While I was picking up a few groceries I noticed that everyone that I looked at made eye contact with me and smiled when I did. There was a woman in a business suit, a couple strolling leisurely through the isles, and several folks who looked like they were north of 80 years old…all with friendly faces. I saw an elderly man walk up to a young mother and coo over her baby, two strangers who looked happy as could be chatting away. I saw shoppers offering to help each other find items not readily seen.
Big week on campus
Posted by Dave Alexander
(09.14.07, 09:04 PM)
Poor, poor Michigan fan. It wasn't enough to get slapped around by a 1-AA school, but then to be embarrassed by a "pansy" Pac 10 team—second loss in a row—at the Big House. At least they should get a win this week, as if its any consolation: they should have gotten a win the last two weeks. But I will agree with Mike Hart on this one, true freshman Ryan Mallett is head and shoulders (literally) above little Jimmy Claussen. And let's be honest, Tennesseeans should know more than the rest, when your QB has "CLAUSSEN" sewn onto the back, don't expect great things through the air. If you have the time, watch the Texas-born kid Mallett throw; he's got a rifle.
Big Week on Campus
Posted by Dave Alexander
(09.14.07, 6:12 PM)
see above
The big sighting
Posted by Beth Alexander
(09.11.07, 04:35 PM)
It’s going to be hard to top last night, Sunday in the city. After a brief respite, the four of us filed back into the white tent at Bryant Park for our last show of the day: Pamella Roland, popular with many Nashvillians and the designer who dressed Martha Ingram for last year’s Symphony Gala and Symphony Ball. Very exciting to sit on the front row for this gorgeous, high-impact show, with a bank of 35 to 40 photographers to our left, all with cameras raised and clicking. (Next year, Eric has to come for at least a day.)
The Pignic Basket
Posted by Sinclair Kelly
(09.10.07, 4:32 PM)
Want to know how to get our attention? Send us a press packet like this one filled with chewy sweets for me and chocolate goodness for the rest of the crew. Gift cards are also welcome. 
Fashion Week Day One
Posted by Beth Alexander
(09.10.07, 03:44 PM)
There are four of us—Sandra Lipman, Gus Mayer’s Janice Elliott and Fran Wilkins and me—here in New York for fashion week, and I’m the only newbie. But I’m in good hands. Janice has arranged for us to see shows and Sandra has recommended the restaurants. First stop after last night’s arrival (only 45 minutes late) was to check into the New York Athletic Club, make a quick change and head down to Cipriani’s. After a round of bellinis and some serious people-watching, we were ushered to our table. This Cipriani’s is well lit and was full of tall and skinny young people. Our fashion celeb of the night was Roberto Cavalli, holding court in a front table with a cabal of young beauties.
The Office
Posted by Mandi Coleman
(09.10.07, 9:05 AM)
Returning this morning from a vacation at the beach (is there anything better?), I walked into my office to find every surface covered in electrical tape. That's right....an office prank. But it happened to only amuse the people that were currently videotaping my reaction to the entire episode. I haven't been in this particular department of the company very long, so obviously my coworkers haven't gotten to know me. It not only wasn't amusing that they had taped my blinds to the ceiling, it was very disconcerting that my keyboard now had sticky residue on every key! Of course, to many people it might be amusing to watch someone peel tape off their monitor, but i'm very particular with my things and now they have been tampered with. Serious paybacks are in order...I am going to be on the lookout for ideas that are both actually creative and hilarious. Keep me posted!
From Dave Alexander, Nfocus sports blogger
Posted by Beth Alexander
(09.06.07, 09:22 AM)
Ahh, the best time of year is here, and I'm not talking about Christmas. For some, this is better than Christmas, and in the South, that some is many. It's College Football time. Yep, the annoying bickering and bitterness between alums of all different schools, and in the present day world of college football, I am personally hated more than anyone else in the southern states. Well, the I is a Royal I but not I-formation: I'm a Trojan. No, not the condom: I'm one of those National Championship contender Trojans...you know? Southern California? You can stop cringing, but don't stop reading. Trust me, I have loved and always will love the glory and tradition that is involved every year in SEC football. And I argue tirelessly with my Pac 10 compatriots, just as tirelessly as I argue with the SEC steadfasts. I'm not going to get into the argument over which conference is superior (don't worry, I still think the SEC is stronger, but I will say that the Pac 10 isn't as far behind, as many of you and many of the football fans around the country think: real quick, tell me the last PAC 10 game you watched start to finish on the tube... That's what I thought).
Fly the flag
Posted by Anne Clayton
(09.04.07, 09:21 AM)
This is a wonderful piece from my brother Al Thomas. We have a nephew who is in a hole in the ground in Afghanistan, enduring unthinkable harships...even being wounded last week by shrapnel to the head and to the arms. He was "stapled up" and sent right back out. I agree with my brother and think we should all fly our flag all the time. Read on for a message from Al Thomas, my brother, a fervent patriot.
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