10.21.2004

We went to Graceland

Last weekend we had visitors from Iowa, Tom and Gertie. The time went entirely too fast. We had a blast.

Friday night John grilled pork chops. Mmmmmgood.

Saturday we drove to Memphis to visit Graceland. Below are a few snapshots of the adventure.


Tom, Gertie and Johnny the Clock in front of Graceland on Saturday.


John and Gertie with Elvis' music room in the background.



Tom and John...thinking about making a break for the second floor of the mansion. (It's off-limits to the public.)



JTC mugging for the shot in Elvis' raquetball court.



Damn...JTC forgot his suit. Guess he'll have to swim in Elvis' pool next time.


The look of patience as we waited for our food at the Rockabilly Grill.



They tried to jump this car in front of Elvis' Auto museum. No luck. So, they decided to have their photo taken with it instead!


Potential to become Elvis impersonators...don't you think?!

The Pancake Pantry ROCKS.

After church on Sunday, we made a bee-line for the Pancake Pantry. Good food. Celebrity sightings.

Waiting in line at the Pancake Pantry on Sunday. Little did we know that in a few minutes we'd get to meet Keith Urban (and his mom) and see Lyle Lovett inside. And, apparently, before we arrived, LeAnn Rimes had also been there. (Cool.)


Johnny the Clock and his Dad...wishing I hadn't interrupted their French toast and pigs-in-a-blanket for a photo!


"Pancake cheers!" from Gertie and BB.

Tom Hambridge & Jeffrey Steele

Sunday night, we all went to 3rd & Lindsley for supper and to see two of our Nashville favorites.

Tom Hambridge and his band played at 8 p.m. Jeffrey Steele went on at 9 p.m. Both shows were also live radio broadcasts on Lightning 100.


Hambone singin' his heart out.


Extreme close-up of Steve C. layin' it down.


Steve C and Jeffrey Steele rockin' out together.


Jeffrey singin' "Oh what a night..."


Steve C burnin' up his red guitar.


Country music royalty on keys...Rusty Golden. (His dad is "the mountain man" of the Oak Ridge Boys.)


JS singing his ballad about his 94 year old aunt, "She Must Be So Happy".

What a GREAT way to end an INCREDIBLE weekend.

Thanks for coming to visit us Tom & Gertie!
(Let us know when you're ready to move to Nashville.)

XO,
BB

10.18.2004

Why can't we all just get along?!

Here is a video clip of John Stewart confronting the hosts of Crossfire.

If you're on a dial up modem, I wouldn't recommend clicking the link to watch the video. Here is a rough transcript of the conversation.

I hate to say it, but I really agree with the overall point John Stewart is trying to make.

What do you think?

Spell check the art

LIVERMORE, Calif. - A Miami artist has agreed to correct the spelling errors on the ceramic mural she assembled outside the new library in Livermore, Calif. Maria Alquilar, who originally refused to fix the misspellings despite being paid $40,000 for the project, said Assistant City Manager Jim Piper persuaded her to rethink her decision. >>Read more at USAToday.com

10.14.2004

Positive Power

Researchers explore link between good health and good attitude
10/14/2004 -- The NIH this year spent an estimated $149 million to fund 44 grants for research into the connection between positive thinking and physical health, USA Today reports. Research previously has focused on how "negative feelings," such as anxiety, depression, and stress, affect physical health; the most recent NIH grants, however, encourage researchers to specifically explore optimism's impact on patients' physical well being. Although some researchers have noted that the research is difficult because there are no "defined scales" for measuring happiness, one grant recipient at the University of Wisconsin-Madison already has reported that individuals with "higher levels of well-being have lower cardiovascular risk, lower levels of stress hormones, and lower levels of inflammation." USA Today notes that the NIH is expected to award $153 million for such research in 2005. >> Read More at USAToday.com

Check out the facts today...

http://www.factcheck.org/

Electoral Vote Predictor 2004

http://electoral-vote.com

In case of bad day...click this link:

http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~geoffo/humour/flattery.html

Remember:
YOU ROCK.

BB

10.11.2004

Friday Night Lights

John and I went to Friday Night Lights this weekend. It was pretty good, although I must admit that most of the football stuff went right over my head. (No surprise to most of you!) John really enjoyed it, too.

Saturday night / Justin Thompson

John and I went to see our friend Rick Lonow play with Justin Thompson on Saturday night. This kid is GREAT. He's got really smooth vocals, interesting original jazz material and incredible guitar skills.

He has actually arranged jazz / swing versions of Curt Cobain's "Teen Spirit", a Snoop-doggy-dog song and Britney Spears' "Hit me baby one more time," too. You wouldn't have recognized them...they sounded really good. (ha.)

My favorite part of the night is getting to watch Rick play. He's an INCREDIBLE drummer / session player and also plays with several other artists: Jason White, Crystal Gayle, Burrito Deluxe and Jamie Hartford. He used to be a member of Poco as well as The Bellamy Brothers. John and he really connect. I could sit and watch them talk about drums for hours.

Ellen Crandell (singer / songwriter, Rick's girlfriend and our friend), sat with us. She is great. We had a blast talking and enjoying the tunes. In between sets we got to hang with the Rick, too.

Afterwards, we all met Dave Pomeroy for a night cap at Bosco's in Hillsboro Village.

Good music.
Good friends.
Good fun.

10.08.2004

IM Acronym decoder link...

This site makes sense of those instant message / e-mail abbreviations that you can't figure out.
AcronymFinder.com


Darrel Worley and Jackie Mason Sightings

Last night, after our writers round at Hair of the Dog, I met Micol and Ricky Davis for a bite at South Street. While we were there we saw Darrel Worley eating at a table just down from us.

Then, as we were sitting in the open porch area, a guy walked by who looked really familiar. We figured out that it was a famous comedian...but couldn't think of his name. Then he walked by again...said hello (probably because we were staring at him trying to remember his name!). Still couldn't remember it.

This morning Ricky sent me an e-mail. As he was lying in bed last night, the name came to him. We saw Jackie Mason. And, sure enough, according to his website, he's in Nashville this week.

You just never know what you're going to see around Nashvegas.

10.07.2004

Photos of Madisen Elizabeth Petersen


Introducing...Madisen Elizabeth Petersen.


Madisen hangin' out at home with Mommy and Daddy.


Daddy holding daddy's little girl.
Posted by Hello
I've got some pics of Gma and Gpa Petersen, too...but they didn't upload right. :(
Since I can't upload photos from my work computer...long story...I'll add them tonight.

10.05.2004

My Brain Usage Profile

My Brain Usage Profile:

Auditory : 42%
Visual : 57%
Left : 38%
Right : 61%

Here's what they said these numbers mean:

You possess an interesting balance of hemispheric and sensory characteristics, with a slight right-brain dominance and a slight preference for visual processing.

Since neither of these is completely centered, you lack the indecision and second-guessing associated with other patterns. You have a distinct preference for creativity and intuition with seemingly sufficient verbal skills to be able to translate in any meaningful way to yourself and others.

You tend to see things in "wholes" without surrendering the ability to attend to details. You can give them sufficient notice to be able to utilize and incorporate them as part of an overall pattern.

In the same way, while you are active and process information simultaneously, you demonstrate a capacity for sequencing as well as reflection which allows for some "inner dialogue."

All in all, you are likely to be quite content with yourself and your style although at times it will not necessarily be appreciated by others. You have sufficient confidence to not second-guess yourself, but rather to use your critical faculties in a way that enhances, rather than limits, your creativity.

You can learn in either mode although far more efficiently within the visual mode. It is likely that in listening to conversations or lecture materials you simultaneously translate into pictures which enhance and elaborate on the meaning.

It is most likely that you will gravitate towards those endeavors which are predominantly visual but include some logic or structuring. You may either work particularly hard at cultivating your auditory skills or risk "missing out" on being able to efficiently process what you learn. Your own intuitive skills will at times interfere with your capacity to listen to others, which is something else you may need to take into account.


WILD.
Do you think this describes me?
Not sure myself...tell me what you think.

If you want to take the test yourself go to:
http://www.mindmedia.com/brainworks/profiler

Then...tell me what it says about YOU.

BB

October guests!

October 15 - 18:
All the way from the great state of Iowa...Tom & Gertie Richardson!
WHOOHOOO.

October 21 - 23:
Traveling from hurricane spared Tampa...Lynn Black & Emily Rutledge!
Whoohooo...whooohoo.

October 28 - November 1:
Dakota winds are blowin' her in...Denice Faltinson!
Whoohooo...whooohoo...ooo...hoooo...whoooooooooooo.

October is going to be a GREAT month.
Whoooooo....aaaaaahhhhhh.

Questions to ponder...

Just received these in an e-mail from my friend Braker and had to post it.

1. Does a clean house indicate that there is a broken computer in it?

2. Why is it that no matter what color of bubble bath you use, the bubbles are always white?

3. Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

4. Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

5. On electric toasters, why do they engrave the message "one slice"? How many pieces of bread do they think people are really gonna try to stuff in that slot?

6. Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

7. Why is it that no plastic garbage bag will open from the end you first try?

8. How do those dead bugs get into those closed light fixtures?

9. Considering all the lint you get in your dryer, if you kept drying your clothes would they eventually just disappear?

10. Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?

11. Is it true that the only difference between a yard sale and a trash pickup is how close to the road the stuff is placed?

12. In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

13. How come we never hear father-in-law jokes?

14. If at first you don't succeed, shouldn't you try doing it like your wife told you to do it?

15. The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four Americans is suffering from sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends, if they're okay, then it's you.

10.04.2004

Troops in survey back Bush 4-to-1 over Kerry

An unscientific survey of U.S. military personnel shows they support President Bush for re-election by a 4-to-1 ratio. >> Read More at USAToday.com

Mount St. Helens lets off more steam

MOUNT ST. HELENS NATIONAL MONUMENT, Wash. (AP) - Mount St. Helens belched steam thousands of feet above the volcano's crater Monday, apparently the largest burst yet as days of tremors and low-level earthquakes have raised fears the volcano will blow at any moment. >>Read more at USAToday.com

A couple weeks ago they said there might be some activity but it wasn't really likely. Last week, they were saying the same thing the day it "hiccupped." Not sure I believe them when they say if it erupts, it won't be as big as 1980.

So...whatcha think?
Will it blow?
Will there be lava?

I'm so curious.

"Friday Nigh Lights" Premiers in Franklin, TN

FRANKLIN - OK, all you movie buffs and Tim McGraw fans. Here are the ground rules for the local premiere of McGraw's first big movie, Friday Night Lights, at the Franklin Cinema tonight. >>Read More on Tennessean.com
Pretty cool stuff. This is a little town about 15 minutes south of our house. And, the Franklin Theatre is one of the few theatres in the country that hasn't succumbed to corporate ownership. I'm impressed that Tim McGraw requested to have the premier there.

10.02.2004

Musical Happy Hour Tuesday?

Tom Hambridge Band
6 pm - 7 pm
Tuesday (Oct. 5 - this coming Tuesday!)
3rd & Lindsley

Please, come out and have a little happy hour with Tom Hambridge and his band Tuesday night. They will be doing a showcase for record labels in Nashville, free to the public at 3rd & Lindsley (818 3rd avenue south; 1/2 mile off Broadway on the south side. 615-259-9891)

The band features:
Steve C. - guitar
(Steve also plays w/Jeffrey Steele...and...oh yeah...he graciously helps me out when I perform on writer's nights, too!)
Jack Silverman-guitar
Kevin Rapillo-drums
Tom MacDonald-bass

If you don't know who Tom Hambridge is...you probably know his work. Here's a little information that will help you understand why you'll want to make time for this showcase on Tuesday:
  • Tom produced, arranged and played on Susan Tedeschi’ s Grammy nominated and critically acclaimed Just Won't Burn CD. The CD was on Billboard Top Ten Blues album charts for over 70 weeks as well as spending over fifty weeks on Billboard's Heetseekers chart. Tom also wrote both singles from the CD that became huge radio hits going top 15 at Rock Radio. The singles also went Top Ten at Triple A radio. and won Gavin's Triple A Record of the Year.
  • His song "I Want to Get You Back" is on Bernard Allison's (Son of the late, great Luther Allison;) HOT new release "Across the Water" and his song "It Hurt So Bad" is on the new Farmaid Volume One on Redline and on the The New Millennium Blues Party CD on Rhino Records which includes tracks by Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jonny Lang, to name but a few!
  • Tom has also been collaborating with other writers like Jeffrey Steele, Al Anderson, Gary Nicholson, Gwil Owin, Jim Lauderdale, Delbert McClinton and Kevin Gordon among others and composed two songs for Susan Tedeschi's newest release as well as writing for Film and network TV.
  • Recently he was invited to sing and play percussion on the forthcoming Norah Jones release. In addition, Tom did production work, performed and wrote material on the new George Thorogood and the Destroyer’s release “Ride Til’ You Die”. He is also producing, playing drums and writing songs on Johnny Winter’s forthcoming Virgin release and doing the same on legendary Andre Williams forthcoming release. Tom also has his songs on new records by NRBQ and Leslie West, of Mountain fame. This year, Tom has toured as opening act for George Thorogood, ZZ Top, Jonny Lang, KISS, Black Crows and Willie Nelson to name a few.

OK...enough rambling.
You get the point.
Come out for an hour Tuesday night.
You won't regret it!

Let me know if you'll be there...I'll call and reserve some seats!

Thanks.
BB



Faster than a humming bird and able to leap tall buildings...here's a pic I took of Tom Hambridge choppin' some wood w/Jeffrey Steele back in August. He's a man of many, many talents.
Posted by Hello

10.01.2004

Molasses?

http://www.terrisfp.com/flash3/mole.swf

Surfer takes brief ride on whale that surfaces below him

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. (AP) - A surfer says the swell he was riding on a recent trip turned out to be more than just a wave - it was a whale. >>Read more on USAToday.com

Whoa...dude...again.

U.S. cybersecurity chief abruptly resigns

By Ted Bridis, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The government's cybersecurity chief has abruptly resigned after one year with the Department of Homeland Security, confiding to industry colleagues his frustration over what he considers a lack of attention paid to computer security issues within the agency. >>Read more at USAToday.com

Whoa...dude.

Mia is outta there...

OK...I admit it. John and I are both Survivor junkies. Last night, both tribes had to vote someone off and I must say...I'm happy Mia is gone. She was a little...well...you know.

Top 10 Trends from Internet's First 10 Years

From today's e-Marketer newsletter -- The face of the US Internet user has changed over the past 10 years, significantly. What's more, the way the Internet is being used has certainly evolved and will continue to do so. Herewith, a review of the top 10 Internet trends highlighted by the recently-released USC Annenberg Center for the Digital Future report. >>Read More

Trek Trick

From today's TVSpy Shoptalk e-newsletter -- Last week, TV Guide reported that William Shatner was shooting an indie film in Riverside, Iowa, the home town of his Star Trek alter ego, Capt. James T. Kirk. Turns out, it's just a hoax! On Tuesday, Shatner revealed to Riverside's residents that he's really been making a Spike TV reality show about a small town playing host to a Hollywood film shoot. "Everything in front of and behind the cameras was faked," Shatner admitted. "The only thing that was real is the love we have for Riverside." To soften the blow, he donated $100,000 for community projects. Another $50,000 and the town can hire a hit man. (Michael Ausiello - TV Guide Online)