New to Nashville

Thursday, December 04, 2008

So I attended Bloblive last night at Belmont, which was a lot of fun. Here were my favorites:

1) Green Lawn Care

Create a scalable lawn care system using old fashioned non-motor powered lawn mowers loaded onto bicycle carts. Less overhead in terms of gasoline and equipment, but obvious scale issues when it comes to little human-powered lawn mowers (I should know, I own one). Charge a luxury tax to these newfangled urban living communities.

2) Chart Your Career Path

Using sophisticated tagging and meta data, create a job search and career advice site that matches young and experienced professionals based on similar career paths/trajectories. (I think of it as the untapped social graph of LinkedIn - come to think of it, what a great idea for an app!)

3) Airport Strollers (thanks to a friend for this one)

Install airport stroller rentals in major U.S. airports (akin to those in amusement parks or large shopping malls) that are designed for better mobility and to go through security. Check them out upon arrival, use them to easily balance carry on luggage with laptop case plus your kid, and then return them at the gate. Charge $5.

4) Wiimote Smartboard Consultancy (In full discretion, this idea is mine!)

I’ve blogged about this over at my personal Web site, but basically here’s the idea. A graduate student in California, Johnny Lee, developed a Smartboard that can be used together with a Wiimote (that’s right, from the Nintendo Wii) and any PC with Bluetooth capability. (A smartboard, of course, is a fancy interactive whiteboard commonly used by teachers in classrooms).

What’s the point? Well, Lee’s Smartboard is about 80 percent as good as the professional ones at about 1 percent of the cost. (The big boys retail from $3,000-$5,000.)

Of course, the biggest problem with Smartboards, aside from getting the funding, is training teachers to integrate them into their courses. My idea for a company would be a full-service Wiimote Smartboard installation and support service for Metro schools.

(And I got a great comment from someone there suggesting I try to get in business with the big Smartboard retailers and see if they’d want to help fund it. The idea would be, if enough schools adopt this simpler, albeit more rudimentary technology, more would in turn upgrade to the real deal when they received the funds).

5) Bloblive!

At the end, the host stood up and once again explained the idea of Bloblive. Anyone and everyone convenes, volunteers stand before the crowd and take 2-3 minutes to explain an idea, and then people give feedback.

Unlike some other entrepreneurial gatherings I’ve been to, this one was really refreshing. No expectations. No pretense. Just some big thinkers with some big ideas, a bit of free food and a lot of fun. The thing I liked about Bloblive is that it didn’t pretend to be anything more.

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Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Looking at this photo I shot from the backseat of my carpool this morning while exiting I-65 South, it’s tough to tell what the subject of the picture is. If you look closely, however, you can tell what’s missing: merging vehicles!

Just about every day I spend at least 5-10 minutes of my life at a standstill because Nashville drivers don’t understand the simple concept of merging.

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Tuesday, December 02, 2008

When oil tanked and gas prices fell (along with the housing market, 401Ks and the economy in general) my wife and I made a bet as to how far they’d fall. (We established a Mapco near our house as the standard).

My guess? $1.84. No lower.

She bet it’d fall to at least $1.73, maybe further.

And, as usual, she’s right…

Lesson learned...

But on another note, the experiment helped me discover AAA’s gas price Web site - the Fuel Gauge Report. As of December 2nd at 3:00 am CST, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline was $1.673.

I bet $1.50 is the trough.

In fact, I’m willing to bet $5.00.

Any takers?

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Tuesday, November 25, 2008

It all seemed so straightforward at first. “Free lessons for newcomers.” “Come check out the dance studio.” For some reason the National Dance Clubs at Belle Meade doesn’t advertise “The Most Awkward Situation of Your New Life in Nashville.”

Don’t believe me? Keep reading (or check out these three City Search reviews).

In the beginning

When we first arrived at National Dance Clubs we were greeted by an extremely friendly and warm dance instructor. In fact, we were pretty unprepared for the atmosphere at the studio, and, having planned to play tennis afterward, we were pretty under dressed. Despite our embarrassment, our instructor made us feel exceedingly welcome. We did some very basic preparations, nothing much compared with other places I’ve been, and our instructor emphasized the importance of nailing the fundamentals. While I personally felt we could have progressed a touch quicker, hey, they’re the experts. And we were having fun…

Then came the “mini-sell”

Before we’d had much of a chance to enjoy our two free lessons, our instructor moved in quickly to convince us to sign up for a block of six additional sessions. She was slick about it, coupled with the fact that we, like many couples, “have always wanted to take dance lessons, but never had the time,” so we said, “Let’s do this.” It was a hefty chunk of change, especially for so few lessons. But it came with a number of additional events (at which the main attraction was an open bar). So if you don’t feel like you’re dancing your money’s worth, you can be darn sure that you can drink it.

The fun...

The next four to five lessons were great - no complaints there. Our instructor was both professional and fun, and we had a blast learning the basic steps to the waltz, rumba, push/pull, tango and foxtrot.

The hard sell...

Now this is equal parts art and science and it spanned two sessions. Here’s the breakdown, as best as I can remember it:

• The Questionnaire
  During our second to last private lesson our instructor had us fill out a 74-question worksheet (slight exaggeration) with some real brain-busters ("I enjoy dancing - Y/N” or “I would like to dance for fitness - Y/N"). Basically, they stack it full of items that no normal person would answer no to, and then use those answers later to overcome your objections to paying for more lessons. ("What? You don’t want to keep dancing with us? Now, you said ‘I would like to learn to dance.’ Now how do you expect to do that without lessons?")
• The Notebook
  On the second night our instructor pulls out a hand-written, color-coded notebook with all of our statements from the previous night. She picked it up off a table, hopped over to us, and exclaimed, “Ta-da!!!” She beamed as she showed off what she had created, but then issued a stern warning that it all depended on whether or not her boss would “approve us” for social ease classes, the next level of dance instruction. (At this point, no one has asked us yet if we are interested in continuing dance lessons, or even mentioned how much they cost.) The awkwardness builds...
• The Approval
  So, we walk into the boss hog’s office, present him our folder and politely ask him if he would approve us for social ease classes. He hesitates, looks us over, and says sure. We walk out, hit the music and assume proper posture. We begin to dance. Two beats later. “OK,” he says. “I’ve seen enough. You’re ready. The question is, on a scale of one to ten, how badly do you want to dance?” My wife and I look at each other. “Well, I’m a teacher, so I’m inherently a tough grader. I’d say a six,” she says.
• Back in the office…
  Essentially, both our instructor and the main boss are unphased by what I thought was a pretty good answer by my wife. Sitting across the desk from the manager, he goes over what all we will receive for the 17th time before guardedly scribbling some numbers on a piece of paper. “Ten private lessons, ten group lessons, all of the functions, plus all access to the dance studio,” he says, and slowly slides the paper toward us. We look down.

  $1,800

$1,800? We practically burst out laughing. “I had thought our second round of lessons might be a bit out of our price range,” I start, “but this, this is way, way out of our price range.”

“We need to pay a mortgage,” my wife adds.

They insist. They plead. They persist. They’ll lower the price to $1,650 if we pay right now.

“I can count on one hand,” the manager says, “the people who say they’ll come back and continue lessons, and then actually do.”

“And you know what?” my wife counters. “We’re one of those people. So if we have any interest, we’ll let you know. But right now, we can’t.”

The moral of the story...

The National Dance Clubs at Belle Meade is stacked with professional dancers. They’ll teach you how to dance, and it’ll be a good time. But they’re a business, and as such, they need to keep the lights on. They’re going to hard sell you, and it’s going to be awkward. I’ve often joked that I have a pretty high tolerance for awkward situations, much higher than friends and family, so while I think the whole situation was kind of funny, I’m OK with it. After reading our story, you need to make up your own mind. Newcomers beware…

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Monday, November 10, 2008

As near as I can tell, “recombobulation” is not a real word.

But the recombobulation area, just past security at the General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is definitely a real place. I promise.

And after taking off your shoes, belt, jacket and glasses, taking out your laptop and emptying your pockets (in short, becoming discombobulated), you may need to make use of this area.

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Wednesday, November 05, 2008

(Image courtesy of Mrs. Magic via Flickr)

I’ve had this checklist in mind for a while, so I figured I ought to put it down on paper.

1. Visit the Opryland Hotel.

2. See a concert at the Ryman auditorium.

3. Learn how to speak with a Southern accent.

4. Check out the Country Music Hall of Fame.

5. Dance the waltz at a honky tonk.

6. Drink Yazoo beer.

7. See something outrageous.

8. Hike at Radnor Lake.

9. Eat brunch at Miel.

10. Volunteer at the Urban Harvest garden here in our neighborhood.

11. See a country music star in person.

12. Watch a film at the Belcourt Theater.

13. Run (or walk) the Music City marathon (or half marathon).

14. Go to a Tennessee Titans football game.

15. Watch a musical at TPAC.

16. Actually go inside the Parthenon.

17. NashTrash Tour

18. Nashville RCA Studio B

19. The Doyle and Debbie Show

20. Chaffin’s Barn Dinner Theater

21. General Jackson Showboat

22. Jack Daniel’s Distillery Tour

23. Cheekwood Botanical Garden

Any I should add to the list? Restaurants? Parks? Etc.?

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Thursday, October 02, 2008

(Image courtesy of Brent and MariLynn via Flickr)

1. “Might Could”

Pronounced: (mīt kood) - v.

Defined: Could.

Redundancy aside, this is by far my favorite Southern-ism. Almost always used in a helpful, constructive context. For example:

“I’m experiencing difficulty slicing onions.”

“Hmm...well, you might could try wearing glasses. Always works for me!”

2. “Used to could”

Pronounced: (yOOzd tu kood) - v.

Defined: was once able.

A slight variation on “might could” (see above) and normally used to lament a lost skill, or inability, such as:

“I can’t dunk a basketball, but I used to could.”

3. “Bless your heart.”

Pronounced: (bles yur härt)

Defined: You’re so stupid.

Used primarily to soften the blow in polite company when someone has, through a question or statement, revealed their ignorance on a certain matter. Especially appropriate when giving “out-of-towners” directions, such as:

“Excuse me, do you happen to know where the Ryman Theater is?”

”Bless your heart, it’s right around the corner from here up on 5th Avenue.”

Bonus - “Ornery as a cat turd”

Pronounced: (ôr’nu-rē az uh kat tûrd)

Defined: ???

Ok, I actually have no idea what this means, and, to be fair, I heard this one down in Florida. But hey, I’ll never forget it, and it’s a chance to tell the story.

While working on a volunteer trip near Arcadia, Florida, a few friends and I stopped by an orange grove to ask if we could buy some oranges. We were met by your stereotypical, grizzled, old, overalls-wearing farmer-type. As I approached the front gate, his dog ran out toward out group, barking wildly. He then quickly yelled out, “Oh, don’t worry about him. He’s as ornery as a cat turd.”

In any case, not only did he give us more oranges then we knew what to do with, he refused to charge us a penny, and we got quite the tour of his land. I’ll never forget that saying though…

Any more to add to my list?

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Wednesday, October 01, 2008

(Image courtesy of wEnDaLicious via Flickr)

New to Nashville, too?

Want some free pizza?

If so, I need your help.

I’m organizing a focus group of other newcomers to preview a Web site.

If interested, drop me an e-mail (newbie at nashville dot net).

What

Focus Group w/ free pizza and drinks.

When

Wednesday, October 15th from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Where

725 Cool Springs Blvd.
Franklin, TN 37067

Contact/RSVP

Matt Bigelow
newbie at nashville dot net

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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

1. Nashville freaks out about gas.

(Image courtesy of gravyboats via Flickr)

How is that the rest of the country hums along fine while 85 percent of Nashville gas stations are out of gas?

I even witnessed a gas run. Cars followed a gas truck to a Shell station. More descended upon the Shell on White Bridge Road like locusts. Traffic backed up for a mile. Within an hour, the Shell was left desolate as before and, you guessed it, completely out of gas. Relax people!

Gov. Phil Bredesen issued a statement on Friday afternoon saying the pipeline to Nashville, which had been full only sporadically since Hurricane Ike hit Texas, was running at full capacity.

But Bly said that if people are panic-buying and constantly topping off their tanks that could put a strain on supply even under normal conditions.

2. Nashville loves its Chick-fil-A

I drove by the Chick-fil-A in Cool Springs about a week ago.

There was a police officer directing traffic in their drive-through lane.

That’s one I wish I had video of.

3. Nashville does not know how to merge.

This one is a lesson I’ve learned from my daily 20-minute commute from West Nashville to Cool Springs.

For some reason, Nashville drivers believe the best way to merge onto 440 from 40, or 65 from 40, is by coming to a complete stop, putting on their blinker, and looking over their shoulder to make sure there’s a break in the 70-mph traffic to their left - a strategy that is, at best, flawed.

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Thursday, September 04, 2008

(Image courtesy of Puff’s Daddy via Flickr)

I have my own flower! And it’s got an awesome name!

I first stumbled upon this flower via the curriculum page of a University of California Math Professor (whom I found through toying with Google Insights and discovering that his name was a “breakout” search term related to “Bigelow").

Here’s a BNET article I found that lists it as a common plant in “low desert.” Three’s no Wikipedia page dedicated to Bigelow’s Monkey Flower (yet), so I may do some old school Encyclopedia research at, say, a public library, to verify its existence. Or I could just trek out to Arizona.

Totally random, I know, but I have a flower!

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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

(Photo courtesy of reallocalcelebrity via Flickr)

Take the Tennessean’s quiz and find out.

I’m the Sly Rye Porter from Yazoo, which I’ve yet to taste.

But not that I know Yazoo runs its own blog, I’m sure to familiarize myself with my new neighbor.

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So when I moved here, one my first priorities was to ensure I had reliable Internet access because, well, I pretty much live online. And this presented me with three problems:

1) Dealing with Comcast’s customer service.

3) Probably end up paying for a bundling of internet/cable/phone or some mix of the three, when all I really want is internet.

Enter Clearwire!

1) Customer Service

They were great. I caught Corey (the representative with whom I spoke) on his first day. He tripped up a lot in his explanation, but made sure to constantly double check with his manager to explain their service. He has followed up twice with phone calls to make sure I’m happy with the quality of my internet connection.

2) Installation

There is none. All you need is a little modem that plugs into the wall, plugs into your computer and voila; you’re ready to go. What’s more, Corey personally came by and dropped off my modem so that I wouldn’t have to come into the mall to pick it up. From the time he arrived it took maybe 5 minutes to have us up and running.

3) Bundling

There is none. Just internet. Now, if you need phone, they offer that too, but if you want cable then you’re out of luck. This is the biggest downside to Clearwire that I see, but then again, I don’t want cable.

It only cost me $35 a month for high-speed internet access and I don’t have to deal with Comcast. What’s more, the wireless modem they give you works all over Nashville, and it’s pretty small. So if I wanted to, I could bring it with me anywhere I need an internet connection (not of huge utility, but hey, good to know). The only additional cost to me was purchasing a wireless router for the laptops at my place, but I would have needed that with a Comcast anyway.

Any poor experiences with Clearwire? With Comcast?

Any areas of Nashville with poor Clearwire coverage? I live on the West side and haven’t had one problem with internet connectivity.

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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

(Image courtesy of mulmatsherm via Flickr)

Jackson, TN, that is…

Inspired by my friend (and Southern Living writer) Kelsey Blackwell over at Tales From the Road, I’ve decided to share the link and solicit feedback for what I should do in Jackson, Tennessee?

The agenda thus far

Word is there’s live music, open art galleries and later than normal restaurant hours for Fabulous Fridays.

Jackson boasts two wineries: the Century Farm Winery and the Old Medina Winery.

The Cypress Grove Nature Park, an urban wetland, offers more than 7,000 feet of elevated boardwalk.

And, thanks to my friend Kels, I’ll have to go check out the art deco-style Greyhound station.

Anything else I’m missing?

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Is this not slightly ironic?

I’m not sure if this makes a statement about Nashville, the South, or the whole United States, but when a Hummer can fit into one of our “compact” parking spaces, we know we’ve got big cars.

Since writing this, I’ve learned that such SUV crowding is common at the Belle Meade Kroger, where customers are invited to valet park their ginormous gas-guzzlers before they do their grocery shopping.

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Sunday, August 24, 2008

Who knew avocado trees grew here?

You can tell I’m from the “North” now.

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