We're moving to Nashville!
Whereas I once would have settled for a city simply because it was home to a single record store (and even cities that didn't), we will soon find ourselves plunged into a place with Mexican popsicles! And other stuff!!! Katie actually knows more about the place than I do, thanks to the DesignSponge City Guide for Nashville, which vaulted her past the two times I briefly set foot there.
But (more) seriously (barely) we keep hearing from friends and Nashvillians that the city will be perfect for us, and just right for a budding bookmaking business. Nashville lured The Black Keys out of the Midwest, so it must be good enough for us too.
As the exclamations can attest, we're excited. With the move comes a new post for me at the daily paper and improved access to good coffee, beer meccas like The Flying Saucer, rock venues, arts, and pretty much everything else. I must admit that the Charlottesville Air Raid Juggling Club will be tough to top, but the crew from Vandy will give it a go with their twice per week club. We should get back into swing too.
We'll hunt down a small house later in June and move by July 1.
At work, we'll park under this bridge!!!
Labels: beer, food, moving, music, Nashville, work
Never mind the
coincidence; the fact that Tony and I work at newspapers in towns with similar names and compete with newspapers with the
same name. Oh, it's still there. Only this story just makes it a little freakier.
Listen: there's this wrestler, named Gordon Bierschenk. He graduated from Waynesville High School in 2003. In high school he was a mediocre wrestler at best but decided after graduation that he'd walk on at the University of Minnesota anyway, just for the hell of it.
So far, so good. He then went to Iraq after being a decent walk-on and came back with a new fire. Now he's the Big Ten Wrestler of the Week.
Now, here's the freaky part: I got scooped on his story. Not by the
Springfield News-Leader, or the
Pulaski County Daily. No. I got scooped by the
Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Never in a million years did I expect that to happen.
Now, this would admittedly be a lot freakier if Tony was still interning there. But still...who'd've thunk it? I've got national competition (*snicker*).
And you can read my version of the story
here (no e-link yet, but I just posted the pdf on my blog, that'll have to do for now). My version is a bit more in-depth, plus I was able to talk to his mom and high school coach. Mine comes out Saturday, and the Strib piece was on Wednesday...the bastard.
Labels: coincidence, Daily Guide, Missouri, ne, newspapers, Star Tribune, Wayne, work
The Center of the Venn (a diagram of similarities)
Before reading a word, please LISTEN.
What were the chances that two equally dapper and similarly attired Hillsdale freshman would meet through a common love of The Hives and four years later find themselves living in towns named after the same fiery Revolutionary War hero while competing against Gannett newspapers, also of the same name?
Suffice it to say, it happened. The details below will paint the picture, and clarify the Center of the Venn diagram too.
| WAYNESVILLE | WAYNESBORO |
| Rookie reporter | Jack | Tony |
| Population | 3,507 (˜ 20,000 when grouped with St. Robert and Ft. Leonard Wood "metro" area) | 21,454 |
| Namesake | "Mad" Anthony Wayne | "Mad" Anthony Wayne |
| Competing newspaper | The News Leader, Springfield | The News Leader, Staunton |
| Historical fame | prostitution capitol | birthplace of spandex |
| Nearby nat'l landmarks | Mark Twain National Forest | Shenandoah National Park, Monticello |
| Downtown is: | classic in disrepair | classic with vacancies |
| City motto | Preserving the Past, Planning for the Future | Hospitality in the Valley |
| Incredible discovery | KDHX in St. Louis, best station ever. And WJR in Detroit comes in too. | lost-freight company |
| Area employers | Ft. Leonard Wood | Invista, Hershey, Little Debbie, Target |
| Nearby nature | the Ozarks | mountains, bears, contaminated fish |
| Historic Highway | Route 66 | Blue Ridge Parkway |
| Cheesy attraction | Stubby Stonehenge (Rolla) | giant watering can (Staunton) |
| Prob. of getting lost on mountain highways | high | moderate |
| Weekend pastimes | High school sports | making local liquor store most lucrative in the state |
| Gang presence? | none...unless counting soldiers vs. strip club security personnel | Bloods, Crips, MS13, Burples, VA Stickups, etc. |
| Town reputation: | conservative; military | groan-inducing |
| Big news lately | Serviceman court martial | School murder plot; 41-year-old case closed |
| Recommend town for living? | no. | no. |
More about the namesake: Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745–December 15, 1796) was a United States Army general and statesman. His military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion and the sobriquet of "Mad Anthony".
Labels: coincidence, Missouri, newspapers, Virginia, Wayne, work
