From this week’s Tennessean (and one from the NYTimes)
Murfreesboro, Metro teacher filmed kids’ sex, police say
But for real, bearded dude’s holding a snake and has a rat on his shoulder. In his myspace profile pic.
House passes bill allowing guns in restaurants
Kill your dinner.
Tenn. House will vote on abortion amendment
A proposal to amend the Tennessee Constitution to place more restrictions on abortion picked up speed. Voters could see the amendment on a ballot by 2014. Specifically, the proposal says that women wanting abortions would have to wait 48 hours before the procedure, and all abortions besides first-term abortions would have to take place in hospitals. Republicans argue that these measures would make the state’s constitution more neutral toward abortion than it currently is, and Democrats say the proposal is politically charged and doesn’t help women. As usual with emotional political issues, the comments in the Tennessean are hilarious and frightening–people’s survivalist tendencies are really showing these days. One commenter links to a how-to book on self-induced abortions and suggests that everyone buy it because “you or someone you know may need it someday.” Another opts for simplicity: “Save the Babies.”
Rutherford County faces $11M suit for rejecting Bible park
The family in Rutherford County who owns the land where Bible Park USA was supposed to be built before the city rejected the project is suing the county and city attorney for $11 million plus attorney fees. Plaintiffs contend that the city cost them the land deal. But I think it just wasn’t God’s will.
Firm Acted as Tutor in Selling Towns Risky Deals
Lewisburg, tiny town south of Nashville, was convinced by its financial adviser, Morgan Keegan & Co., to invest in risky bond derivatives that went sour: interest in January had quadrupled to $1 million annually, adding to the shrinking town’s woes. Morgan Keegan pitched the bonds, offered seminars explaining the benefits with very little focus on risks, and then processed the transaction. When discussing the company’s involvement in all steps leading to investment, John G. Morgan, the former State Comptroller who held this rank when all this was established, said, “I didn’t think there was a problem.”
Third Man Records
Nashville resident Jack White recently gave a physical address to Third Man Records, the imprint on which he releases all his music. He designed the building in downtown Nashville to include a recording studio, a vinyl shop, a darkroom, and a stage. And his newest band, The Dead Weather, featuring the vocal stylings of Allison Mosshart from The Kills, The Raconteurs’ Jack Lawrence on bass, Queens of the Stone Age’s Dean Fertita on guitars, and White on drums, will be releasing their debut on the label in June. They recently hosted a listening party at the studio for family and friends at which the guests were given a 45 of the band’s first single. (You can stream those two songs–one is a Gary Numan cover–on the band’s site and buy them on itunes.)
White claims the label may be interested in recording and expediently pressing vinyl for good local bands.
Rob Wyatt
Bad news for Middle Tennesseans looking for an “edutainment” experience! :( Bible Park USA’s developer, Rob Wyatt, released a statement saying that the Christian theme park was suspending “all further work on the development of the Bible Park USA project in Lebanon, Tennessee, pending the City Council and the Mayor resolving internal political differences over the project.” The Tennessean reported on some of the issues surrounding the city government’s pull-out of the project. One of the main problems, according to city council members, was BPUSA’s unwillingness to disclose financial information. My guess is the Council was unsatisfied with BPUSA’s likely statement that “God will provide.” What’s gonna happen?? Maybe we should look to Kirk Cameron’s inspiring film for answers.
These were actual headlines this week in Nashville’s big newspaper, The Tennessean. While mostly this periodical is a reliable outlet for local and national news, sometimes reading The Tennessean is like reading the Onion. Except not funny.
From Valentine’s Day 2009:
Darwin Still Divides Believers in the Bible
First two lines: “The Rev. John McCullough believes in God. He also believes in evolution.”
ZING!
And related from 2/7/09:
Clergy seek reason in creation vs. evolution fight
Apparently there’s still a fight.
This is one from Friday, 2/13/09:
Four Tennessee legislators want Obama to prove citizenship
Speechless.
Luckily, there was this editorial Sunday, 2/15/09:
Lawmakers look dumb for reviving Obama hoax
Finally a reasonable person. But still! First it was the English-Only thing, and now this. Some filters somewhere need replacement.
Around Thursday, January 22, 2009, even as the good people of Nashville showed the rest of the world that we’re not all xenophobic racists, Nashvillians received some terrible news. Silver Jews are calling it quits. Band leader and maniacal wordsmith David Berman sent out a note on the Joos’ bulletin board, saying, “I’ve got to move on. Can’t be like all the careerists doncha know.” He also dropped a bomb about his dad in his next entry. Yikes. SJs, you gave us many musics to remember, and we’ll always love you to the max. May you please be trendy for once and play some reunion shows later. Amen.
Image at exclaim.ca
The point determines the cash flow.
In this next installment of the Bible Park USA saga, questions arise regarding the appropriateness of using tax incentives to lure the park to Nashville’s neighboring Wilson County. From the Tennessean: “But as the project nears fruition and Wilson County leaders consider millions in tax incentives to land Bible Park USA, some fear the financing plan amounts to an unconstitutional marriage of religion and government.”
Tennesee’s ACLU chapter is stepping in to help determine whether the park’s goal is to promote and spread Christianity or, as the park’s developers and Lebanon’s mayor, Don Fox, claim, to attempt to recreate a historically accurate rendering of the Holy Land. In the 11/01/08 Tennessean article, both sides weigh in, and Fox admits that spreading the Good Word is more important than getting rich. But he adamantly argues that the park’s main purpose is to show the Holy Land in a historic light.
So what’s the point, Bible Park USA? Looking to save some damned souls or simply tell us, entertainingly of course, about the holiest of places and times in the history of this 2,000 year old planet of ours?
Wilson officials will vote on bringing in economic impact studies later this month, and it seems Blackman, where the park was originally planned, has reentered the picture as a contender for the new Jesus rides. And all this after one of the developers of the park had to file for Chapter 11 re: another of his theme parks. O come all you Christian businessmen, this is getting good.
Follow the jump for some background on biblical theme parking and what Middle Tennesseans have to look forward to!
Continue reading ‘Bible Theme Park in Middle Tennessee: What’s the Point?’
