Northern Soul

With this world gone to hell

2012-01-30T20:29:00.000-05:00

2011-2012

2012-01-07T09:26:00.002-05:00

Another year over...

2011 was good as far as years go. The most monumental event was breaking the confines of residence life employment and getting a job in my desired occupation.

On New Year's Day, Amazon had a sale of mp3 albums for $5. I subsequently loaded up:

Coldplay Mylo Xyloto: The album itself isn't that bad, but for me it confirms Coldplay as a mediocre band. Ever since their second album A Rush of Blood to the Head, there has been a lot of talk about them obtaining the type of super status of U2, commercially and artistically. They haven't produced music to back it up. Both their latest release and Viva La Vida sound like they're trying very hard to be U2.

Peter Gabriel So: Gabriel has been on the edge of my musical periphery for a while now. This is apparently his most successful and critically acclaimed album and it certainly did not disappoint me. I foresee myself digging deeper into his catalog.

Davie Bowie Hunky Dory: It was my sophomore or junior year in high school when I bought a David Bowie greatest hits collection. For whatever reason I never followed up by buying a Bowie studio album. Hunky Dory doesn't disappoint.

Ryan Adams Ashes and Fire: I liked Ryan Adams before liking Ryan Adams was cool. Ashes and Fire is a good return to solid songwriting that his last few releases were sometimes lacking. Its quiet and has some hopeful thoughts hidden amongst his imagery.

I'd break bread and wine if there was a church I could receive in

2011-11-11T15:55:00.002-05:00

U2's Achtung Baby is 20 years old. It was originally released in November of 1991 - 3 years following their previous release Rattle and Hum. The last single from Rattle and Hum was "All I Want is You":

Three years later their next single was "The Fly":

Needless to say the change was quite drastic.

Achtung Baby has long been my favorite U2 album and quite possibly my favorite album in general. It also contains my favorite song "One." A 20th anniversary edition was recently released that contained a b-sides and outtakes CD which only reaffirmed my opinion of U2's music during that time frame.

I purchased Achtung Baby sometime in November of 2000 at the Disc Exchange in Knoxville. It was a cool night. The Tercel still had a CD player at that point. I put the disc in and on the twenty minute drive home, I never got past "One."

November

2011-11-04T22:06:00.001-04:00

I miss my late night walks in the tree streets.

Experience and experiences

2011-10-31T22:29:00.003-04:00

The photo above was taken sometime during the weekend of October 8-9th in 2005 at Roan Mountain State Park in Northeast Tennessee. We had just cleaned up a large amount of trash from the side of a roadway in the park. I had never seen so many Dr. Enuf bottles.

The clean up project and the other activities during the weekend were to fulfill a requirement to get 30 hours of community service for a class. At the time, I was a sophomore in college. My friends Brad, Shaun, and James (Brown) are also pictures. The rest tagged along.

That weekend sticks out in my mind as one of the best and most interesting experiences during my time in college. That Sunday, the 9th, was my 21st birthday. The weekend had been cold and rainy until Sunday when the sun came out and dried everything and everyone.

The photo reminds me of a lot of things - the happenings of that fall, college, and the general type of excursions being in school led me on. There is a Scott Miller song that has the line, "I don't mind getting older, you get smarter when you do, and the burdens that you shoulder are what define you." Often I find myself missing the simplicityand freedom of college. It seems that there is no longer time for experiences like the Roan Mountain trip. My free time is consumed with the necessities of existing in an adult life.

Regardless, I often miss the mountains of East Tennessee and I miss my friends. Sometimes I look on the Google Maps street view of downtown Johnson City and remember the numerous strong memories that took place there and the various other locations in the Tri-Cities.

At least once a month I go to Ducktown, Tennessee for work. Its a long drive through a winding road, but I always enjoy the trip because the mountains remind me of Johnson City.

Ducktown

2011-10-29T22:38:00.003-04:00

An accident waiting to happen

2011-10-29T19:54:00.000-04:00

The Killers cover U2's Ultraviolet (Light My Way)

We all go back to where we belong

2011-10-22T20:54:00.003-04:00

2 months and 14 days into the new job. All is going well.

Lots of good music coming down the pipe: R.E.M. Greatest Hits with 3 new songs, new Coldplay, Jayhawks, and the special edition of U2's Achtung Baby.

Music

2011-09-25T10:15:00.002-04:00

I've been rediscovering a lot of music lately. Jeff Buckley, The Beatles, REM, U2 (as though I had ever lost them).

Bad Day

2011-09-22T15:55:00.004-04:00

REM announced yesterday that they were breaking up. This is not a good thing. Not only does it mean that they'll never make music again, but also that I'll never get to see them live. In the summer of 2008 I almost went to see them and the National in Atlanta. As usual, time and money got in the way.

I've blogged previously about my experience with REM. They are definitely in my top 5 of favorite bands and played a very vital role in my musical development.

And this is how I got my job...

2011-09-20T16:49:00.002-04:00

Local governments in Tennessee seek solutions to planning budget cuts

Kimsey College

2011-09-17T23:55:00.005-04:00

I've always had a certain fascination with old buildings. In graduate school I did a large economic development project on the Bemberg/North-American Rayon factories in Elizabethton. It was one of my finer academic moments. Recently, on a trip to Ducktown for work, I decided to investigate an anomaly that had come up in my research. During my first visit last month, I had passed a sign for Ducktown Elementary. None of my research had mentioned the existence of this school. So on this trip I decided to arrive a little early and take a look for myself.

After pulling off of the highway there is a long driveway with trees on each side leading up to the building. After getting through the driveway and to the parking lot in front of the building, I was very surprised at the scope of the structure in front of me. The detail and character of the architecture were a very interesting and unique to Ducktown. So was the mannequin head someone had ominously placed in the third floor window.

I spoke with some people in Ducktown and did a little research. As it turns out the school was originally built in 1932 to be a junior college. For whatever reason this never came about and it was eventually turned into a high school in 1938 and then an elementary school in 1972. The elementary school was closed in 2007. Since that time the building has been vacant with the only major improvement being a new roof installed in 2009. In 1992 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The shame of it all is that such an impressive structure is allowed to lay in waste. The parking lot was showing signs of disrepair and apparently someone had attempted to break in one of the doors. There's no telling what time has done to the electrical and plumbing systems. I looked through the windows and saw various items left over from the building's last occupants. From my understanding there has been some interest in the last few years about occupying the building but nothing substantial.

The structure is an unused asset for the community. And so my mind is working...

The Beatles

2011-09-04T16:25:00.004-04:00

The last few days I've been delving back into The Beatles. My first real experience with the Beatles would have been the '1' collection of singles released in 2001. Prior to that the only knowledge I had of them was one of my friends in middle school who was a Beatles fanatic and erroneously believed that none of their songs were in anyway related to drugs or drug use. Around my junior or senior year in high school I bought Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I have distinct memories of listening to them while working produce at Food City. At the time Abbey Road was my distinct favorite.

It wasn't until my Junior year of undergrad that I really got into the Beatles other albums. In the fall of 2005, I purchased Rubber Soul and Revolver. It what order I can't recall. These two albums dominated my time for several months. The songs had the benefit of describing many things I was going through at the time and as such they have a very important place in my musical background. I hadn't listened to their albums in entirety for more than two years, but was able to remember every song in detail upon revisiting them.

It was around this time that I really began to realize the extent to which the Beatles had shaped modern music. Much of what is the standard in musical composition for rock music today was pioneered by the Beatles in lyrics, song format, and production technique. It is remarkable to imagine how much they accomplished in such a short period of time.

Knoxville

2011-08-24T21:45:00.002-04:00

Its a good music weekend in Knoxville with the Metro Pulse's 20th anniversary celebrations. Scott Miller is playing the Laurel Theater in October. All of this makes me miss Knoxville's music scene.

Pancho & Lefty

2011-08-20T14:19:00.002-04:00

Paragraphs are overrated:

- Finished My Years with General Motors beginning U2 by U2.
- Two weeks into the new job and things are going well.
- TAPA coming up in September. Hopefully I'll get to see some folks from J.C.
- I need to find a coin store in Chattanooga
- Netflix has TNG, Enterprise and Voyager on Instant. I've been going through the Enterprise episodes. I re watched the Voyager Pilot and it reminded me of how I disliked that series. Enterprise alternates between good episodes and equally as bad ones.

Are the Good Times Really Over?

2011-08-20T11:25:00.000-04:00

All Things In Time

2011-08-04T12:03:00.003-04:00

In the past two weeks I have moved, changed jobs, and bought a new car. Fun times. My new job gets me back into planning. I'll be working with the Southeast TN Development District based out of Chattanooga. As such, its been a whirl wind of activity in the last couple of weeks between switching jobs, changing addresses, moving, and finishing up at UTC.

Erica and I have been in the new apartment since last Friday. The dogs came down on that day as well.

The entire job switch contains evidence of Divine intervention. From me finding the job posting to the promptness from the interview to the job offer.

As such

2011-07-13T10:42:00.002-04:00

If all goes well this evening, the Jeep will be sold. This means either buying a new vehicle in the next two weeks or teaching Erica to drive a manual. The former is the most likely option.

Last night I successfully made beans and cornbread. It was agreeable.

Netflix has all 7 seasons of TNG on Instant now. This pleased me. I received an e-mail yesterday that I will soon have to pay $4 more dollars a month for the services they currently provide. This did not please me.

The job search is at a stand still. I need to get motivated for the fall.

Like a Hurricane

2011-07-04T13:18:00.003-04:00

FYE had a collection of Dwight Yoakam's first three albums on sale for $7. Hooray! Barnes and Noble also had U2 by U2 on sale for $8. I'm a sucker for a sale.

I spent Friday through Sunday morning in Knoxville. It makes me miss calm living in a environment that doesn't double as your employer. The Hyundai got a bath, oil change, and wax. Levee hung out the basement for the duration of these procedures.

In preparations for the inevitable replacement of Erica's Jeep, I test drove a Chevy Cruze at West Chevrolet. I keep going back and forth between selling both of our vehicles as part of the down payment for a new car, or keeping the Hyundai and buying a new car. Either way, the Jeep has to go and go soon. The benefit of the Hyundai is that it's paid off and still has relatively low mileage (80K).

At some point during my last year of Grad school, I put Neil Young's Live Rust on my computer. It was in the bin of CDs that Dr. Briley deposited in the GA office for us to sift through. Friday afternoon was the first time in which I actually spent time listening to it. As such, it dominated my stereo for the weekend. The version of "Like a Hurricane" is superb.

Financial Growth

2011-06-28T13:09:00.003-04:00

"The financial story of General Motors is a story of growth - in goods and services, in the number of people involved, in physical facilities, and in financial resources. Between August 1, 1917, when the old General Motors Company became the General Motors Corporation, and December 31, 1962, the number of employees increased from 25,000 to over 600,000 and the number of shareholders from less than 3000 to more than one million. The corporation expanded its sales of cars and trucks produced in the United States and Canada from 205,000 units in 1918 to 4,491,000 in 1962, and, in addition, sales of cars and trucks manufactured in General Motors' overseas totaled 747,000 units. Dollar sales rose even faster, from $270 million in 1918 to $14.6 billion in 1962, and total assets grew from $134 million to $9.2 billion. This is a measure of the significance of General Motors as an institution in American economic life."

- Alfred P. Sloan, My Years with General Motors

2011-06-26T12:11:00.001-04:00

2011-06-18T23:15:00.001-04:00

RIP: Clarence Clemons

Tom Petty

2011-05-22T13:05:00.001-04:00

A few nights ago I had a dream that I was having a shoot out with Tom Petty at my dad's house in Knoxville. I hit him twice but he didn't go down.

Electrical Storm

2011-05-13T12:37:00.003-04:00

If still employed in the field of higher education in two years, at the age of 28, I intend on starting my doctoral studies. The field will hopefully be Political Science or a related sub-field. Unfortunately the obvious choice would be UT-Knoxville. If were in the position to return to being a full-time student, Emory University would be ideal although I would need to bring up my GRE scores.

The quest to read the books on my book shelf continues. Nemesis and Light on a Hill have fallen. I'm debating whether to begin My Years with General Motors or the Guns of August next. Work has assigned me two books to read before the conclusion of the summer which will inevitably slow my progress.

Two weeks until Staycation 2011.

Nemesis

2011-04-22T09:27:00.005-04:00

"The interesting issue is not the damage done by Bush, Cheney, and their followers but how they were able to get away with it, given the barriers that exist in the Constitution to prevent just the sorts of misuses of power for which they have become notorious." - Chalmers Johnson, Nemesis (p. 15, 2006, 1st ed.)

I finished the Power Broker last week. It was a long and worthwhile read. My goal to read all of the books in my possession continues with Chalmers Johnson's Nemesis, the third and final installment in the Blowback trilogy.

I first heard of Johnson and Blowback from the documentary Why We Fight released in 2005. At this time I was at the apogee of my intellectual development in undergrad. I subsequently read Blowback and soon thereafter the Sorrows of Empire. In my last semester, I signed up for an independent study with Dr. Mijeski with the intention of writing a research paper based on American imperialism and the military-industrial complex. This was 2008, I was burned out and wound up dropping the project.

As such, I never got to Nemesis in this time period. At some point, I found it at Mr K's, purchased it, and it sat on my bookshelf unread for the past year or so. Nemesis was published in 2006 in the middle of Bush's 2nd term. Fast forward five years, and it serves as an interesting critique of the administration.

Unfortunately, Chalmers died in November last year. I would be very interested to see his thoughts on the current administration and if he believes we have stepped back from the precipice of Roman-esque dissolution of our Republic.

Sky Blue Sky

2011-03-29T12:17:00.002-04:00

Impossible Germany, unlikely Japan

Wilco's album Sky Blue Sky is very good. It was constantly on my playlist during my last year of undergrad. It has a calming effect.

Commodity

2011-03-29T08:44:00.002-04:00

- Purchased a book to teach me ArcGIS Desktop. It comes with a 6 month trial of the program and data for exercises;

- If I'm still at UTC in the fall, I intend on taking a mapping class as a prerequisite for a GIS class.

- Exploring the possibility of getting LEED certified

Appalachian refugee

2011-03-14T12:01:00.005-04:00

A recap

Friday, March 11th:

Departed Chattanooga at 8:01 am
Arrived at the Johnson City Municipal building at 11:26 am
Mingled with the planning people and had lunch with Steve and Donnelly - mission accomplished
Went to Mel's and caught up on my presidential coins
Went to campus and stopped by the housing office to mingle with my former colleagues
Went to the bookstore and bought the Centennial book and an ETSU coffee mug
Took a walk around campus
Had a beer at Knights
Met up with Brad
Took a walk around the Tree Streets
Went to dinner at Freiberg's with Brad, Michelle, Nathan, Cupp, Shaun, and Shanna
Went to Shanna's and hung out there. Very tired, returned to Brad's and promptly fell asleep

Saturday, March 12th:

Sat around Brad's for a little while in the morning watching some conspiracy show
Ate lunch at Alley Kats with Brad and Cupp
Said farewell and departed for Knoxville
Arrived in Knoxville around 3 pm
Played with Levee and picked up my mail
Went to dinner at Buddy's BBQ with mom
Sat at mom's and watched old Star Trek episodes

Sunday, March 13th:

Departed Knoxville around 8:15 am
Had a pleasant drive home

Chattanooga's mountains are hills compared to Northeast Tennessee.

A Sort of Homecoming

2011-03-11T07:12:00.000-05:00

Heading to Johnson City today.

In Rainbows

2011-03-06T22:00:00.002-05:00

One morning sometime around my senior year, I was walking either to work in Burgin-Dossett or to class in Rogers-Stout. I was on the Gilbreath side of the carillon and listening to Radiohead's In Rainbows on my iPod. The song "Nude" began to play. At the beginning it has a moaning type of sound. I distinctly remember thinking that the noise was coming from around me and not from my iPod. I looked around startled and it took me a few seconds to realize the source of the sounds.

Exit Strategy

2011-03-06T21:45:00.002-05:00

Things that are in motion:

Knoxville has a Transportation Planner position posted that I applied for last week.

I'm making a trip to Johnson City Friday to talk to some people and visit friends.

REM's new album comes out Tuesday.

2011-03-06T12:18:00.001-05:00

"America does not know the difference between money and sex. It treats sex like money because it treats sex as a medium of exchange, and it treats money like sex because it expects its money to get pregnant and reproduce."
- Dr. Peter Kreeft

The River

2011-02-12T10:38:00.002-05:00

I always come back to Springsteen's album the River. On my last trip to the Disc Exchange, I found it on vinyl. Side 3 is playing as I type.

My recent trip to Knoxville made me think about how drastically it has changed in recent years. Perhaps due to the infrequency of my trips, the changes seem sudden when they've actually taken place gradually over an extended period of time. The Henley Street shutdown has already forced the Book Eddy to move. Much more distressing is the prospect that the Disc Exchange may relocate. The Disc Exchange serves as the constant symbol of my High School days as it was as the meeting place and destination of many of my Food City paychecks.

There are other changes as well. Levee limps when she gets up in the morning. She's frequently confined to her pen.

It interests me greatly as to the degree of attachment I have to Johnson City and the Tri-Cities area. It more ways than one, JC represents home to me. More often than not, when asked where I'm from, the response is Johnson City. And so it goes that a possible opportunity to return there within the year brings a nervous anticipation. Last weekend several of my old RAs were in Chattanooga for the TARH conference. Their presence was unique in that it actually made me slightly homesick. Its all uncertain for now and will continue that way.

In the spring of 2008, uncertainty was running rampant as I was preparing to graduate from undergrad. REM's album Accelerate came out around that time and the title track became something of a theme. REM has a new album coming out March 8th and again, they have provided me with a theme song (granted it was originally written about New Orleans):

The dream is still alive

2011-02-05T11:15:00.004-05:00

I just went through and updated my resume. My plan is to do a small scale job search. There may be a couple of very attractive positions coming available in some old locales.

Someone hacked my bank account last weekend and made some purchases at a Safeway in California. Luckily my bank blocked my account and refunded the funds yesterday.

Wii

2011-01-15T23:59:00.004-05:00

Erica bought me a Nintendo Wii for Christmas. Unknowingly, she released a monster. The nostalgia that comes from playing older games and the giddiness that comes from the newer ones was an unexpected side affect. Using the Virtual Console I've purchased Super Mario 3, the original Legend of Zelda, Super Mario 64, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. We bought the red Wii so it came with New Super Mario Brothers Wii. We also bought the latest Donkey Kong Country and Epic Mickey. I've beatedn New Super Mario Bros. and I'm working on Epic Mickey. Once I battle with UTC's OIT people, I plan on getting it hooked up to Netflix and stream movies online.

This weather has been crazy. UTC was closed for the entirety of last week. Part of this was due to an inept response, but the overall level of snow and ice was rather unusual for this area.

My Utmost for His Highest

2010-12-16T11:46:00.002-05:00

Always make a practice of provoking your own mind to think out what it accepts easily. Our position is not ours until we make it ours by suffering. The author who benefits you most is not the one who tells you something you did not know before, but the one who gives expression to the truth that has been dumbly struggling in you for utterance.

- Oswald Chambers

Soap

2010-12-09T10:03:00.001-05:00

Recently, I purchased three bars of Irish Spring soap. For the past two years, I've been using a mixture of free body wash samples. Before these samples, I used Irish Spring soap. The smell of it reminds me of my old apartment at Evergreen. Fun times.

The Gretch Who Saved the War on Christmas

2010-12-08T12:55:00.002-05:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

The Gretch Who Saved the War on Christmas

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor

The Daily Show on Facebook

Grad School

2010-12-08T11:00:00.002-05:00

Its finals week at UTC. This is the first time since the winter of 2002 that I've not had finals around this time. Its the first time since 1998 that I've not had any form of final exams.

This morning I was reflecting on grad school, particularly the last year. In the summer between my first and second years, the Poli Sci department used some surplus money to renovate the G.A. office. They put in a nice long table, chairs, a computer, new flooring and some book shelves. The building had wireless internet. All of the Poli Sci GAs were in the MPA program so it was frequented by my colleagues in the program. I was a housing GA but always bummed the key off of Josh or the Poli Sci executive aid.

By the end of my second year it had become the hub of students in the program. It was a nice secluded environment with everything we needed to do our school work. The added bonus was that the room was located in Rogers-Stout where the department was located, all of our classes and professors' offices. During my last semester while trying to complete my capstone, I spent numerous hours toiling away.

That's all. Fun times.

This is a rant

2010-12-04T19:42:00.002-05:00

"U2 has suffered at the hands of the great Christian art theft. the band has been misunderstood and maligned and judged for what it does, in many case because the Church has little desire or ability to understand the arts. The robbery has meant that for the vast part of four hundred years, Christians have not thought artistically and have not encouraged the creative among them to develop their gifts. As U2 moved from being a polemic chanting band to an impressionistic and later a persona-wearing, ironic cultural prophet, it largely fell on the deaf ears of the robbed."
- Steve Stockman

I dug out my copy of "Walk On: The Spiritual Journey of U2" and found this quote.

In pondering my aversion to "Christian" music, I deduced some more conclusions. In reality what is dubbed "Christian" music is really just an off-brand of pop music that includes elements of Christianity. There is very little creativity or art involved and therein lies the problem. It all seems to be regurgitated. There is not effort to crack the surface and dive into the complexity of the human experience. It seems the status quo involves taking one a phrase that floats around churches and repeat it a hundred times to some half-rate music. Of course, there are other variations, but the theme remains the same. To each his own, but don't try to tell me that its art. Its music, maybe, but not art.

My greatest spiritual enlightenment has come from artists who make no claims to make Christian music. However, their music contains those elements of Christianity laced together with themes and content that the church might not always be open to discuss. U2, the Waterboys, Bruce Cockburn, and Bruce Springsteen are classified as "secular" artists, but often delve into elements which relate to my Christian faith. In between the lines of the secular and the cultural, there is the effort to try to make sense of it all. How do you explain a relationship gone bad? War? Hatred? Racism? Consumer indulgence and cultural acedia? You have to talk about it, and sometimes that isn't pretty, but its a lot better than pretending it doesn't exist or that it can just be ignored.

Rant concluded.

The Ghost of Tom Joad

2010-11-28T20:06:00.003-05:00

I've been thinking a bit about high school lately. Its a little bit strange. A friend from that time passed last week at too young of an age.

Stream of Consciousness: Johnson City. Freibergs. Grad School. Knowing the roads so well it was impossible to get lost.

Somehow I saw an Advent Calendar that was void of any notion of Christianity. Apparently this is a common occurrence. I just don't understand.

Because the Night

2010-11-20T15:08:00.002-05:00

2010-11-06T12:13:00.000-04:00

How Obama Saved Capitalism and Lost the Midterms

Don't Fall On Me

2010-11-02T15:53:00.001-04:00

Supernatural Superserious

2010-11-02T08:15:00.003-04:00

I read my last post and realized how utterly boring it is to an outside observer.

Last week the housing GA mentioned Xanga and all of us mid-twenties/early thirties people in the room had a good chuckle while the RAs had no idea what it was. We all then had a good laugh about Xanga being the expression for all of our angst. Ha.

I think I'll listen to Automatic for the People today. My experience with R.E.M. is a mixture of starts and stops. Its unusual that I'm just now really getting into their 80's material seeing as that I first began listening to them when I was in high school and the first record I bought of theirs was a collection of their 80's material, Eponymous. The progression went from Eponymous to which I was mildly interested in, to Automatic for the People, and then New Adventures in Hi-Fi. It gets blurry after that. At some point in high school I owned Document and Green but eventually sold both to the Disc Exchange. I do know that when I entered college I had acquired Monster, Out of Time, and Reveal. My freshman year the In Time... collection came out and I have a good memory of biking to the now defunct Dad's CD store down the street from ETSU on a cold October evening.

The following year, Around the Sun was released and I mistakenly spent $30 on the deluxe edition. I remember the album streaming online leading up to its October 5th release. For some reason it sounded much better while listening to it during my study time at UTK.

Accelerate was released on April 1st of my last year in undergrad school and it served as a good soundtrack to what I thought at the time were my last days at ETSU. I think the song "Accelerate" pretty much summed it up. I also think it was around this time that I repurchased Document. That summer, the National opened for REM during several shows including one in Atlanta. I had planned on going, but money and time wound up interfering as they usually do.

Leading up to the present day, I've almost filled in the gaps of my 80's REM collection. Only Reckoning, the Chronic Town EP, and Green remain to be purchased.

That is all.

Murmur

2010-10-26T10:11:00.003-04:00

Erica and I went to Knoxville Friday night and hung out with Adam and Holly while watching the Rangers/Yankees game. Saturday, we went to Becky & Jesse's house for home brewed beer. There were a lot of ETSU alums there. For dinner, we went to Naples with Christina and Jeff.

Unfortunately, the Phillies lost to the Giants, ending their quest for a third straight pennant. They deserved to lose. Adding insult to injury, Notre Dame lost to Navy and on Sunday, the Eagles lost to the Titans. It was not a good sports weekend.

Erica went shopping for new work clothes Sunday and I went to the Disc Exchange. For a total of $21 I acquired R.E.M.'s Fables of the Reconstruction and Murmur as well as Tom McRae's Alphabet of Hurricanes. I was surprised to find the Tom McRae album especially a used one. Until Alphabet of Hurricanes, his first album had been the only one released in the States. I have his second album only because a friend visited Europe and brought it back for me.

Last night, Erica and I met Kabir, Brianna and Kabir's roommate Lee at Hair of the Dog. Like several of the other restaurants in Chattanooga, Hair of the Dog has an Oktoberfest special menu and drink selection. None of them have compared to Freibergs so far, but I won't pass up the chance for some German themed food and beer.

This time next week, I will have completed my on-call responsibilities for the semester. It could not come soon enough.

Oktober

2010-10-14T12:51:00.004-04:00

Reasons why October is great:

Meine Geburstag
Oktoberfest: I do miss Freiberg's in Johnson City, but luckily the Big River Grill is doing beer and dinner specials themed for Oktoberfest including liter beers. Yay!
MLB Play-offs and the World Series - here's to hoping for another Phillies win this year
The title track to U2's second album, "October"
Cooler weather (allegedly)

Playoff predictions

2010-10-03T22:44:00.003-04:00

National League

Division Series
Phillies v. Reds - Phillies
Braves v. Giants - San Francisco

Championship
Phillies v. San Francisco - Phillies

American League

Division Series
Yankees v. Twins - Yankees
Rangers v. Rays - Rays

Championship Series
Yankees v. Rays - Yankees

World Series
Phillies v. Yankees - Phillies

October, when the leaves are stripped bare

2010-10-02T14:48:00.003-04:00

It is October. After the heat of the summer, the cooler weather is certainly welcome.

I reviewed some of my blog postings from the time frame during my last semester of grad school and the summer that followed. It was interesting to reflect on that time period and to think about how it all turned out. I've been in Chattanooga for a little over four months now and feel relatively acclimated to the new job and the city. Last week, I took the big step of changing my voter's registration to Hamilton County, something that I never even thought about doing while in Johnson City. I did so after the realization that it is unlikely that I will ever move back to Knoxville, especially if I stay in higher education. My reason for never changing it while in Johnson City was based on the belief that there was a good possibility I would return to Knoxville after graduation.

I wonder if the nostalgia I feel for Johnson City and the Tri-cities region is something that a lot of people feel toward the surroundings of their Alma mater. I have a certain amount of envy for my friends who were able to graduate and stay in that area. Nathan & Michelle still live in J.C. Cupp is not very far away in Abingdon. Nikki is back in Greeneville.

Etc. Etc.

15 Albums

2010-09-19T13:32:00.000-04:00

U2 - Achtung Baby
Dave Matthews Band - Under the Table & Dreaming
Barenaked Ladies - Rock Spectacle
The Waterboys - This is the Sea
The Beatles - Rubber Soul
The Waterboys - Live Adventures
Scott Miller & the Commonwealth - Thus Always to Tyrants
Jeff Buckley - Grace
The Clash - London Calling
Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love
Billy Joel - The Stranger
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - The Rising
U2 - Pop
The Who - Who's Next
The Killers - Sam's Town

North and South of the River

2010-09-10T08:36:00.000-04:00

Dreaming my dreams

2010-08-31T13:32:00.002-04:00

Work work work. I've got a lot of administrative stuff on my plate. My hope is that it will subside soon and I can concentrate on the funner aspects of the job.

Yesterday marked the first time in a month that I was not on-call. Hooray! I celebrated by making a trip to McKay's. I was hoping to find a book called Light on a Hill about the history of UTC. No luck. But I did purchase another copy of Rattle and Hum (mine is scratched), the "One" single, and because it was only $3, the DVD of Walk Hard.

My latest musical adventures include Stevie Wonder and Waylon Jennings.

The dogs have escaped twice in the past 3 weeks. The first time they apparently got lost going over the mountain and were found a week later after someone saw our ad in the paper. The most recent excursion, they were only gone for about a day but Annie came back sickly and required an emergency vet visit. During their first excursion they both apparently contracted tape worms (not heart worms, luckily). Unfortunately it means that they will now have to be chained inside of the pens.

2010-08-28T23:56:00.001-04:00

Philadelphia.

Johnson City.

Nostalgia.

Ground Beneath Her Feet

2010-07-26T12:35:00.003-04:00

The holy sacrament of marriage took place last Saturday. Yay! All is well.

Work is moving along speedily. There is a lot to do.

At some point I came in contact with poison oak whilst at Erica's house. As such, I've contracted a mild to moderate reaction on my left arm. Ugh.

It's hot outside.

Miracle Drug

2010-06-30T23:38:00.002-04:00

Pop

2010-06-29T11:23:00.006-04:00

In the fall of 2001, I first became a U2 fan at the age of 15. My algebra teacher at the time, Coach Madgett, was an avid U2 fan and at his behest, I purchased the Greatest Hits 1980-1990 compilation. Soon thereafter I purchased All That You Can't Leave Behind, and over the course of the next several months would come to purchase the entire U2 catalog and continue upon a course of immersion in their music that continues to the present day.

At the beginning, I heard a lot of negative reviews and comments about both the album Pop and the subsequent tour, PopMart. A lot of this stemmed from two sources: VH1's Behind the Music and a CCM article which condemned the album as a godless foray confirming Bono's loss of faith, which they alleged became evident in the early 1990s. In time, I would come to discover that both were inaccurate and would actually come to recognize the CCM article as ignorant, misinformed, and downright wrong.

The Pop album was considered by many to be failure, both musically and commercially. The band themselves would later make disparaging remarks about it, often labeling the project as an unfinished and rushed affair. Some of this may be true. The PopMart tour was scheduled months in advance of the album's release and the band was rushed to complete it before the first show in Las Vegas. While the album did relatively well commercially outside of the U.S., it has failed to achieve multi-platinum status in the States, despite initial strong sales (debuting at #1 on the Billboard 100).

The tour's first leg experienced several problems mostly due to the band's lack of rehearsal time. The lack of rehearsal time was compounded by the massive amounts of electronics the band used on the album and translating this into a live setting. The most notable issue being the inability to play "Staring at the Sun." Even on recent tours, the song has only been played acoustically.

The CCM article described Pop as a decadent statement about a loss of faith and condemned the album as something no Christian should bother with. The irony in this description is that Pop is actually the opposite of what CCM described. In fact, Pop is quite possibly U2's most "Christian" album. However, a certain degree of critical thinking skills are required to understand the complexity of its subject matter.

CCM completely misunderstood the album, it is not a statement about a loss of faith, it is a statement of a Christian fighting for faith in a world of culture, consumerism, religion and violence - constant elements that deter faith. From their review, CCM seemed to believe that music could not expose the evil in the world, but should rather paint an unrealistic picture of perfection. Pop revealed the dangers in the world, and sought to deal with them.

As for the band's assertion that the album was incomplete, I almost feel like this was some kind of excuse for the album's commercial rejection. The remixes of the songs found on the Greatest Hits 1990-2000 do nothing to improve them (the best remixes were the ones done for the actual single releases, particularly "Last Night on Earth").

What does all of this mean? I find myself consistently defending Pop, because I feel its one of U2's most honest, revealing and faith based projects. Its not the most commercially or critically praised, nor is it what the name implies, Pop music.

If you wear that velvet dress

2010-06-25T13:18:00.003-04:00

I've been running constantly over the past two weeks. I've started getting back to a respectable pace and stamina. The goal is to chip away at the beer gut. I was told by an exercise science person that it typically takes 1-2 months of working out before noticeable weight decrease occurs due to "muscle memory." Here's to hoping I can keep it up.

Between my IRA history book, and the latest U2 DVD, I've been immersing myself, yet again, in Irish culture and history. The entire 20th century for the Irish fascinates me. I'm not sure that anyone in my family knows precisely where we originated, but one day I might fork out some money and time to try to trace our lineage back to whoever, whenever, came to America. Hopefully, there is some Irish in there somewhere.

The job is progressing well in Chattanooga. This week marked the first real exercise of responsibility I was entrusted with. I believe it has gone well.

U2
"Please"
"One"
"Moment of Surrender"
"Ultra Violet (Light My Way)"

In Ireland, Tuesday's Grace

2010-06-19T23:07:00.001-04:00

http://www.atu2.com/news/in-ireland-tuesdays-grace.html

Anyone's Ghost

2010-06-16T15:16:00.002-04:00

15 days in.

I bought the U2:360 DVD.

No furniture.

No money.

31 days until the wedding.

1 month free trial of Netflix. I've watched Beer Wars, This Film is Not Yet Rated, and Step Brothers online. Angels and Demons arrived in the mail today.

On-call since Sunday morning until this Sunday.

Phillies versus Yankees tonight on ESPN.

Running to Stand Still

2010-06-11T10:29:00.002-04:00

Today marks the end of the 2nd week at Chattanooga. All is going well. I have begun acclimating myself to the new work environment and to the city.

It is 36 days to the wedding. The drama is adding up. There exists a tipping point at which the plans for a formal ceremony and reception will be abdicated, and eloping will occur.

The Flyers lost the Stanley Cup finals and the Phillies are still in an offensive slump.

Go Flyers

2010-05-28T16:57:00.000-04:00

Today is a good day

2010-05-28T16:37:00.002-04:00

This is my last full day in Johnson City. It has been a good day. I met up with several of the MPA grad cohort for Indian food at Sahib. I had Indian beer and kept the bottle as a memento.

Its strange to think that when I leave tomorrow, it will likely be the last time I'll be in Johnson City for the foreseeable future. For the first time in five years, I won't be working for ETSU's housing department and I will not be a student.

I'd like to think that Johnson City has become home. I'm going to miss the amount of knowledge and familiarity I have with it. I will miss it and I will miss the numerous friends I have in this area. Fortunately, I will be taking my best friend with me on this excursion to Chattanooga.

There are too many memories that are associated with this place. It would be impossible to try to summarize the past seven years in such a small place and in such a small amount of time.

A little while I ago, I made my rounds in the housing office and said goodbye to all of the people who have played such a large part in my life for so long. Five years ago, when I started as a student worker with housing, I never would've have guessed that I would have wound up where I am today. But I think that's the way it goes, and maybe the way it should.

And so it goes.

Subject change

2010-05-25T10:05:00.001-04:00

The Flyers are in the Stanley Cup finals.

4 days.

Breach

2010-05-24T13:28:00.002-04:00

The Wallflowers third studio album, Breach, was released in 2000. I purchased it shortly after my 16th birthday, almost ten years ago.

5 days. Everything but that which is necessary for the next few days is packed.

Go Flyers

2010-05-24T10:06:00.002-04:00

Ike

2010-05-21T14:45:00.002-04:00

Britain's new government

2010-05-11T18:21:00.001-04:00

Britain's new government
David Cameron and friends

Europe

2010-05-10T15:57:00.004-04:00

British politics has always fascinated me. The recent election has served to reinvigorate this interest. I was going to toss out my old British Politics book as it is somewhat outdated, but after flipping through it, I decided to keep it for light reading. With the resignation of Gordon Brown, it is safe to say that New Labour is over.

This past Saturday, I graduated with my Master's degree. The ceremony was as exciting as such events typically are. It still hasn't sunk in that I am done with school. I only went through the ceremonial proceedings for the sake of getting a graduation hood. Unfortunately, my program doesn't have any type of hooding ceremony.

In 30 minutes, my building is officially closed and I am free from all housing related duties until Saturday morning at 8 am. There are only 9 people currently living here, and they should be moving to their summer destinations within the next couple of days.

And so it is next week begins preparation for the summer. My understanding is that I am to help train my replacement until it is time for me to move to Chattanooga.

Dirty Day

2010-05-05T13:31:00.001-04:00

Philadelphia.

Baseball.

Simplicity.

Hard fought and won

2010-05-02T11:55:00.001-04:00

There is a degree of laziness that has begun to set in that I am not accustom to. For seven years I've had some form of school work to worry about. Even during the breaks in between semesters, the worry of the upcoming semester or, in graduate school, the capstone would be ever present. Now all of that is gone. For at least a year, I will have no school work whatsoever. I do believe that in some small way, I deserve this lull, if I can use the word deserve without sounding like an arrogant, self-absorbed prick.

Yesterday, I finished From Savannah to Yorktown: The Story of the American Revolution in the South. Its completion was only a year or so in the making. Last night, I picked up my copy of Tim Coogan's The IRA: A History and begun to read it again. I've only had it for about four years. I set the goal last year to read every book on my book shelf. Completion of this goal is progressing slowly.

The Phillies beat up on the Mets last night. All is well.

I've begun making a list of things I want to do before leaving Johnson City in a few weeks. This list is made apparent by the realization that with the exception of helping Erica move out in July, there will not be sufficient reason or time to revisit this area in the immediate future. In fact, it could be years before I come back.

Its beginning to occur to me the amount of change moving to Chattanooga will bring about. I will have to learn an all new system of roads and such. Then there is also the comfort level Johnson City provides. Typically, I cannot walk through campus without seeing someone that I know. This will all change soon, but hopefully only for a short time. Ch-ch-ch-changes.

T-minus 25 days.

I look so tired 'cause I don't get much sleep
And I've got too many commitments that are too hard too keep
And I try to be rational and I try to be wise
But it all gets blown to pieces when I look in her eyes
- Billy Joel

After the gold rush

2010-04-29T09:48:00.002-04:00

Slight change of plans: On Saturday May 29th, I will be moving to Chattanooga to start my new job the following week. Much excitement. My last day with ETSU will be May 28th.

Tuesday evening, I completed grad school. The boredom set in almost immediately. Is boredom the right word, or is this simply a lack of anything to worry about? Unless there is a great surprise, my 4.0 should be intact.

Over and over

2010-04-26T10:56:00.002-04:00

If all goes as planned, this afternoon I will e-mail my take home final to Mr. Martin. As such, following the group presentation in Tourism Planning tomorrow night, grad school will be complete.

On May 22nd, I will move to Chattanooga with work beginning that Monday the 24th. I'm not really sure what I will do with a living wage and no school work.

Coffee.

Because the Night

2010-04-23T13:18:00.001-04:00

If I Should Fall Behind

2010-04-20T21:09:00.003-04:00

In the course of the past 2 days, my two greatest worries over the past 3 months have been resolved. On Monday, I successfully completed my capstone thus ensuring that I will graduate in time and barring some odd administrative fluke, have secured adequate employment for post-graduation. Details to follow.

On a lighter note, I also obtained several music albums that I've been wanting for a long time. They include Bruce Springsteen's Ghost of Tom Joad, Lucky Town, the 1975-1985, Tracks box set as well as Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Doors, and Billy Joel albums. One of my professors brought in tubs of CDs and allowed all of the graduate students to copy them at our leisure. More fun to follow tomorrow.

I am a group presentation and take home final away from being done with graduate school. Both should be accomplished by Tuesday evening.

Ol' 55

2010-04-19T10:00:00.002-04:00

This morning I had a phone interview for a housing position with the Savannah College of Art and Design. It did not go well at all. Not much is lost as I was not too enthusiastic about the position. Its somewhat humorous in retrospect as I realized that were I interviewing someone who gave a couple of the answers I did, I would have been asking myself 'what the hell'?

My capstone defense is scheduled for 3:30 pm today.

All I Want is You

2010-04-14T10:28:00.002-04:00

Cemetary

2010-04-13T15:17:00.003-04:00

I used to drive until I would get lost and then work my way back along the general direction that I believed would take me back to a familiar road. I used to do it late at night to no music and the windows down.

This is a lull.

Items of interest

2010-04-10T16:31:00.001-04:00

I'm reasonably certain I'm the only one in America who noticed that Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called for elections, thus setting the stage for what could be a change from the Labour party and the New Labour movement, in power since 1997, to the conservative party who currently leads many polls.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/default.stm

Been there, breathed that:
http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/20100410_Deal_made_on_paying_for_cleanup_of_Valley_Forge_park.html

Grapefruit Moon

2010-04-07T20:14:00.002-04:00

The completion of my graduate work is very close, so close it makes me restless. I am back from the interview and Chattanooga and feel reasonably good about it. Again, causing much restlessness.

Tom Waits.

Baseball season is here!

Governors is Hall of the Year.

Rattle and Hum

2010-04-02T12:56:00.002-04:00

The first draft of my capstone was submitted last Thursday. It is a piece of junk.

Job Interview this Sunday/Monday in Chattanooga.

My life for the past 3 months and next few weeks

2010-03-30T16:46:00.000-04:00

For fools rush in where angels fear to tread

2010-03-25T22:50:00.004-04:00

The capstone is nearing completion. The first final edition should be completed and turned into Dr. Marchioni on Wednesday. If that deadline is met, there should be no further obstacles on the path to graduation in May.

Sunday, Erica and I are going to see the National this Sunday in Knoxville.

There's a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in

2010-03-19T10:05:00.004-04:00

There is a great amount of uncertainty in regards to whether or not I will be able to complete my capstone in time to graduate in May. Depending on the day and time, I alternate between skeptical optimism and pessimism with a desire to find some kind of realistic advent between the two. The good news is that I don't think that failure to graduate in May would negatively affect my job search, so long as that I complete the capstone before the end of the summer. The UTC job only requires a bachelor's. And so far, that is the only real lead I have.

It would be a great relief to finish the capstone, or to secure employment that did not absolutely require completion of my master's degree, meaning that I could finish my capstone in the summer. These two areas of immense uncertainty (employment and graduation) are consuming my time and depriving me of sleep. The sooner the two are appropriately resolved, the better.

Sun comes up and we start again

2010-03-17T11:41:00.002-04:00

19 days until Opening Day.

April 5th I have an interview with UT Chattanooga. I drive down Sunday, April 4th for an interview on the morning of the 5th. It is promising.

From hell to paradise

2010-03-12T14:54:00.003-05:00

23 days until opening day. It could not come sooner. I need baseball in my life. Earlier today I realized how much I have missed the thrill of a timely base hit or home run.

I've been counting calories as of late.

8 hours of driving school awaits me tomorrow.

Last night I had a dream that I had to go back to working as a bagger at Food City.

Hell is a state of mind. "All who are in hell choose it."

Paradise is a return to that which has been deviated from. Human nature, inherently good. Yes, Augustine was wrong. Very wrong.

"To some people the church is their ticket to respectability, a certain bourgeois point of view, a safety net for when they go to bed. My idea of Christianity is no safety net, a scathing attack on bourgeois values, and a risk to respectability."

-- Bono, 2002

A long way home

2010-03-10T16:13:00.003-05:00

I want to be a city planner, this seems to be affirmed consistently.

The capstone is moving very slowly. Spring break has yet to produce the massive results necessary. Yesterday's meeting with the Knoxville/Knox County MPC was fruitful and interesting. Their director has a nice view of the river. In stark contrast from Johnson City, I had to go through a metal detector and security check before proceeding to their offices.

The job search is on hold for a bit. I am going to call Columbus tomorrow to make sure they received my resume. I'm also uncertain where else to look for housing jobs, if I want to look for them at all. There is a certain sick feeling that comes up when I think about doing the same line of work for the next 2-3 years that I've been doing for the past five. Of course, there is always the nagging issues of subsistence, provision, and security.

The past ensures, that its a long way home

Relocate my satellites

2010-03-06T13:27:00.004-05:00

I applied for a few more university housing jobs including UT Knoxville. Monday I am mailing application material for a planning job in Columbus, Indiana.

The capstone is moving along slowly. Next week should produce real progress.

Opening Day is 29 days away.

If no certain employment offers itself by May, there is still the chance of doing a paid internship with the J.C. Planning Department.

Another list

2010-03-05T12:37:00.002-05:00

U2 albums (see disclaimer on the Springsteen list post):
1. Achtung Baby
2. Pop
3. The Joshua Tree
4. No Line on the Horizon
5. War
6. The Unforgettable fire
7. Zooropa
8. All That You Can't Leave Behind
9. Rattle and Hum
10. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb
11. October
12. Boy
13. Under a Blood Red Sky

Intentionally Excluded: Passengers, The Million Dollar Hotel Soundtrack

Things I cannot change

2010-03-02T23:19:00.004-05:00

I had a phone interview with UTC at 1:30 today. I believe it went relatively well. As usual, I stumbled over some answers, as I do despise talking on the phone; however, overall, I feel my answers were adequate. Let's hope a campus interview will follow.

There is also an interesting housing job potentially opening with the University of Louisville. It is a Resident Director position but it has the corollary duties of facilities management and planning. As such it would tie in my urban planning background with my housing experience.

I've not had much time to work on the capstone. Spring break is next week and much progress needs to be made if a May completion is reasonable.

The uncertainty of the job search is causing many sleepless nights. Bills, obligations, etc. will require a continual stream of income. I can still work for ETSU housing through July, after that, if no full-time employment has been offered, then I may have to fall back and punt - meaning that I would have to explore employment requiring a level of education and skill that is less than what I currently have.

Beyond that I've applied for a housing job with West Chester University of Pennsylvania, Savannah School of Art & Design, the University of Oregon, and a couple of miscellaneous planning jobs. There are approximately five other planning jobs I am going to apply for next week as well as a few more housing jobs.

New day comes, I swing my hammer

2010-02-27T15:19:00.002-05:00

For the past three days I've been in Williamsburg, VA for a housing/residence life conference. I met some people, and got a few job leads. Tuesday I have a phone interview with UT Chattanooga. I'm likely going to make a campus visit to the University of Louisville over spring break.

The ETSU job is out. It would probably be unprofessional and inappropriate for me to go into further detail into my thoughts on this matter.

Baseball's opening day is April 5th. The Phillies play Washington.

Devils and Dust

2010-02-19T15:55:00.002-05:00

Lord Chesterfield

2010-02-18T23:02:00.003-05:00

The Food City on S. Roan is now carrying Lord Chesterfield Ale, brewed by Yuengling. I no longer have to smuggle a case back to Tennessee when I visit Pennsylvania.
http://www.yuengling.com/beers_lord_chesterfield.htm

Ranking exercise

2010-02-18T21:53:00.002-05:00

From approximately 8 am this morning until 9:30 pm this evening, I have been doing housing work and/or graduate school work. I should continue to work on my capstone, however, I am tired and drained.

And so it is, I have decided to embark on a controversial task of ranking Bruce Springsteen albums, in order from most favorite to least favorite . This list is by no means final, as it will probably change by this time next week. Furthermore, there are three Springsteen albums that I do not own and have not listened to: Lucky Town, The Ghost of Tom Joad, and Devils & Dust. In addition to those exclusions, I am also excluding live albums, the greatest hits, and other compilations.

1. The River
2. Magic
3. Born to Run
4. Darkness on the Edge of Town
5. The Rising
6. Tunnel of Love
7. The Wild, The Innocent & the E Street Shuffle
8. Born in the U.S.A.
9. Working on a Dream
10. Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
11. Nebraska
12. Human Touch

Working on a dream

2010-02-18T13:55:00.000-05:00

The roar that's on the other side of silence

2010-02-17T18:55:00.001-05:00

The only boss I listen to...

2010-02-06T11:12:00.004-05:00

Three weeks ago my ego was shattered as I wrecked my car. The rental I got while my car was in the body shop was a 2010 Pontiac G6 GT with heated leather seats, XM Satellite radio, sun-roof and a six cylinder engine. While piloting this vehicle I discovered a satellite radio station completely devoted to Bruce Springsteen.

Furthermore, and in addition to, all the while subsequently, I've applied for several jobs.

But back to Springsteen:
The Wrestler, Living Proof, Cover Me, Walk Like a Man, Badlands, Tenth Avenue Freeze Out, Meeting Across the River, Lost in the Flood, Magic, State Trooper, You're Missing, The River, Because the Night, many, many, more.

2010-02-05T23:39:00.000-05:00

2010-02-05T11:43:00.001-05:00

Listen, take one less step away

2010-01-27T20:01:00.004-05:00

I'm sitting in the Public Management report class watching a video made for high school students about writing. It was made sometime in the mid-1980's. I will let the reader's imagination fill in my disgust.

Friday, I am sending an unsolicited resume to the Knoxville Metropolitan Planning Commission.

Form Based Codes!

Russo's

2010-01-23T09:20:00.003-05:00

Russo's closed.

The downtown location closed a few months ago. Apparently, their location on N. Roan street has also closed.

Why is this important?

About four years ago, the downtown Russo's location opened. It was another establishment to venture into the downtown area with hopes of being part of the greater revitalization effort. The location was ideal, on the corner of S. Roan and E. Main, it had maximum exposure to traffic that went through the downtown.

For the first couple of years, it seemed as though the place was always crowded. They offered a unique menu that no other establishment in the Tri-Cities could match. The environment of the dining area was also attractive. They had decorated the place in New Orleans type items, but it was the hardwood floors, low ceiling, and intimate use of space along with the great food that made a trip there an experience.

There were several instances when Russo's served as the location for important occasions. I celebrated there after my last final in undergraduate school, we celebrated there following graduation, and it was the location of mine and Erica's first official date. There were countless others.

For the past couple of years, it was obvious that the downtown business was lacking. Whereas it used to be the place was reasonably crowded during dinner time, you could now go there in the evening and you might quite possibly be the only person there besides the staff. I often wondered during these times how the establishment stayed in business. The only thing I could think of was their catering efforts provided enough money to keep the restaurant afloat. In 2008 they opened the N. Roan location that had a larger dining room, more expansive beer selection, as well as facilities for hosting and catering events. For me, one visit to the N. Roan location was too many. The building was an old big box and the intimate atmosphere and feel of the downtown site was absent.

And so it goes that the downtown location closed to be followed a couple of months later by the N. Roan location. I wish I would have known beforehand so that I could have ventured there for one last meal of jambalaya, lobster bisque or stuffed tilapia (sp?).

As for the downtown revitalization, it seems to have been unaffected. Just as quickly as Russo's moved out, a new pizza establishment began to move in and from what I have heard, is open for business. Furthermore, a new restaurant is set to open on Tipton Street later this year which will provide a nice compliment to the Tipton Street Pub. Then again, Russo's may be another vicitm of the starts and stops of the downtown effort. Downtown Johnson City has not been lacking in businesses over the past couple of decades, the problem is that these entrepreneurs who take the leap into the downtown, have extreme difficulty staying in business. Russo's just followed the trend.