More than sixty local techies shoehorned themselves into Noshville Thursday for the December Nashville Geek Breakfast, which is now officially celebrating one year in existence. This beloved gathering may still be in diapers, but it’s clearly taking off like gangbusters. Here are a few things I didn’t know before I darkened the door yesterday morning:

• You (apparently) can’t fry something enough for southerners’ tastes: They aren’t on the menu at Noshville, but culinary geniuses elsewhere have created deep-fried bacon and bacon burritos. (Yes, the bacon replaces the tortilla in the burrito. They really have thought of everything now.) Is there anything left to deep fry now?
• I knew Andy was a geek–and I mean that in a good way–before I arrived this morning, but now everyone else does, too.
• Justin maintains the many Web functions running at Upper Room Ministries, and he can walk to his office from Noshville. That means parking is much easier. Upper Room is an initiative of the United Methodist Publishing House.
• Jason is right: If you live in West Nashville and there’s a wreck on I-40, you’re not getting to downtown anytime soon. West End and Charlotte Avenue aren’t much help when everyone wants to use them as an alternate route.
• Jason also played cards by candlelight in Atlanta during Earth Hour last year, when practically the whole city went dark for 60 minutes in support of energy conservation. You may have already heard this, but Nashville is a flagship city for Earth Hour in 2009. (Ok, work hat off now. My employer is helping to promote this very worthy cause.)
• Sharon Cole’s company makes kickass table tennis robots that can shoot ping pong balls at you at 75 miles an hour. How long until they take over the world?

I’m astounded that it’s already been a year since the first Geek Breakfast. We’ve had a lot of fun during that time, as you can see from the photos, and now we’ve added a little philanthropy to the mix. Hope to see you at a geek breakfast in 2009.

Note: Wandering Knoxvillian Scott Maentz, who joined us for breakfast yesterday and is contemplating an East Tennessee version of our beloved gathering, has also weighed in on his experiences among us.

The Preds are hanging tough in seventh place the Western Conference, but having playmaker Steve Sullivan back on the roster would sure provide a boost.

“When I got hurt, I was at my best in my career,” he said. “I was the best I’ve ever been. I feel that if I can get back to the ice, I still can have a lot to give. And I love the game.”

I should know better than to get my hopes up after Sullivan has had such a hard time overcoming his injury.
Having Sully back–and somewhere near his former self–might help the Preds get a look at something else they’ve been longing to see: the second round of the playoffs.

I definitely agree with this statement from Governor Phil Bredesen, who shares some of the lessons he’s learned along the way in the latest issue of Esquire magazine:

I would never vote for somebody who had never changed their mind on anything, because I know I was not crafted perfectly at age 18.

That’s at least one thing that Bredesen, Barack Obama and I agree on: Change is good (even if it can be difficult and painful). While I like to believe that the qualities that make me uniquely who I am have not changed substantially since I graduated from high school, some of my most earnest convictions about faith, politics and humanity surely have. (In most cases, I hope, they’ve changed for the better.) A good friend of mine once passed along advice from his father: “Be a Democrat while you’re young, and a Republican when you’re older.”

Although I reserve the right to vote for whomever I think is most fit for office, regardless of political affiliation, I’ve taken that advice, only in reverse. I’m much more liberal, progressive or whatever you choose to call it today than I was in 1991, but I think my eighteen-year-old self and I would still be able to be friends. Even in my more conservative days, what mattered to me most were compassion and character. That much hasn’t changed, and I hope it never does.

Staples didn’t waste much time picking on Office Depot after its office supply store rival announced it was closing 112 stores yesterday. Fortunately for us, none of those stores are in Nashville, but Staples made sure its customers knew Office Depot is facing tough times by emailing its customers (see image above) this morning:

With the uneasy economy and recent headlines about suppliers like Office Depot, business owners face all sorts of questions: Will troubled retailers honor my rewards checks? Where will I go for office essentials? Will I get my products delivered accurately and on time?

Staples even quoted the Office Depot news release headline in the email. I suppose all is fair in love, war and business to a degree, but that sure is rubbing salt in the wound. I don’t have a strong preference for either brand (or OfficeMax, for that matter), but I have to give Staples equal marks here for rapid response and cruelty.

Prominent hockey blogger Eklund rates the Preds 10th out of the NHL’s 30 teams in terms of “desperation factor,” a subjective measure of each franchise’s need to make the playoffs to succeed financially and to satisfy its fan base.

After the past couple of agonizing offseasons here in Nashville, I’m mildly pleased to see the Preds landing only as high as 10th. All of Nashville’s division rivals except Detroit are closer to the top, in terms of having more desperation. The Preds are in the middle of the pack for most of the ratings that shape Eklund’s rankings, but they’re ranked highest (or most desperate) for lack of advancement in the playoffs and for need for postseason games to make money.

The good news is that, after winning three straight games and going 5-1-1 over the last seven contests, Nashville would make the playoffs as an eighth seed if the season ended today. The bad news is that the Preds would once again face the San Jose Sharks, the current top seed in the Western Conference, if the standings stay the same. Between now and April, the Preds should be desperately seeking to make the playoffs, all right, and begging to meet any teams except the Sharks and the Red Wings when they get there.

It looks like Vanderbilt will end its 26-season bowl drought with an appearance in the Music City Bowl, a game that didn’t even exist until 1998. While there ss an outside chance that Dores may land in Memphis for the Liberty Bowl, but it appears that the MCB will truly have a “home” team for the first time in its history when bowl selections are finalized tomorrow.

There are plenty of opinions about whether Vandy’s first postseason since 1982 should be spent here in Davidson County. More than a few college football fans think that the Dores shouldn’t be going bowling at all, much less down the street from campus:

DinaDog: These are tough economic times. Those downtown establishments count on that Music City Bowl money. If Vanderbilt ends up being the Music City Bowl choice, that means instead of bringing two visiting teams to our city, the Bowl brings only one team and cuts everything in half. That’s devastating to those downtown businesses. Cutting into their sales dollars cuts into our tax revenues. Choosing Vanderbilt for that bowl is just bad business for the citizens of Nashville and the state of Tennessee. I know that is not why they have bowls or invite teams. I guess that shouldn’t play into their decision making, but that is the reality of the result of the decision to put Vanderbilt in the Music City Bowl.

rickshaw: I would have been completely satisfied with a six and six record if they had substituted a win at Duke and Miss State and Tennessee for losses at South Carolina, Auburn and Mississippi. Something about the way they waddled into six and six leaves one rather cold about this team. I am afraid that this team will wind up losing seven out of eight and extending their years of being a losing football program. A rather bizarre prospect indeed!

mlvalue: While it may be true for most schools, there is a lot of interest for Vandy fans. Vandy is unique, being in a conference with large state powerhouses. Vandy is a small private school, and what they did this year is pretty good, considering what they are up against. Besides the Music City Bowl will attract a pretty good size crowd. Go Vandy!

82cat: I’m sure the merchants down town are not happy to say the least. It virtually assures half of the business they would get from a well traveled out of town team wont be there especially the hotels. Nothing against VU heck 6-6 whatever when you have only been to 3 bowls go for it. When Kentucky played Clemson a few yrs agos 2nd avenue was packed the night before and the game was sold out. How many fans will vandy bring to the game?

AL2476: I don’t care who the team is or where they are located, a 6-6 team should not be rewarded to be in a bowl game. Also there are too many bowl games being played now and it is losing it’s interest to fans as well. Just look at attendance at many of the bowls being played this year and you will notice little interest in these minor bowls.

It should be noted that the Music City Bowl has had very good attendance for nearly all of the 10 games in its history. It can be debated whether there are too many bowls or whether a winning record should be required to qualify. Like it or not, though, fan support factors in to team selections for virtually every bowl game except the BCS Championship.

The MCB is obligated by contract to select an eligible SEC team, which will likely be Vandy, tomorrow, but whether Dores fans will follow down West End remains to be seen. From a glass-is-half-full perspective, Vandy is finally going to play in another bowl game. On the half-empty side, the Dores are an inconsistent team that somehow turned a 5-0 start into a 6-6 finish.

There have been several games during this strange-but-successful season where fans have had to wonder whether Vandy was going to show up. On New Year’s Eve, Nashville may be wondering the same thing about both the Dores and their fans. Here’s hoping the Commodore crew has a good showing in the stands and on the field. Go Dores!

I was inspired and moved by these great words from Michael Vine about an experience his father recently had overseas. We should all remember that someday any of us might be the ones depending on others for assistance in a foreign country:

I was surprised to learn that my own wise, learned, and well traveled father once supported English Only.  Predictably, he saw this proposal as a fair reaction to illegal immigration.  Fortunately, my father was, in his words, “blessed” with an experience that drove him to denounce that simple resolve.

I recently underwent surgery in the Republic of Korea (a country about the size of Indiana with a very homogeneous population greater than that of California), and my father flew here to be with me during my recovery.  Filled with worry and utterly fatigued, my father arrived [legally] at Incheon International Airport without even the slightest knowledge of the Korean language, which is quite dissimilar to English.  My father shared with me when he arrived at my bedside that, were it not for the many signs and documents that include Latin alphabet transcriptions of Korean and Korean to English translations, he would never have been able to make the hour plus journey from the airport to Samsung Medical Center.  He would have been utterly lost.  My father told me that his mind flowed immediately to Councilman Crafton and English Only, and he found that he could no longer support “that foolish proposal”.  He called his change of mind a “revelation” and gave thanks to the Most High for illuminating his heart.

John Lamb, one of the many people stepping up to oppose English Only because of the negative impact it will have on Nashville’s public perception nationwide and around the world, shared this story today in response to The Tennessean’s latest coverage of the issue. Nashville is a friendly and welcoming place, and we as a city can do better than this proposed legislation.

Why does hostility come so easily and compassion only with effort? Here are two local approaches to addressing homelessness mentioned recently. Here’s the first from several City Paper commenters:

Big Papa: The first thing they need to do is move the shelter far off away from down town. It’s the pile of $hit the that attracts the flies.
frank brown: Big Papa, You are right on the money!!
misskity: The first thing the homeless needs to do is help themselfs put the bottles down and go to work at anything that is honest work.

Kevin Barbieux shares an example of a different approach:

From that point on, Cotton lived on the streets, sitting on bus and park benches, ruining his already fragile circulation system. In the series of videos I shot of him, you see a metro health department nurse trying to treat one of his legs that had swollen so much that the skin began to tear and become infected. Again, shortly after this development, a church group reached out to him, and gave him the care and shelter he needed. He did not die homeless, and I’m very grateful for that.

Yes, gainfully employed Web commenters with full bellies and warm places to sleep, you have homelessness all figured out. In the meantime, initiatives like yesterday’s Homeless Connect at Municipal Auditorium helped more than 1,000 Nashvillians without homes with much-needed support. Thank goodness not everyone responds to life’s hardships by saying, “Get a job!“

Was Vanderbilt’s football season a success or a failure? If you ask me, I say “yes.” No one expected the Commodores to become bowl eligible for the first time in 26 years this season, but Vandy’s inconsistent play after a 5-0 start likely left two or even three wins on the table.

If nothing else, the Dores kept their fans and opponents guessing, especially in the second half of the season. Breaking down the year, Vandy maintained its status quo (2-2) in beating Miami of Ohio and Rice and losing to Georgia and Florida. The Dores exceeded expectations (4-0) in upsetting South Carolina, Ole Miss, Auburn and Kentucky, the last of which was the team’s most convincing performance of the season. Vandy suffered letdowns (0-4) in losses against Mississppi State and Duke and against surprisingly vulnerable Tennessee and Wake Forest squads. Looking back, the Duke debacle was the bottom of the barrel for a season with plenty of highs and lows.

How in the world did this Commodore crew eke out a 6-6 record and do what so many of its predecessors couldn’t? Its offense capitalized, most of the time, on opponents’ turnovers, and its defense made big stops when it needed them most, at least in the first half of the year. It survived severely inconsistent quarterback play and a “little offense that couldn’t” on far too many occasions.

Who knows what to make of such a crazy campaign as the one the Dores waged in 2008, whether it forecasts future bowl appearances or a prompt return to seasons with five wins or fewer. This much can be said: Vandy delivered way more than most expected in August and followed through on far less than looked likely by early October. The good news is that there’s one game left to play. Go Dores!

Could Vanderbilt have Wake Forest right where they want them? The Demon Deacons are favored by four points heading into tonight’s game in Winston-Salem against the Commodores. Taking a look at Vandy’s season so far, that may be good news for the crew from West End.

Vanderbilt is 5-2 this season as an underdog, but only 1-3 as a favorite. Here’s how the Dores have fared against the spread in 2008:

Miami, Ohio: Underdog Vandy wins 34-13
South Carolina: Underdog Vandy wins 24-17
Rice: Favored Vandy wins 38-21
Ole Miss: Underdog Vandy wins 23-17
Auburn: Underdog Vandy wins 14-13
Miss State: Favored Vandy loses 17-14
Georgia: Underdog Vandy loses 24-14
Duke: Favored Vandy loses 10-7
Florida: Underdog Vandy loses 42-14
Kentucky: Underdog Vandy wins 31-24
Tennessee: Favored Vandy loses 20-10

The Jekyll-and-Hide Dores have looked both awful and amazing at times this season. Upon further inspection, though, there does seem to be a pattern: Vandy plays well as a road underdog and plays horribly as a home favorite. That may be good news for the team and its fans tonight. Go Dores!

An early and admittedly unscientific survey on WSMV.com (above) suggests Vols fans aren’t too pleased about their incoming head coach. Opinions continue to come in across the Web, and most (but not all) mirror the survey:

boxtop: [A]re you kiffin me? Pete Carroll’s (former) lap dog? Hamilton should get his resume together yesterday. Nevermind, no one will hire him after this fiasco. Urban must be saying an additional “thank you prayer” this year. And Bobby Johnson is probabaly thinking he can get used to having the best college football team in Tennessee now that Phil isn’t around to beat his teams anymore. Welcome to the real world of “competitive college football” Coach Kiffin. This ain’t the pac-10. Also…congrats Fla on your upcoming SEC and National Championships.

Jeepers: Vols will be a bust with Kiffin as they were with Fat Phil. Good.

jeffmacguy: The more I hear about this guy, the more I like him. However, he as unfinished business in the NFL and at some point in his life, he will want to close that loop. That’s ok. We need someone who is willing to work/adapt to win and Lane may just be the guy!

This is likely a sampling of the upcoming nine months of discussions about Kiffin’s outlook for success in Knoxville, but this much is already clear: He’s got plenty of pressure waiting for him next fall at Neyland.