There’s a rally taking place this evening (now indoors because of rain) in support of a new convention center for Nashville. I’m planning to attend because my company has been involved in the effort, but I also personally support the idea.

I support it because I think our current facilities are outdated and undersized compared with our peer cities and because the bulk of the funding needed to build the new center will be paid for by those who use the facility (hotel guests and area businesses). I believe that Nashville has done a good job of developing a healthy business climate that attracts business and corporate relocations, and I think this kind of growth and progress is important to maintain. (I do think we need to do more to support public education in Davidson County, and I would like to see that done as well.) I am optimistic that many local residents see the need for a new convention center and that it will ultimately become a reality downtown.

James Dobson, nationally known religious figure and head of Focus on the Family, will be in Nashville tonight for a rally in support of Tennessee’s proposed gay marriage ban.

This news bothers me for a number of reasons. While I respect Dobson’s right to his personal opinions, I think gay marriage is largely a non-issue in our society. Regardless of one’s position about homosexuality, in my opinion allowing gays to marry is not likely to harm the institution of marriage. What is hurting marriage, I think, is our divorce rate rather than who is actually doing the marrying.

I also think that conservatives and the Republican party are using this issue as a wedge issue to maintain power. I don’t object to their desire to stay in office, but I do have a problem with how they are going about it. Opponents of gay marriage, in my opinion, are shifting the focus away from more urgent issues such as our foreign policy, Iraq, North Korea and the war on terror, education, poverty and health care as a means of manipulating people using fear. We have more important things to address than who marries whom, if you ask me.

For the record, I am in favor of permitting gay marriage. As someone recently put it, why celebrate family by taking away someone else’s right to have one?

The Preds have had a rocky start to the 2006-07 NHL season, losing their first three games and finally notching a win over Phoenix this past Saturday night. At 1-3, the Preds are looking up at the Central Division and the entire league right now.

That’s likely to change, but it’s a surprise for a team with lofty expectations for the first time. I think a few experts, who have the Preds as the best in the Western Conference, are a little too high on the Preds, but they are primed for their best year ever.

I sure hope they can continue climbing out of the cellar tonight on Long Island as they face the New York Islanders. Having seen the Preds twice this season, I liked what I saw against Phoenix much more than what I saw on opening night against Chicago. Unlike the opener, the Preds played a solid defensive game and seasoned it with opportunistic offense to beat the Coyotes 4-1. This is the most skilled team Nashville has put on the ice in its brief history, but even the current Preds will have to play rugged defense to succeed. Here’s hoping they do that tonight.

Here’s a little more about me: I live with my wife, whom I married in May 2006, in Sylvan Park (along with two cats I’ve come to love very much). I love the city of Nashville past, present and, especially, future. I’ve lived here most of my life, except for a four-year sabbatical to attend college at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Va.

I’m excited about launching a new blog site today. Here’s why I chose thinktrain as my title.

I have diverse interests, including philosophy, spirituality, community involvement, philanthropy (particularly homelessness) current events, news media, politics, football, hockey (especially the Nashville Predators), camping, hiking, music (notably the Samples and U2), entertainment and pop culture (high on my list are shows such as Battlestar Galactica, Lost and The Office).

These topics represent my own personal train of thought, and it’s a pretty wide array of things to write about. I chose thinktrain as the name for my blog for that reason. I also chose it because I have what I like to call my own personal train set right behind my house: a CSX rail line runs 200 feet behind and 50 feet above my back door. The photo for my site title above is taken from that rail line.