As I mentioned last month, it’s hard to sneak up on the Nashville Geek Breakfast,but that doesn’t mean that the geek breakfast can’t sneak up on you. I was running a little late this morning, but I still made it in time to find a seat. Here are a few things I didn’t know before I darkened the door at Noshville this morning:

• Heather has held a $1 trillion dollar bill in her hand, thanks to her boss, a native of Zimbabwe. Because of rampant hyperinflation and severe poverty, though, that bill is essentially worthless despite its lofty-sounding denomination.
• Heather’s employer, the United Methodist Church, supports many missionaries in Africa who are working to provide humanitarian relief in Zimbabwe and other countries. That’s a great cause, even if one part of Heather’s job involves trying to make travel arrangements for 18 different missionaries scattered across Africa this week. Wow.
• Self-described “vernacular ninja” and writer Brett Henley is a Houston native who recently relocated to Nashville. As I’m sure other Houston transplants can understand, Brett’s been enjoying Nashville’s much lighter traffic problems even though he lives in jam-packed Green Hills. I guess traffic, like so many things, is relative.
• Local hockey blogger Dirk Hoag made his geek breakfast debut this morning. Dirk and I tried not to dominate the conversation by flooding it with puck chatter, but sometimes that’s a challenge. Before we shifted to other subjects, we agreed that Preds broadcaster Pete Weber should be a natural on Twitter. Hopefully we’ll see him there someday, alongside fellow Preds broadcaster Tom Callahan.
• Chuck is headed to Costa Rica on business next week for the third time in the past year, and he’s got the travel arrangements down pat. Unless you fly US Airways via Charlotte (like Chuck will on Monday), chances are that you’re going to pay $420 round trip to get there–because that’s what nearly every airline charges. US Airways will take you there for about $325.
• Mitch Canter arrived this morning in style, wearing a beret and his newly received FreshBooks T-shirt, a gift from a pretty savvy company that responded quickly to Mitch’s Twitter praise. Smart thinking, FreshBooks.
• Mitch has been busy lately with, among other projects, helping out Forrester Research blogger Jeremiah Owyang with an updated design for his blog. Nice work, Mitch.

I’m pretty sure most of these geeks paid their breakfast bills before they departed this morning, but somehow eight attendees did not. I’m figuring that they forgot, but this can’t be good news for our hardworking Noshville server. If you’re suddenly remembering that you had a great “free” breakfast this morning, please make sure you stop back by Noshville to remedy the situation.

NOTE: In the meantime, the late breakfast seating group decided to tip generously (in U.S. rather than Zimbabwean dollars, no less) to make up for the unpaid bills. I didn’t actually dine at Noshville despite attending the early seating today, but many thanks for this generosity, gang.

If there’s one thing you should know about the Nashville Geek Breakfast, it’s that you can’t sneak up on this pesky sucker. As I often do, I arrived a little early (around 7:20 a.m.) to find one table nearly full, and I had a great time as usual.  Here are a few things I didn’t know before I darkened the door at Noshville this morning:

• Head geek and event founder Dave Delaney can probably find Noshville in his sleep after nearly a year-and-a-half of breakfasts, but until today, he’d never entered the restaurant’s restroom. That may indeed be too much information, but it’s pretty remarkable, too.
• Zak Keiper is a fellow geek, and he’s also my neighbor in Sylvan Park. Even better, he’s the older brother of longtime Geek Breakfast member Lizzie, who was struggling with allergies this morning and didn’t make the trip. Hope you feel better soon, Lizzie.
• Nicholas W. Young hosts more podcasts than any one person should attempt, including one with Lizzie. As Nicholas recently learned, podcasting is even tougher when your hard drive dies in the middle of creating an episode. A hard drive that won’t respond to manual spinning and a night in the freezer is capital-D dead, and it ain’t coming back. Ouch.
• If it were up to me, I’d definitely let Nicholas have the keys to young.com, which doesn’t seem to be reaching its full potential at present. Unfortunately, the decision isn’t mine, but a geek (in this case, Nicholas) can dream.
• The Preds may not be in the playoffs this year, but neither are Dave Delaney’s hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, one of the NHL’s original six teams. As a rabid hockey fan, I knew that part already, and I knew about the Leafs’ long-suffering and often disgruntled legions of fans, who haven’t had a Stanley Cup championship to celebrate since JFK was America’s president.
• I didn’t know that Toronto fans have a habit of celebrating even first-round playoff game victories like they’ve won the NHL title. Why? Because they have a keen sense of sarcasm, knowing that their team is unlikely to advance deep in the postseason. Ouch. Nonetheless, their strong support of Canada’s national pastime may someday be rewarded with a second NHL team. I just hope Nashville can keep its single franchise at least until my great-grandkids are lacing up their skates.
• Speaking of hockey, the group did wind up talking today about the ever-widening hockey blogosphere. James Mirtle, a former reporter for the Toronto Globe and Mail who now blogs independently, is one of many covering the sport via the Web. Mirtle visited Nashville in February to see the Preds in person, including the team’s 8-0 whitewashing of the Red Wings.
• I was also glad to see Rob,  Heather and Chuck at today’s breakfast, though we didn’t have as much time to talk. Glad you guys could make it.

If you haven’t yet attended a Nashville Geek Breakfast, you’re truly missing out. May’s event is only a month away, so do yourself a favor a make plans to attend. Hope to see you there.

The Nashville Geek Breakfast has achieved mitosis, at least for today, as our ever-expanding crew tested out a new format featuring separate 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. seatings. I made it just in time for the early bird session, which was still packed, and had a great time as usual. Here are a few things I didn’t know before I darkened the door at Noshville this morning:

• Will Perry, much like Walter Payton, did not score a touchdown for the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. Nashville’s “Fridge,” not to be confused with the NFL player of the same name, is a CPA, a technology consultant and a speaker.
• What happens when the Mac and PC guy inadvertently sit next to each other and share a meal? There were minimal fireworks, despite a brief discussion of the merits of both platforms, when Josh Oakes and Byran Huddleston were side-by-side this morning. Josh works for Mac Authority, and Bryan is a Microsoft sales rep.
• Continuing a longstanding Geek Breakfast tradition, neither John Hodgman nor Justin Long attended today’s event. By the way, did you know that Hodgman, the PC guy in the well-known Mac ad campaign, is a long-time Mac user? That makes sense, since Hodgman is willing to mock Microsoft in the ads, but it is ironic.
• OPC Factor, an antioxidant promising numerous health benefits, is huge among Jamaicans who live in NYC. OPC stands for oligomeric proanthocyanidins, which is unpronounceable enough to make OPC one of the best acronmys ever, in my opinion. Dan Cotton is working on ways to spread the word about OPC Factor around the country and across the Web.
• Bill Seaver and Dave Delaney are talking social media on the Nashville Chamber’s weekly Webcast tomorrow. When Bill isn’t talking social media, he’s busy being grateful that his kids are sleeping in. (Since I have a daughter on the way soon, I’m looking forward to less sleep myself. Ha ha.)
• Jim Hitch isn’t the “date doctor,” but he can help you get the most out of your email campaigns using Emma.

If you haven’t made your way to a Geek Breakfast, don’t worry. We’ll find a way to shoehorn you in, so make plans to attend next month’s session. See you there.

Another overflow crowd gathered at Noshville Thursday for the January Nashville Geek Breakfast. Here are a few things I didn’t know before I darkened the door yesterday morning:

• Kate’s employer, Sitening, has a nice new office on 21st Avenue. She’s settling in after a busy first few months there. (I dig the robot, by the way, Siteningites.)
• Justin and others think Facebook and other social media sites may turn to premium paid features to finally turn a profit. I’m starting to agree and curious to see how this trend evolves. Clearly most of us are ignoring Facebook ads.
• You, too, can play ping pong against robots. Sharon Cole told me that last month, but this time I found the right Web site for her new entrepreneurial venture. I also learned that Sharon wrote programs for BellSouth back in the day that helped the communications giant automate tasks such as bill inquiries and non-payment service cancellations.
• Some companies continue to use antiquated programming languages such as COBOL, not to be confused with Battlestar Galactica’s Kobol, and Fortran. I’d heard of them but generally equated them with Pong and Combat. (I have fond memories of Combat. Don’t get me wrong.) It can be really tough for large corporations to migrate to new technologies once they’ve depended on aging platforms.
• John Cole, husband to Sharon, is one of Paul’s neighbors in Pegram. All of us found that out yesterday.
• Did you aspire to travel the galaxy as a child? Now’s your chance: You, too, can become a space cadet just like Paul.
• Dave Beronja makes sure that CMT stays cool online. (OK, I first learned that at BarCamp, but it’s still worth mentioning.)
• Andy had as much trouble finding a place to park as the rest of us when arriving after 7:30 (or 7:15, for that matter). Kate’s secret: Suck it up and feed the parking meter. Seventy-five cents goes a long way when it means more face time inside.
• Dave Delaney agrees that we are outgrowing our beloved home at Nashville, but like me, he’s at a loss so far for a good alternative. Any ideas out there? Dave’s also yet another smart TV viewer who’s beaten me to the punch in watching MadMen. I have to get around to that sooner or later.
• Aside from being huge in South Africa and Tennessee, Geek Breakfast is expanding to Seattle. Welcome, Emerald City!

If you haven’t yet found your way to a Geek Breakfast, you’re missing a lot of fun. Hope to see you next time!

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.

An overflow crowd gathered for today’s Nashville Geek Breakfast. Here are a few things I didn’t know before I darkened the door at Noshville this morning:

• Lizzie Keiper is homeschooling her senior year of high school, working at the Apple Store in Green Hills and going to see the first screening of Twilight tonight. (I’m tired just reading that.) She’s a big fan of Entourage (me, too).
• Anne rallies well despite not being a morning person and loves hot tea. She may or may not be in Kate’s doghouse. Anne runs her own business and loves Californication (me, too).
• David now works with Dave Delaney at Griffin Technology and used to work at Best Buy with Lizzie.
• Paul and David are pretty sure every season of 24 involves a nuclear bomb. (Sounds about right.)
• Most of us watch way too much TV, thanks primarily to our DVRs.
• Mitch found out what happens when you arrive late at a Geek Breakfast, and it involves a shoe horn and close proximity to lots of attendees. (As the parent of a newborn, at least Mitch has a really good excuse.)

It was good to see everyone as usual. See you next time!

Yesterday’s installment of the Nashville Geek Breakfast was another fun morning of tech talk. Though ringleader Dave Delaney was absent while caring for a sick child, the large and rowdy group carried on and made the best of it. (We missed you, Dave. Hope the Delaney family gets well soon.) Here are a few things I didn’t know before I darkened the door at Noshville 24 hours ago:

• Paul Van Hoesen has spent a lot of time in distant lands, such as Germany, Holland and rural Tennessee. Regarding the last of those locales, Paul’s company is dedicated to extending broadband access beyond urban areas to help reduce the digital divide.
• If you’re ready to dismiss that divide as insignificant, don’t. Would you believe that none of the students in a high school class Paul addressed recently in a rural Tennessee county knew what a podcast was? No one. Only four of them owned an iPod. Considering that we’re talking about a group of teenagers here, that’s startling.
• Dolphini Networks is the reason why Barcamp Nashville was able to use the Sommet Center for its site location last weekend. As a Preds sponsor (thanks, guys!), Dolphini is free to use the team’s logo and colors in its promotions, but not the faces of its players. Thank the NHLPA for that last part.
• Based on the location of her hometown in Pennsylvania, Julie Moore is practically Amish. Considering that she drove to Noshville for yesterday’s breakfast and that she works for Dolphini, though, she probably isn’t.
• Kate O’Neill can go to sleep at 2 a.m. and still attend a breakfast meeting at 7:30 the same morning. That’s impressive.
• Bill Seaver did not drive to Noshville in a car covered in its entirety with Post-It notes. But if he had, he knows what company would take credit for the idea.

It was good to see everyone as usual. See you next time!

Another fourth Thursday, another fun Nashville Geek Breakfast. Here are a few things I didn’t know before I darkened the door at Noshville this morning:

• Marcus owns what appeared to be a vintage “Yo! MTV Raps” T-shirt. (Wow.)
• Mitch is a new dad. (Congrats!)
• Jackson’s Statzen made TechCrunch’s top 150 out of 1,000 competing startups. (Nice work.)
• Chuck and I run in the same online circles, but not in the same direction, until now.
• Paul’s resume is better suited for a Twitter update than a resume, or so he claims.
• One way to make the trip from Alabama to Tennessee is via Arkansas, Ireland and Los Angeles. (Welcome, Ben.)
• BarCamp Nashville’s Web site is up and running. (Go register.)

Check out the photos from today’s breakfast. It was good to see everyone. See y’all next time.

I can’t find a Web site for Karl Dean, a candidate to be Nashville’s mayor in 2007. Dean announced his candidacy on December 19, nearly a month ago, and appears to be the only major mayoral candidate who does not have a campaign presence on the Web.

According to many, Dean’s base is young and/or wealthy progressives in West Nashville. I think Dean may be a very strong candidate for mayor, and I know that his base spends a lot of time on the Internet. Where are you, Karl?

I promise I’m not looking for podcasts and streaming video, just a basic Web site with background information, platform details and a photo or two. While we’re on the subject, David Briley, who is likely Dean’s biggest challenger for the progressive vote, has an innovative and attractive Web site. I won’t vote for him merely because of a Web site, but at least I know where to find him when I need him. Here’s where you can find the other candidates on the net:

• Bob Clement
• Buck Dozier
• Howard Gentry
• Dave Pelton
• Kenneth Eaton

Dave Pelton, who just announced his creative and engaging plans to run through 36 of Nashville’s neighborhoods beginning tomorrow morning, isn’t quite as creative and engaging on the Web. Dave, please give us some new content and post your news releases.

If I’ve missed anyone, including you, Karl, please let me know.