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Saw Ben Folds at Bucknell University last night…and saw this Arthur Treacher’s Fish & Chips in Danville, PA, this morning…such a rare sight these days.

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I was reading this AP story about Rep. Cynthia McKinney’s apology for her role in a recent incident involving her and a Capitol polic officer when I stumbled upon one of the “cardinal sins” of journalism/grammar in the 10th paragraph:

Rep. Mel Watt, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, has had no statement on the incident. The caucus’ silence stands in stark contrast to it’s investigations of past scuffles between the U.S. Capitol Police and members.

Now, I would expect any AP writer and/or copy editor NOT to get caught in the ol’ “its/it’s” trap, but apparently that’s asking too much these days.

Hence, a grammar lesson…

its = the possessive form of the pronoun it (ex: The team lost its second straight game.)

it’s = the contraction for the term “it is” (ex: It’s cold outside.)

Snowing at Rider on April 5, 2006, around 11 a.m. ET

And a couple of hours later…

Just came across this AP story about a somewhat peculiar oddity that will occur overnight.

Three seconds after the clock turns to 1:02 a.m., it will be 01:02:03 on April 5, 2006. Or, in other terms, it will be 01:02:03 on 04/05/06…1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Of course, this is only peculiar for Americans since most of the world formats the date differently than we do…but it’s a bit quirky nonetheless.

However, the whole 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 thing reminded me of the combination to unlock the air shield around the planet Druidia in the movie “Spaceballs”, which prompted this classic bit of dialogue (quotes from the Internet Movie Database):

[King Roland has given in to Dark Helmet’s threats, and is telling him the combination to the “air shield”]
Roland: One.
Dark Helmet: One.
Colonel Sandurz: One.
Roland: Two.
Dark Helmet: Two.
Colonel Sandurz: Two.
Roland: Three.
Dark Helmet: Three.
Colonel Sandurz: Three.
Roland: Four.
Dark Helmet: Four.
Colonel Sandurz: Four.
Roland: Five.
Dark Helmet: Five.
Colonel Sandurz: Five.
Dark Helmet: So the combination is one, two, three, four, five? That’s the stupidest combination I’ve ever heard in my life! The kind of thing an idiot would have on his luggage!
President Skroob: [enters after the interrogation of King Roland] Well? Did it work? Where’s the king?
Dark Helmet: It worked, sir. We have the combination.
President Skroob: Great. Now we can take every last breath of fresh air from planet Druidia. What’s the combination?
Dark Helmet: 1 2 3 4 5.
President Skroob: 1 2 3 4 5? That’s amazing! I’ve got the same combination on my luggage! Prepare Spaceball 1 for immediate departure!
Dark Helmet: Yes, sir!
President Skroob: And change the combination on my luggage!

I just thought I would take a minute or two to offer my congratulations to the University of Florida Gators men’s basketball team on winning the NCAA Division I championship.

Having a friend who lives in the Gainesville, FL, area, has led to my becoming somewhat of an honorary Gator fan. Also, because I saw the Gators play while I was down in Florida for my friend’s wedding in November, this year marks the first time since 1996 that I went to a game in which the eventual national champion played during that season. Ten years ago, it was Kentucky, which played Rider in the December 1995 en route to beating Syracuse in the ’96 NCAA Tournament final at the end of that season.

Another reason I’m happy Florida won? Well, the Gators’ Joakim Noah played his prep school ball at Lawrenceville School, just down the road and across the street from Rider’s main campus. Now, I just wish I had gone to go see him play while he was there.

Anyway, the pic above is one of me cropped out of a group shot taken after the Gators’ second game of the 2005-06 season. Below is a pic I took during the game.

This is a club around the corner from the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel…

…as you can see, former King Crimson guitarist Adrian Belew played here on March 25…just missed him!

Vanderbilt Stadium, home of the Commodores.

Fraternity row on the campus of Vanderbilt University.

A castle-like frat house at Vandy.

The Parthenon at Nashville’s Centennial Park…a full-scale replica of the original.

Details of The Parthenon’s façade.

Columns…

…and more columns.

NOTE: I actually recorded and posted this around 12:30 p.m. Nashville time before I went to the CASE Editors Forum. However, I had my AudioBlogger settings set to go to the wrong blog. Hence, I have moved it over to this one. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to modify the time stamp because that isn’t showing up when I go to post a new entry. Don’t know what that’s all about, but here is the audio post:

As I type this, it is 5:40 p.m. local time and I am getting ready to go out to the Editors Forum reception at the Wildhorse Saloon. Then, I am having dinner with about 30 other conference attendees, including at least two from the University of Florida. Hopefully, I can help my Gainesville, FL, area friend Cliff get a foot in the door if any UF jobs open up.

…Nashville style.

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Well, I’m not the biggest fan of country music, but I wasn’t going to let a trip to Nashville go by without a trip to one of the hallowed halls of American music history, the Grand Ole Opry House.

So that is what I did my first night in Nashville…and I must say, it was surprisingly very fun. Considering it was a Tuesday night show, I was surprised to see two acts that I have at least heard of in country music circles, Craig Morgan and Trick Pony (Trick Pony’s bass player has this ridiculously pimped-out upright that is a purplish chrome color and has flashing headlights built into the body). And both of those acts were very entertaining…probably because they are younger and have a more modern sound.

But the “funnest” act of the night has to go to family bluegrass band, Cherryholmes (the family’s last name). There was one song in which every member of the family–except for the bearded patriarch who plays upright bass–started clogging. How often do you see a family band do that?

Another peformer was Australian native Jamie O’Neal.

Sorry the pics are so dark. I have just resigned myself to the fact that my camera sucks taking photos in dark places.

Grand Ole Opry members who performed Tuesday night included Porter Wagoner (performing in the picture above), Jeannie Seely, John Conlee and Jim Ed Brown.

Cherryholmes on the Opry stage.

Trick Pony on the Opry stage.

Well, I am in my room at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville and just thought I would say hello. As I often do, I took some pics of the view outside my windows. I think this may be the first hotel room I have stayed in that as windows facing more than one way. Because I am at the end of the hallway, I have a view towards downtown (first pic below) and of Vanderbilt University (second pic below) across the street.

I don’t think I have ever been able to see two different directions from a hotel room before…then again, I don’t really travel much. And when I do, I’m usually not staying at a Loews…it’s more like Low, as in low-priced.

For as much money as this place charges, you would think Loews could put better signs up at the front entrance. It took me three tries to find the right driveway–and even then I wound up going the wrong way for about 100 feet. During one of my attempts, I noticed a small club around the corner that said “25 Adrian Belew” on the marquee. I can only assume that means Adrian Belew played there on March 25…that stinks because I would have loved to have seen that show.

Who is Adrian Belew? He is an experimental guitarist mostly known for his work with King Crimson, but he has worked with a number of artists, including Talking Heads, Nine Inch Nails, Tori Amos and — I just found out — Ben Folds and WIlliam Shatner on Shatner’s Folds-produced “Has Been” album.

Adrian Belew on Wikipedia

Anyway, here are the two crappy pics from my hotel room. I’m going to see what’s around here and then try to see some bluegrass at the Grand Ole Opry.