Back from Nashville

Di and I got back from Nashville. It was a swell weekend (ugh, I'm starting to talk like a gosh-darn Southerner). We started off our trip by taking a major side excursion up to Dawsonville, Ga. so that Dionne could do some shopping at the outlet stores.

I was fine with that, on two conditions: she had to let me stop in the Adidas and Puma stores (I'm still a euro-trash raver at heart) and I would be able to devise a back route to get us back to I-75, the main highway between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tenn.

The shopping highlight: Finding some incredible deals in the Adidas outlet, including the Adidas Superster IIs with graffiti designs on them. They also had a bunch of really cool t-shirts with national (soccer/footie) team designs. My favorite was a bright yellow, green and red Cameroon shirt with a huge lion head design on the back. What can I say, I like bright shit like that.

After we left, I figured out that we could take a little two-lane back road through the North Georgia mountains. It turned out to be about a 60-mile drive through windy, hilly terrain on a day with absolutely perfect Indian summer weather. In fact, the drive up to Nashville was suprisingly scenic. Chattanooga is quite an attractive city. It's perched on the bank of a winding river and has huge bluffs overlooking downtown from every direction. Reminded me a bit of Pittsburgh, actually. Just a bit northwest of Chattanooga is Lake Nickajack. Route 24 took us right across the lake and gave us some great views of the southern Appalachians.

Once in Nashville we stayed with Di's parents. Saturday morning I went with my father-in-law to their church (it's Episcopal, if you're curious) for the Men's Club saturday morning breakfast. I somehow received a round of applause when he introduced me to the crowd of men in their 50s and 60s (who were all named Jerry and Dale, if I recall). After a quick meal of sausage biscuits we spent the morning doing repairs on the church and rectory. My father in law was especially useful for his electrical/lighting prowess, which meant the other Men's Club members treated us all day long like we were Edison and Tesla themselves.

Not much else really happened. Di's parents treated us to a nice Second Anniversary dinner on Saturday night at J. Alexander's, a nice steakhouse in Brentwood, near Nashville. The drive up and back really inspired Di and I to get some camping done, so now we're planning to do a little camping trip in the next few weeks at one of the parks in North Georgia. We just need to stock up on some equipment first: hiking boots, a second warm sleeping bag, a lantern and a small camp stove.

Garish sportswear proves popular in rural Africa

The NY Times has a story about what the NFL does with the t-shirts and hats that commemorate Super Bowl losers. Instead of selling them as ironic collectibles, they donate them to a charity that gives them to rural villagers in Africa.

“Where these items go, the people don’t have electricity or running water,” said Jeff Fields, a corporate relations officer for World Vision. “They wouldn’t know who won the Super Bowl. They wouldn’t even know about football.”

The gear is flown, along with school and medical supplies, into a major city. It is then driven to one of the villages where World Vision staff members work. They distribute the shirts and caps at a community center, about two per family.

I guess it's a nice gesture donating clothes, but you have to wonder how it's good that people are being exposed to this. It's not like these people are raving football fans. It's really one of the more bizarre forms that globalization takes on, but I'm not really so sure that exposing people to America's corporate entertainment is a good thing. Isn't there some local way for them to clothe themselves? Maybe a hat really just keeps the sun off your head, but it seems vaguely artificial and crass seeing African villagers walking around in Chicago Bears t-shirts.

Pantyhose now come in "men opague"

Finally, the problems associated with stand-up urinals has been solved for transvestites. A french hosiery manufacturer is now marketing a line of pantyhose for men. I'm sure they make great valentine's gifts.

The Fashion Police Really Are Going to Arrest You

The Kenyan government has been trying to come up with a national dress code. The challenge has been to incorporate styles from all 42 of the nation's ethnic groups. Apparently it isn't catching on. I wonder what the United States' national dress code would look like? I'm thinking Larry the Cable Guy.