February 2012
52 posts
Happy Leap Day! →
It’s that time again — time for the calendar to tack on an extra day at the end of February.
It’s Leap Day today, which means I get to celebrate my birthday ON my actual birthday. Most people are perplexed or amused when they find out my birthday is Feb. 29, and I’m typically met with a string of questions:
“So how old are you?”
“When do you celebrate...
Knoxville's Leap Day hangout with Google+ users →
Tonight at Barley’s, you can “hangout in real life” with Google + users in the area and celebrate Leap Day at the same time.
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You say "pee yellow," I say "canary"
As I’ve admitted before, I love infographics. If there were a 12-step program, I would have to seriously consider attending meetings for my unnatural attraction to their clever data conveyance.
This one doesn’t do anything other than compare commonly-used color names by gender preference, but it cracks me up.
The color map includes names like “snot,”...
Graffiti art by @Cswaggerty →
@Cswaggerty describes himself as a “Sharpie, Spray Paint, Soapstone, Pencil, digital-Artist from Knoxville TN.”
He’s been sharing Twitpics of graffiti art he’s done on skateboards. Check out some of his designs at the link above.
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The TBI is on Twitter! →
In other thoughts, we’re wondering if the TBI will redact its tweets and close them to the public.
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Interactive Feature by NYT: Remembering Anthony... →
A beautiful memorial page set up by the New York Times on Anthony Shadid who died from an asthma attack last week in Syria.
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Women vote ... oh yes we do!
According to this study, since the 1984 presidential election (Ronald Reagan vs. Walter Mondale), more women have turned out to cast their vote than men.
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“For me, it is a matter about who I trust. As the father of two young adults, I...”
– Michael Kieschnick: A Father’s Perspective on the Contraception War
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Follow our Bonnaroo updates
As the 2012 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival fast approaches, here are a few ways to follow our updates of the event:
@bonnaroonews Knoxville.com Bonnaroo board on Pinterest
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Further romantic 'proof' →
As we noted last week, Knoxville was recently ranked No. 1 on Amazon.com’s list of most romantic cities.
The buzz around town — or at least on social media — was mixed. Some said they cold see it; others tweeted they doubted that was true. And some flat-out called into question Knoxville’s frequent list-topping and the validity of said lists.
But either way, there is...
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What people are searching for on Yahoo in...
We get a weekly email that shows the week’s top 5 spiking searches in Knoxville according to Yahoo! This week, they are:
• Peyton Manning
• Kate Upton
• Whitney Houston
• Kim Richards
• Dolly Parton
List of confirmed 2012 Bonnaroo artists →
The Bonnaroo 2012 lineup was officially announced at noon today. I’m already seeing lots of Bonnaroo chatter and reactions on Facebook and Twitter. My favorite descriptions shared so far with our @Bonnaroonews Twitter account include, “an amazing undercard of indie greatness!” and “Yawnaroo.”
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A virtual stadium holds its breath on Facebook
Caption: Zambia’s Davies Nkausu runs with his national flag after winning the African Cup of Nations final soccer match against Ivory Coast at the Stade de l’Amitie in Libreville, Gabon, Sunday Feb. 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
Sunday evening, I stayed glued to my Facebook feed reading reactions and analyses from my childhood friends. Zambia, the country of my birth, was...
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The meek can have the earth
If you doubt this statement, just hit pretty much any internet forum. Mediocrity is king.
Who is Bon Iver? And Paul McCartney? →
There are a lot of questioners on Twitter this morning asking who Bon Iver is following his Grammy win last night for best new artist. In truth, he’s been around for several years. I do understand that many people don’t get the opportunity to go to Bonnaroo or listen to WUTK (where they could have heard his music). But this kind of reaction to his Grammy last night is very...
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Gamers FTW!
Gamers get a bad rap for being overweight, pimply, loners living in their parent’s basement who are undermotivated to do anything other than ding the next level or score that sweet piece of armor.
I was once that person sitting in front of the computer as the sun traveled across the sky and sank below the horizon. The people I played with may or may not have had hygeine issues - I never...
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Yesterday we were romantic ...
… today we’re just old.
Knoxville’s made another list. This one says that no matter the young sounding monikers we natives like to give it (K-town, Knox-Vegas) Knoxville is made up of old folk.
And to think, just yesterday we were romantic.
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Cash mob in South Knoxville on Friday
Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett is urging residents to support local businesses in South Knoxville by participating in a “cash mob.”
KnoxvilleBiz reporter Carly Harrington describes a cash mob:
The idea is similar to a flash mob, but a cash mob encourages people to show up at the same time at a small business and spend a few dollars to boost sales.
South Knoxville businesses have...
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Joe Livernois: Newsroom secrets unveiled -... →
I can tell you honestly: every word of this is true.
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Have You Ever... [infographic] →
I’m a nerd for infographics. Hunch took the classic (?) drinking game “Have you ever?” and illustrated the answers of 80 million - or so - respondents to questions like “Have you ever stood up a date?”
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Endless love: Knoxville ranked #1 most romantic...
A few weeks ago, The Advocate deemed Knoxville one of the gayest cities in America for 2012. Last week, another list put Knoxville at the #1 spot for cities who age too fast. And now, just in time for Valentine’s Day, Amazon.com has ranked Knoxville the #1 most romantic city in America.
Also joining the list from Tennessee are Murfreesboro and Clarksville. If you recall, Knoxville came in...
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Social media smackdown
No, it wasn’t a literal smackdown Tuesday night at Calhoun’s, but the verbal back-and-forth was plenty to feast on.
The Social Media Club Knoxville hosted its first “social media smackdown,” an event that promised to air out the differences among four of the most popular social networking sites: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+.
(The panelists, from left to...
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Property Scope - The next big thing on Central... →
News Sentinel business reporter Josh Flory has a neat idea. On his Property Scope blog, he is launching a public-service project that aims to highlight local properties which are crying out for some TLC.
Full disclosure: I am a little biased about this post since the location mentioned (Central Street and Woodland Avenue intersection) is pretty close to my neighborhood
Knoxville store sells $250,000 winning lottery... →
Why, oh, why couldn’t it be me?!
Social Media Smackdown (#smckdown) →
I’m enjoying reading the tweets from last night’s Social Media Smackdown. The social networks were represented by local folks who battled it out for social media supremacy.
WDVX named Bluegrass Station of the Year
Knoxville’s WDVX has won Bluegrass Station of the Year for 2012 from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America. Also up for bluegrass station of the year were WBBC-FM in Blackstone, Va., WBRF-FM in Galax, Va., 3. WBZI-AM in Xenia, Ohio, WPAQ-AM in Mount Airy, NC and WQDR-FM in Raleigh, NC. The awards were presented this past weekend in Nashville. Find a full list of...
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Fast Company: Google Maps Help Predict Meth Labs... →
A fascinating article by Fast Company on “geospatial predictive analytics,” which is where mapping software paired with data analysis techniques can help predict crime in certain areas. The example given by Fast Company is of Max Lu, a Kansas State professor who found meth labs through this predictive analysis.
The News Sentinel did a five-day series on the meth explosion in East...
National Weather Service: January '12 was 19th... →
So that explains why there’s been hardly any snow.
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When life gets to be a little much ...
Rachel and I were feeling a little overwhelmed this afternoon and started dreaming of cookies and cupcakes as a release.
Thankfully, we had a 0 calorie alternative: adorable animal pictures.
Aaaah. Better now. Back to work!
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The Senator's favorite Super Bowl commercial →
Senator Stacey Campfield posted his favorite Super Bowl commercial.
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Trevor Bayne nominated for 'Hall of Game' →
Trevor Bayne, the 20-year-old NASCAR driver and Knoxville native, has been nominated as “Gnarliest Newb” for the Cartoon Network’s second annual Hall of Game Awards, airing Feb. 20.
According to NASCAR.com, the show, which is hosted by Shaquille O’Neal, “is a high-energy, off-the-wall, multi-platform experience that lets viewers vote and honor their favorite sports...
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Cash mob to benefit South Knoxville business Via... →
This is an interesting idea. With the Henley Bridge closed for construction, Mayor Burchett is asking for residents to rally behind small businesses. “The idea is similar to a flash mob, but a cash mob encourages people to show up at the same time at a small business and spend a few dollars to boost sales.”
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Knoxify Tumblog →
Great minds think alike! Unbeknownst to us, Knoxify also launched a Tumblr to share “bite-sized bits of Knoxville,” just a few days before we did.
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“2nd round of recycling carts will be delivered this month. There are now 20,000...”
– Mayor Rogero (mayorrogero) on Twitter
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#brandbowl redux →
In case you live under a rock or have been in a coma, you may have missed that Sunday was the Super Bowl - the day that marks the end of football until the fall … and the day that brings us the most creative commercials of the year.
Perhaps neither of those mean anything to you. If that is the case, just skip this post. If you want to see what played last night or if you think you may have...
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“our awesome mayor, Madeline Rogero, is here at #waynestock we are sooooo...”
– @WayneStockKnox
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Talented hare herds his way to net stardom →
From our friend @misterfonzie (not a local, but a fellow newsie):
They don’t normally do that, so that’s why it’s news.
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Stuck Inside of Knoxville w/ the Urban Blues Ag'n:... →
There was quite the hullaballoo this afternoon (especially if you subscribe to news text alerts like I do) regarding Gloria Ray and the Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation. Will she? Won’t she (be fired)? She retired, btw.
Urban Guy gives his take on the situation, including a tribute to Them.
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Stacey Campfield gets a 'pants on fire' rating ... →
PolitiFact Tennessee has ruled that Sen. Stacey Campfield is unable to provide convincing evidence to back up his claims on the transmission of AIDS and has given the Senator a “pants on fire” rating in their Truth-O-Meter, which measures the truthfulness of political comments.
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Gentlemint, a Pinterest for manly men
I’ve noticed Chris Brogan mention a few times on Twitter that he loves Gentlemint.Today I clicked on their Twitter handle and found out that my beloved Pinterest has competition geared toward men.
According to the DailyDot, Gentlemint is launching as a Pinterest for men:
This new site is already making a name for itself as Pinterest, but for men. Manly men. Unlike the designer shoes and...
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Knoxville's 'most eligible bachelors'
Fear not, single ladies of Knoxville! It looks like you may have a shot at bypassing the impending doom of another lonely Valentine’s Day.
Knoxville’s Friends of Literacy has announced its list of 24 most eligible bachelors. The men run the gamut of ages, professions and interests. The list boasts a variety of guys, from a 24-year-old firefighter to a 76-year-old local television chef...
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Metro Pulse -- Local Color: Knoxville's North... →
An interesting way to capture Knoxville’s neighborhood. I live in this neighborhood, so perhaps am a little biased about this photo essay.
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February photo-a-day challenge →
@Fatmumslim is an Australian blogger who started a challenge to her social media community to document each day with a photo. She suggests posting them on Twitter or Instagram.
It’s really taken off, following the same challenge in January. I’m seeing a lot of these pop up in my Twitter feed. You can find them by using the #FEBphotoaday hashtag.
