Times Are Hard
By Matthew Hemmer

In this challenging economic environment the thing I keep hearing from everyone is “times are hard.” I hear it so much that it seems like a mantra. The mantra of the vanishing middle class.

According to the U.S. Deptartment of Labor, initial claims for unemployment rose to a cool half million last week. Note the word initial in that statement. That’s not counting all the current claims on the books. That’s the highest number of initial claims since November and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get much better. Companies and businesses are getting more and more cautious of hiring new people for fear of the bottom dropping out.

What does that mean to us? Especially those of us who have jobs and are making our mortgage payments? It means that there are less jobs out there to go around so hold on to what you’ve got. Supply and demand is just as valid in the job market as it is in any other market. The amount of compensation you’re offered is dependant on what others are willing to accept. Any job is a good job, some pay is better than no pay and many workers are accepting less. People are entering the job market at the same rate of pay that they were getting 10 years ago. Taxes are going up, the cost of food is going up, everything seems to be going up.... but our pay. That has stayed the same in some cases, or actually gone down. I was making twenty five dollars an hour as a carpenter ten years ago. Now I’m happy to get fifteen, the salary of a laborer back then.

Temp agencies are doing a brisk business as employers are contracting more and more temps to meet demands and then cutting them loose when things slow down. Even then, there are more people applying to temp agencies hoping to land a permanent position with the contracting company. That puts the employers in the position of being able to work their “temps” in whatever conditions they want or need with no thought of responsibility to those workers. I was on a construction site that was working their tradesmen in a heat index of 117 degrees. If some one refused to work in those dangerous, potentially life threatening conditions, they were sent home and replaced. 117 degrees can and will kill you but they had people showing up every day, rolling those dice hoping and praying, that they wouldn’t be the ones to pass out. I spent an afternoon in an emergency room during this heat wave and there were no less than four patients waiting to be seen, two of them tradesmen, all suffering from heat related injuries, many more than the doctors are used to seeing. Everyone of them worried about whether they would have a job the next day.

That’s what it means to us.... all of us are worried about whether or not we will have a job the next day.... and according to the statistics from the Department of Labor, one in ten of us won’t. We live in one of the hardest hit regions of the U. S., the South, with some counties having an unemployment rate of twenty percent. One in five workers, many of them skilled, are without a means of support in those counties.

Not only are we losing our jobs but we are also losing our homes. Realtytrac inc., a firm that tracks home foreclosure statistics, states on their site that home foreclosures are on the rise. They haven’t hit the numbers that they had last year, in fact, they’re down almost a third from where they were last July but these new foreclosures aren’t due to shaky loans. These are foreclosures on people with good credit and good loans that have lost their jobs or had their pay reduced and just can’t seem to make ends meet. People like you and me.

Tennesseans Unite
By Kyle Dickerson

Few things bring communities together like disaster. In the wake of recent rains, which caused major flooding across Tennessee, as well as many surrounding states, residents have united to insure those impacted have everything they might need. Service International, an organization devoted specifically to disaster relief, made their presence known only hours after the rains began to threaten Nashville, and haven’t let up on their efforts since. The organization set up camp at Bellevue Church of Christ, and has welcomed anyone wanting to lend a hand to clean up the surrounding community. Armed with wheel-barrows, bright orange shirts, and a desire to help complete strangers, volunteers have worked tirelessly for two weeks. I had the chance to work in the Bellevue area, assisting with some of the efforts, as well as some efforts in downtown Nashville.

Seeing in person the effect a disaster, such as this, can have on a community is overwhelming. There are families who have lost everything. Their entire lives were washed away, and now they’re facing starting over, completely, again. One of the most amazing parts of this effort, is that 98% of those helping with the clean up are complete strangers. Not only do they not know any of the people that they’re helping, most of them do not know each other, either. Has that affected the proficiency of the effort? Absolutely...but not like you think. Though no one knows each other, they work together, talking, laughing, making a difference, as if they’ve done it a hundred times before. If someone is struggling to move an old couch, three more volunteers will jump in, without being asked, and get the job done. People hold trash bags for each other, offer water to those who need it, and never once allow a word of contempt to rise into the air. Being inside such a scene was unreal. As I stood atop a ruined chest of drawers, amid a sea of orange shirts, looking around at the lives of so many, mounded into heaps of rubbish, my heart was moved.

As the group I was with began it’s journey back out of the disaster area for the day, one of the residents was just showing back up to survey the damage. An elderly woman, she told us she had lost her husband the year before, and now this flood had taken away everything she owned. However, she wasn’t as upset as one would think. Instead, she was happy to have escaped with her life. She said the waters grew so high in her house, that firefighters had to come in and carry her out. Her life, she said, she owes to them. This resident, facing a terrible situation alone, simply asked for help in cleaning up mud from a floor there at her house. Beyond that, she felt firmly that the material things could be replaced.

Disaster Relief efforts continue across the state, as waters in many areas have yet to recede. Among groups participating in these efforts, are the National Guard, Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers, Air Force Auxiliary, numerous Fire & Police Departments, Rescue Squads, Universities, Churches, Clubs, Schools, and Community Groups. If you would like to participate in this effort, contact your local City Hall for information on where help is needed, and what those needs consist of. And thank you to every man, woman, and child who has given their time and energy to this effort. You have made a difference.

The Volunteer State Had A Chance To Prove It - And They Did!
By Matthew Hemmer

Through the night and into the morning it not only rained... it POURED!. Nashville has never seen so much rain, so quickly, in recorded history. In all we got almost 14 inches of rain. We average about 5 inches of rain for the entire month of May. Reports came in of flooding, property damage, and worst of all, loss of life. Emergency crews were out, running from call to call.

They weren’t the only ones. Reports also came in of neighbor helping neighbor, of friends and relatives lending a hand to each other and more importantly to total strangers. I saw the community come together with my own eyes. I saw Tennessee unite as one regardless of danger to take care of one another.

I was in the middle of writing a thank you note to the people of the Great State of Tennessee when it started raining. It’s Spring in Tennessee, the whole Northern Hemisphere actually, and rain isn’t all that uncommon, so I really didn’t think anything of it. I just kept tapping away at my computer, writing.

I had to stop working because I had another deadline to meet. The love of my life was giving a presentation about genealogy at the MTSU library. I would be in deep kim-shee if I missed it. I noticed as I drove to the campus that the rain was getting worse. At points my windshield wipers were having trouble keeping up with it. I hadn’t seen anything like this since Arizona where you can watch the wall of water advance on you across the desert.

I made it to the library on time and the presentation started. Halfway through we were interrupted by an alarm sounding. A tornado alarm. Along with the rest of the library patrons, we were ushered into the safest place in the building. No one panicked, no one ran, no one thought twice about it.

It’s “Finals Week” at MTSU and there were a lot of students studying. People of every race and creed, adults and children, found themselves forced together through unfortunate circumstance. Everyone was calm and took the interruption with grace. Computers came out and we watched the weather and shared information. One gentleman offered us some food. No one was excluded, we all shared what we knew and what we guessed. As updates came in, we were kept informed by the library staff of any tornadoes, their speed and direction. We were told that LaVergne and Smyrna were shut down by the officials. Arrangements were made for those affected.

Eventually the “All Clear” was sounded. The staff gave information on routes to various destinations. We were even shown where the worst of the weather was so we could decide if we had a window to get home. Armed with the information from the staff we braved the weather and started back to home and hearth. Even though the traffic was much lighter than usual, the drivers were polite and careful to communicate with each other, signalling and allowing for distance and time, giving every one else on the road plenty of room. All of this surprised me. The care and consideration shown to one another was contagious and, in my experience, uncommon.

Two days ago I started writing a “thank you” to the people of the Great State of Tennessee for the friendliness and the welcome I have received; tonight I take my hat off to you, Tennessee..... The Volunteer State!

I’ve Got A Question. Anybody Listen To 40s Music?
By Brian Estes

Sure, maybe it’s not fashionable these days. It’s a product of a bygone era. The world has changed so much. In today’s fast paced world, we’re constantly texting, checking our iPad, looking up the latest news on Wall Street, or browsing over to hulu.com to check out the latest episode of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Maybe it isn’t realistic to expect music from 70-80 years ago to fit into that type of scene.

And honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that. Times change, and music, like everything else, changes with it. But I encourage you to at least spend a little time investigating this period of musical history; I think you’ll find that there’s a lot to like. Maybe you think I’m an old timer trying to get younger generations into the music of my youth. Nope - I’m only 23. I discovered and explored music from the 30s and 40s through Itunes and found there was a lot to like. So if you’ve tired of listening to songs about brushing your teeth with a bottle of jack, I’ve got an idea. Slow down, take it easy, and come explore this extraordinary period of music.

Before you begin exploring works of this era, it’s a good idea to analyze how it differs from music in our own period. The rock and roll revolution in the 50s and 60s marked a new era and rang in radical changes in the musical and cultural landscape. Most of us have heard this countless times since we were children. But it’s hard to truly understand the impact that rock and roll had without a firm knowledge of what came before it. Music became faster, more upbeat, and more intense. But there was a time when it was all about big bands - Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and countless others had us swinging through the night. Long before Chuck Berry brought along his Rock and Roll Music, before Hendrix’s fingers ever flew across a fretboard, it was the fingers of Art Tatum flying across piano keys that left the public mesmerized. Listen to his rendition of Tiger Rag to see what I mean.

It was a great time for vocalists. Dynamic singers like Perry Como and Frank Sinatra stole the spotlight. But there were also many jazz singers that catapulted to dizzying heights. Billie Holliday became an icon thanks in part to “Strange Fruit,” a tune that decried lynch mobbing that were going on at the time. Ella Fitzgerald became popular for her cool jazz scat vocals and collaborations with everyone from Louis Armstrong to Dizzy Gillespie to The Ink Spots.

It was also a great time for country music. The Grand Old Opry had come into its own. Hank Williams Sr. was a behemoth in his field, while Roy Acuff, Eddie Arnold, and Tennessee Ernie Ford rolled off hit after hit. Meanwhile, Little Jimmy Dickens produced some memorable novelty tunes, like “A-Sleepin at the Foot of the Bed” and “Take an Old Cold Tater and Wait.”

If I had to pick one song that I think captures what the 40s were about to me, I would say “I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire” by Horace Heidt. The melodies are simply fantastic, and to me it captures the quintessential sound of this period. It didn’t take long to recognize that it was a great tune but the song’s true brilliance didn’t strike me until I tried singing it myself. There was something about hearing the pitches in my own voice that unlocked something special and I was able to look at melody in new way. There’s a certain elegance to the music; it has a certain simplicity, and as groundbreaking as the rock and roll revolution was, I think those are some qualities we lost when we strutted across the stage in our blue suede shoes. I wonder if we’ll ever get them back.

The style of 40s music is one that most of the world has moved on from. There are some current day artists who display noticeable influences from this era, like Meaghan Smith. Video game soundtracks have begun resurrecting some of this material. Popular video games like Bioshock, Fallout 3, and Grand Theft Auto IV feature Billie Holliday, The Ink Spots, Duke Ellington, and many others on the in game soundtrack. There’s nothing wrong with modern day and more contemporary music. If you want to have a little bad romance it’s okay, but if you’re looking for something different try exploring this bygone era. I can’t promise it will provide instant gratification to the ears of most modern day listeners, but if you put the effort into it I’ll bet you just might find a new favorite.

 Kyle Dickerson - Nashville Newzine Staff Writer

Ready On The Line

Many hobbies stretch across our great nation, from bowling to scrap-booking, golfing to interior design. But for a group of Tennesseans, those bowling balls and scrapbook binders are being traded in for the smell of gunpowder, the clanging of a loaded chamber, and the feel of cold steel in their hands. As we walk further into the new millennium, people across the state are putting aside conventional pastimes and replacing them with the sport of shooting. It’s no longer a male dominated realm, where women and children are rarely found, but instead has become a form of recreation for people of all ages and walks of life. Many have taken up the sport as a way to interact more with their loved ones, being able to spend a Saturday afternoon at the range, while others have sought the competitive side. However, most widely, Tennesseans have picked up their arms for a sense of security and self-protection.

In 2009, the state of Tennessee reported a 23% increase in the number of residents who became licensed to legally carry a personal firearm, and nearly twice that who participated in firearms safety and proficiency courses through a number of reputable organizations. Coincidentally, crime in Tennessee’s capital city decreased by 10% this last year, with violent crimes decreasing by 15%. For one Nashville resident, who wished to remain anonymous, this new movement brings great joy. He stated that it's wonderful to see his fellow Americans taking part in such an integral part of who we are as a nation, and making a statement that we will defend ourselves and those around us, should it ever be asked of us. One thing is certain: along with the rise of interest in the sport, came a rise in sales for local gun shops, munitions dealers, and safety instructors, as well as more local job opportunities.

Franklin Gun Shop, who will be celebrating their 10th Anniversary this upcoming August, is one such business that has benefited greatly from the recent spike in interest. Owner Mike Hassler said that the number of people walking through their front door began increasing about 2 years ago and, though it eventually leveled off, never dropped. To some people, the thought of entering a gun shop is quite stressful. One thing Hassler and his staff pride themselves in is that they offer a friendly environment for everyone from the novice to the seasoned shooter. “I take up new hobbies from time to time, too,” said Hassler. “If someone comes into our shop with little or no gun knowledge, I want them to feel just as much at home as anyone else.” It’s attitudes and love for the sport, such as Hassler’s and the folks at Franklin Gun Shop, that are constantly drawing more and more people to the arena of shooting. The Franklin Gun Shop, which can be found on the web at www.FranklinGunShop.com, is one of the many establishments across the state who offer classes for those wishing to become licensed to carry a weapon. According to Hassler, those classes stay full and promise nothing but good things for Tennessee’s future.

Whether it’s a father taking his son out for his first time on the range, a grandmother working her way through the handgun carry class, or a mother and daughter building self-confidence in their ability to defend themselves, the Tennessee shooting community continues to grow, support each other, and make our state a safer place to live.

Back To School
By Matthew Hemmer

I’m 42 years old. I’m a veteran, a husband and a father. I’ve lived a full, adventurous life which has had it’s ups and downs. Now I’m an undergraduate student at MTSU. Coming back to school was a decision I had to make after taking an accounting of what has led me here and where I can go from here.

I’m a carpenter by trade and no one is building these days. No one has money to renovate or remodel much less build an entire house. I was happy building houses for families to turn into homes or adding a “football” room for dad. I was able to build and create with my own two hands, turning and empty space into a warm room to be enjoyed by people. But it wasn’t to last.

The economy took a tumble and I’m getting a bit too old to swing a hammer in the blistering sun or biting cold. I saw an opportunity to see what else life might have to offer. In the space of a month, August 2009, I obtained financial aid and enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University. It was a lot less daunting than I thought it would be. It was also a lot easier than I thought it would be.

It is a little strange to be in class with kids young enough to be mine but it is enlightening as well. I attend lectures, do homework, and study for midterms and finals. I also get to see the world vicariously through the eyes of my younger classmates. I’m treated with respect by the staff, faculty, and my classmates. No rulers to the knuckles or beratings for failing to do my homework. No detention. You are responsible for your own actions and have to face the consequences of those actions. Just like a real adult. A student can’t help but to be exposed to ideas and thoughts that are new to them. Even me with a lifetime of experience under my belt.

I’m not the only “old man” on campus, MTSU claims that about half of the undergraduate students are non-traditional, meaning, not in the 18-22 year old age bracket. Many of us are continuing to work as we study and that is taken into account by the faculty.

Being back in school does bring back some old ghosts of the past but since I’m older and more mature, I find that I am also much more focused, dedicated and disciplined in my studies. I’m also keenly aware of who is paying for this education.... me. The value is not only in the ability to be able to find work more easily and command a higher pay rate but also in the experience. Self improvement for its own sake.

For those of you out there that have considered going back to school a thousand times.... I say go for it. You’ve got nothing to lose! Get back to school!

Ways To Save Cash
By Brian Estes

With the economy the way it is these days, it seems almost everyone is trying to do whatever they can to save a few bucks. Maybe you’re a college student scarfing down Ramen, just trying to scrape up enough gas money to get around town. Maybe you’ve got a family of your own trying to pay on your mortgage. You might be a single parent working two jobs trying to make ends meet. Or perhaps you’re none of these. But with a little foresight and willpower, you can save cash and find a few extra dollars in your pocket at the end of the week.

Making the most efficient use of your cash will require you to pay attention to many variables, including your phone and cable plans, your shopping habits, and even your travel routes. But first, it’s best to come up with some type of budget. Sit and put some thought into it, and write it down in a planner if you have to. Then, you need to evaluate your expenses. When major companies want to save money, they cut costs. You should do the same. You can try dropping AT&T and switching to a cable telephone. Or better yet, consider dropping your landline altogether and just carrying a cell phone. Coupons are also a great money saver – grab a copy of the Tennessean, especially the Sunday paper, and start snipping.

There are some simple tips to saving cash. Need vacation ideas? Going on a giant cruise or heading overseas might put a bit of a pinch on your wallet. Maybe you could arrange a camping trip? Or if you’re not the outdoorsy type of person, why not plan a road trip? There are plenty of places in the local area to get away. Stones River National Battlefield in Murfreesboro offers some interesting historical perspectives. 

You can save a lot of cash by cutting down on excess travel. Fortunately, the price of gas isn’t back-breakingly expensive like it was a couple years back, but it’s still capable of taking up a significant portion of your paycheck. When you go out, plan out your routes to make the most efficient use, and try to get as many things done in one trip so you don’t have to keep driving back and forth from the home to the grocery, back to the home, then to the gym, etc. Also, if you’re heading out somewhere with a group of friends who live nearby, carpool. Offer to ride a couple of buddies next time you head out, and maybe they’ll reciprocate down the road.

When you go to a grocery store, it often helps to pay attention to product placement. The items you see at eye level often aren’t the best deals. For example, when you browse down the cereal aisle most of the big name brands are within easy reach. But if you take a look at the bottom of the aisle you’ll probably see the third party cereals in the big bags which often taste nearly identical to the major brands. And they come at a fraction of the price.

You can also save cash by reducing the number of channels you get by changing your cable TV package. Or better yet, if you have even more costly satellite TV, like DirecTV, you can save money by scaling things back. Sure, it’s nice to have a choice, but do you really need 20 movie channels, 40 music channels, etc?

Everybody likes to save a little cash, but oftentimes it is easier said than done. Researching different ways to save is certainly a good first step. Aside from that, you just have to stick to your plan. But the satisfaction and the extra cash will more than make up for it.

Every Thursday afternoon, I would lug my heavy CD cases across campus of Middle Tennessee State University, all the way up a flight of stairs to the broadcast studio on the second floor. Of course, being the punctual person that I am, I would usually arrive early while the last DJ was finishing his set. One day he introduced me to a great new way to spin music over the airwaves. All it took was a few clicks onto Imeem.com.

So what is Imeem? Or, more accurately: What was Imeem? It was a site devoted to playing and discovering music, making playlists with all your favorite tunes, and connecting with other music lovers. Maybe you were thinking of buying a new CD, but are the 30 second clips really enough to judge? With Imeem you didn’t have to. But in December, the site ran into legal trouble and was purchased by Myspace, who integrated Imeem into Myspace Music. I examined the circumstances behind the site’s demise, and I’m not sure whether to cry for them or kick them.

The affair began when The Orchard Enterprises, a marketing company dealing in music and video entertainment, filed suit against Imeem for copyright infringement. Imeem had run into legal problems before, being sued by Warner Bros. in 2007 for hosting copyrighted content without permission, but their entanglement with The Orchard Enterprises would prove to be their last. Orchard’s complaint consists essentially of the same thing Warner was charging that Imeem was profiting off their music without permission. I snagged a copy of Orchard’s legal complaint off Scribd.com, which states Imeem was instructed to remove Orchard’s masters until a license agreement could be entered into. The complaint alleged that 44 albums and 3 master recordings were available on Imeem without permission. Imeem did not heed Orchard’s request to remove the infringed masters.

Orchard sought $150,000 per infringement, or to receive all of the profits Imeem received from the infringed masters. In the end, Imeem was fined 1.77 million, as reported by Pulse2.com. Imeem was forced to sell all its assets to Myspace for less than a million dollars, and was integrated into Myspace Music. The fan response was swift and dynamic. Users were concerned their playlists would be scattered to the wind. A message posted on Myspace Music said tech support was working on trying to resolve the issue. User playlists were eventually recovered, but the process took a few weeks.

For the most part, Myspace Music seems to be an adequate spiritual successor to Imeem. Simply type in the name of the artist you’re looking for, and you can pull up their Myspace page. Nearly every band imaginable is represented, from The Beatles, Metallica, and Radiohead to lesser known (but still brilliant acts, in my opinion) artists like Black Moth Super Rainbow, Armik, and Nawang Khechog. Sure, there could be some bands missing but you’d be hard pressed to find them. Even better, you can still play full audio clips and not have to be confined to 30 second clips. However, different artists utilize this in different ways. On Imeem, you could listen to the complete discography of almost any major popular artists. On Myspace Music, many bands only have a handful of songs available, if even that. Imeem’s demise was unfortunate, but the shame is that they failed to heed copyright infringement warnings on multiple occasions. Sites like Imeem are a great service to music listeners, and when they fall it’s the common music listener who suffers.