Overdue: Nashville blogger Saucy Librarian says she’d never heard of the rexblog until reading about it in the Nashville Scene (don’t feel lonely, only seven people had) and lists a few reasons why she should never be considered Nashville’s best local blogger. Unfotunately, I, too, have been unaware of her weblog, but will be checking out (rimshot) what Ms. Librarian has to say in the future. (By the way, I have a Nashville “blogroll” on the left column of every page of this weblog that includes a link to SL and other blogs I run across that originate here.)

Music City jihadist: This is too weird. And too close. The Tennessean is reporting that Ahmed Hassan Al-Uqaily, an Iraqi citizen living in Nashville, has been arrested by the FBI after scheming to purchase machine guns, hand grenades and anti-tank missiles as part of a plan to “go jihad” in Nashville.

(via Bill Hobbs)

What podcasting doesn’t have to be: As I’ve been cheering the concept of podcasting and suggesting people check it out, it has occurred to me (after listening to a few hours of some of the early podcasters) that some folks may be interpreting my enthusiasm for the concept of podcasting as an endorsement of the content of some of the pioneering podcasters. So, let me make this clear: Podcasting is not necessarily about people espousing weird anti-Bush conspiracy theories and using drive-by profanity. This week, most podcasts may be like that. However, I predict within a few weeks, the pioneers of podcasting will be joined by folks with dramatically different points of view and approaches. (And, again, this isn’t a suggestion that anyone change what they’re doing. Just an observation that what they’re doing will end up being one small slice of a big podcasting pie.)

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Congratulations King Wilkie: It’s not often that I get to shout-out some friends for such a big-time accomplishment. But Thursday, the favorite bluegrass band of the rexblog, King Wilkie was named “Emerging Bluegrass Artists of the Year” at the annual International Bluegrass Music Awards (you know, the awards moving to Nashville next year when the CMAs pretend to be citified). I have blogged previously how I got to know the group through a magazine connection. What I haven’t mentioned (but now will as they’re officially famous in an obscure but superior musical genre) is how the group dropped by my house for supper earlier this year and how they were kind enough to jam some with the 14 year old guy who lives here. (The 14-year-old is also an Incubus fan, but they’ve never dropped by the house.) In the photo is Ted Pitney [who despite what he's playing in the photo, plays guitar in the band] and Nick Reeb, an incredible fiddler who (trivia alert) is accredited as a Suzuki-method violin instructor. Nashvillians (some of whom I was surprised to learn the other day, actually read this blog) may note that another member of the group, Johnny McDonald, has strong family ties to Nashville. King Wilkie is what country music should be about rather than the crap you hear on country-music radio; not that I have an opinion on that topic, or anything.

How magazines get started (continued): From the Ironton (Ohio) Tribune:

More than just a catchy moniker, “Bridges” reflects a new local magazine’s mission to connect Ohio River communities one reader at a time. Still, the abundance of this region’s water-spanning structures certainly did not hurt when it came time to pick a name that encompasses both the magazine’s readership and goal. “(The name) really has worked out well,” said John Gallaher, publisher of the quarterly, full-color magazine produced in Ashland, Ky. “It ties into so many things - bridging the gap, connecting the communities and those types of things.”

(Explanation: How magazines get started (continued).)

Net Newswire help: I know a few of the seven readers of this weblog use the newsreader Net Newswire. I’ve been using the 2.0 beta but somehow my OPML file appears to have become truncated so that only four or so of my selected feeds are read. As that last sentence used up my entire entire geek vocabulary, can someone suggest what I can do beyond the obvious: Use bloglines (I do as a back up) & restore to the earlier version, which, fortunately I followed Ranchero’s suggestion and made the proper back-ups to do so (see, I learn from experience).