Walk the Line: I saw the movie Walk the Line Friday night and while it’s no Coal Miner’s Daughter, it’s one of the better “Nashville” movies I’ve seen and one of the better bio-pics, in general. While I doubt he’ll win, Joaquin Phoenix should get an Oscar nomination for his Johnny Cash role. (If Jamie Foxx had not won for Ray last year, I think Phoenix’ chances would be better. Oddly, there are many things about Walk the Line and Ray that run parallel.) That Reese Witherspoon is from Nashville (her home and high school are both less than a mile from where I saw the movie) adds to the hometown tie-in.

Other Nashville movie tidbits: Joaquin Phoenix’ brother, River, starred in a not-that-great movie filmed in Nashville, The Thing Called Love, shortly before he died. Also this list of films with Nashville-related locations reveals a bit of trivia I’ve never heard (and still can’t believe): some exterior scenes of the Matrix were shot here, including the skyline in the opening Trinity rooftop chase.

It’s also the way Barbara Walters pronounces my name: Wex is a “collaboratively built, freely available legal dictionary and encyclopedia” from Cornell Law School.

I know that definition sounds like a “wiki” and the platform on which Wex is running quacks and waddles like a wiki, however, apparently they are reluctant to call it a wiki because they’re not letting just anyone collaborate on it: You actually have to know what you’re writing about. I have no problem with that: If there is a collaboratively built brain surgery “dictionary and encyclopedia” out there somewhere, I’d be happy to learn they limit the contributors to brain surgeons and other qualified authorities on the topic.

Interesting question on the Wex FAQ, however:

Why not just contribute law material to Wikipedia?

Excellent question. In time, we may offer our material to Wikipedia, or otherwise merge our efforts with theirs. In the short term, we want to retain more control over what appears here. Once we have a better idea of what stresses and strains are involved in running such a system, we may consider moving.

(via: ResourceShelf)

Technorati Tags: wiki

White House Chief of Staff drops by Nashville earlier today: Fortunately, it was an uneventful visit.

Via AP:

A small, twin-engine plane carrying White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card made an emergency landing in Nashville Saturday after smoke began pouring into the cockpit, officials said. Card and 12 others on board were not injured when the Gulfstream 4 plane bound for Washington landed at the Nashville International Airport around 4 p.m., said Lynne Lowrance, an airport spokeswoman.

Technorati Tags: nashville