Good morning, everyone.

As we head into what looks like a stellar Fall weekend in Nashville. Munich may have cancelled their Oktoberfest, but here in Nashville, Oktoberfest activities galore this weekend. You can check out our suggestions below.

Thanks for reading.

Nashville

⚡️ POWER BILLS AND SOCIETAL ILLS

Cognitive dissonance: the reaction you may experience when you discover that your NES bill will be automatically rounded up to the nearest dollar for the Home Uplift Program, a charity created by the Tennessee Valley Authority that addresses energy efficiency and weatherization needs for low-income households. Coming this January, the electric company’s Power of Change initiative will be tagging your bank account to do just that. Read more about different Tennessean’s opinions on the matter by checking out this FOX 17 News investigative report.

DEVELOPMENT

• 12South commercial building sells for $10.6M (Post)
• Dallas company eyes January opening for SoBro restaurant (Post)
• East Bank redevelopment breaks ground after decades of planning (Channel 5)
• Brentwood City Commission approves rezoning of 28 acres at Franklin, Concord Roads (Homepage)
• River North project breaks ground (WSMV)

National

💰 BORIS' THOUGHT DREAMS

Across the pond, our forbears face a coterie of issues similar to what we here in the United States experience: labor shortages, inflation fears, and sky-rocketing energy prices. Though the US hasn't quite jumped the shark on that last one, for better or worse, the plight of Western nations lies together in the same post-Covid swamp.

The Brits were giddy this week as Prime Minister Boris Johnson took to the stage at the Conservative party conference in Manchester. Johnson, and his foppish blonde mop of hair, cuts an incongruous figure in much the same way that Trump formerly did, but with a more uppity cant to his speeches and demeanor. Johnson cites Milton and laments that many young people will never learn to appreciate the beauty of poetry whereas Trump created poetry himself, coining a wide variety of phrases and nicknames. Whatever you think of either man, they know how to draw your attention.

A certain segment of the UK press devoted pages and pages to fawning over Boris' jokes compiling highlight reels and complimenting him on his affable and optimistic rhetoric. Others lambasted his speech as hollow and of no consequence—just more "blah, blah, blah", to channel Greta Thunberg.

It's a cheap point, but Johnson's rhetorical strength—even if empty and full of platitudes—contrasts strongly with our own geriatric inmate, Joe Biden, whose demeanor makes you think someone's pointing a gun at his crotch any time a microphone comes within six feet of him. Johnson, on the other hand, genuinely enjoys entertaining and drawing in a crowd. The only thing Biden and Johnson visibly have in common is their slogan, Build Back Better, which adorned Johnson's pulpit like a cheap bumper sticker a rep at a corporate conference passes to you as you walk by. The slogan, presumably inherited from the World Economic Forum (WEF),  emphasizes the UK's alignment on the larger "Great Reset" goals which we've all come to know and loath over the course of the pandemic.

The most pressing issue in the UK right now is the labor shortages plaguing the trucking industry, leading to gasoline shortages and exacerbating an already fragile power grid which witnessed its wind power generation drop from 20% of all generated electricity to just under 2% in a single month leading to a spike in energy prices as providers struggled to obtain enough natural gas to keep the lights on amidst a global demand surge.

In the speech, Johnson sketched a vision of the UK's future by lampooning the nation's reliance on cheap, unskilled labor supplied via uncontrolled immigration. Johnson drew a sharp line in the sand where nations like the US have doubled down on their insistence that unregulated immigration is the only way to fill work shortages exacerbated by their own policy decisions. Johnson's vision is not without its risks, of course. Weening the nation off its reliance on unskilled immigration rings especially loud in the midst of a nationwide labor shortage, and unsurprisingly, critics have said as much. Johnson replies to the critics by casting blame on companies that were simply not well enough prepared for a post-Brexit world. Metering immigration is all a part of Johnson's vision of a "high wage, high productivity, and low tax" nation that is self-suficient. All admirable goals.

In the US, casting blame on corporate America—unless it's Facebook—is nigh on high treason. It would be an encouraging development to see a political candidates go against party taboos, as Johnson has, to stake out a vision that is, at minimum, cogent.

Entertainment

THINGS TO DO

You can view our full weekly event calendar here.

Tonight
🍺 Oktoberfest @ Von Elrod’s, 4p-9p, FREE (Info)
🎸 Joe Bonamassa @ Ryman Auditorium, 8p (Info)
🎻 Music of Pink Floyd w/ the Nashville Symphony @ Schermerhorn, 8p (Info)

Tomorrow
🍺 Oktoberfest @ Von Elrod’s, 11a-9p, FREE (Info)
🍺 1st Annual Oktoberfeast @ Assembly Food Hall, 12p-6p, FREE (Info)
🎸 The Rolling Stones @ Nissan Stadium, 7:30p (Info)
🪕 The Infamous Stringdusters @ Brooklyn Bowl, 8p, $27 (Info)
🎷 J DILLA, MF DOOM, Erykah Badu Tribute @ Rudy's Jazz Room, 11p, $15 (Info)

Sunday
🎸 The Marshall Tucker Band w/ Ben Chapman @ The Caverns, 5p, $50 (Info)
🌆 Alec Benjamin @ Marathon Music Works, 8p, $25 (Info)

🥪🍻 NASHVILLE GEM: DUKE'S

East Nashville
1000 Main Street, Nashville, TN 37206

I’m not gonna lie, I’m still on the fence about telling anyone about this place because it’s such a dive-bar gem, and secrets are best kept - well - secret. Whether you’re a rhinestone cowboy, a rockabilly, a biker, or a suit you’ll find all kinds of kinds in this joint. It’s tucked away on the edge of 5 Points in East Nashville right on the corner of Main Street and even if you can’t find parking in the lot, it’s worth a parking spot search and a short walk.

The Vibe
The second time I stopped in, I bellied up to the bar. They have a tv that’s never turned on, so if you’re looking for a place to be alone in your thoughts this is your jam. I even had a short chat with the bartender about the time she lived in New York City and befriended an old homeless Polish man who used to pass out on the stoop outside her apartment. My last name is Polish if you are wondering how we even got there.

Food and Libations
Let’s start with food. It’s a simple, straightforward deli. And it’s amazing. Every sandwich can be ordered either hot or cold, regular ($7) or large ($10), and comes with a side of chips and little pickled peppers instead of a pickle. As for drinks, this place has some dive-y options but the most notable selections are the $6 beer shots. They have the "Patriot” which is a Mug of Lager and a shot of Four Roses bourbon and the "Federale" which is a Can of Mexican beer and a shot of Sauza Silver tequila.

Open from noon to 2am, it’s worth a stop on your next lunch break or on your way home to escape the grind.

Covid Gutter

Trends and news concerning everyone's favorite viral pandemic.

💉 Read our primer on monoclonal antibodies which have proven to be a potent and effective defense (regardless of vaccination status) against the worst of COVID-19 (Read)

HEADLINES

• One grift to rule them all: Moderna founders debut on Forbes’ list of 400 richest Americans (NY Post)
• San Diego County approves proof-of-vaccination requirement for new hires (SD Union-Tribune)
• Los Angeles Will Require Vaccine Proof For Indoor Activities Starting Nov. 4 (Forbes)
• Colorado Hospital Refuses Kidney Transplant to Woman Over COVID-19 Vaccine Refusal (Epoch Times)
• Flush with COVID-19 aid, schools steer funding to sports (AP)

Around the Web

🎉 Nomos of the Nightclub Nietzsche’s Antidote for the West’s Sickness of the Will

📱 The Facebook Whistleblower Is Heroic... And Terribly Wrong Frances Haugen got a lot right. But a digital regulator that legitimizes Facebook's power would be the worst possible outcome.

🏡 A Case for the Porch Meditations on the edge of nature

Political Theater Highlight Reel

1. Bernie Sanders squeals, "2 people do not have the right to sabotage what 48 want and what the President wants.” What of the other 50, big guy? 52 > 48
2. AG Garland has a conflict of interest with Facebook, critical race theory. Namely that his son-in-law, Xan Tanner, runs an education technology company that stands to benefit from stifled parental influence in schools.
3. The ex-CEO of Pepsi said asking for a raise is 'cringeworthy'
4. Seattle Just Became the Latest City to Decriminalize Psychedelic Drugs

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Have a great weekend