Hammerhaid: Another reason for Middle Tennessee to despise AIG on The Murfreesboro Post

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Hammerhaid: Another reason for Middle Tennessee to despise AIG

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By: MIKE WEST, Managing Editor

Posted: Sunday, March 22, 2009 7:33 am

AIG, AIG … that combination of letters triggered a few cells in Hammerhaid's noggin. Eventually, the reality hit him. It was the A&G that did it.

Remember WSM Radio and WSM TV?

An insurance company named National Life and Casualty were responsible for the birth of them. The call letters were a take on National Life’s motto, “We Shield Millions.” Founded in 1923 as a way of marketing National Life's policies, WSM Radio begat The Grand Ole Opry a few years later.

In 1950, WSM Radio spawned Nashville's first television station, WSM (now WSMV).

Eventually, National Life built new offices near the State Capitol, and plans were drafted to build a new amusement park, which would be called Opryland USA. The venerable Grand Ole Opry was relocated there in 1974.

And all was lovely.

Too lovely. With the radio station, Channel 4 and Opryland, the prosperous life insurance company was ripe for takeover.

In the 1980s, the American General Corp., a Houston, Texas insurance company, launched a hostile takeover. AG won the battle and stripped off National Life’s assets. WSM, Opryland and the Grand Ole Opry were sold to Gaylord and the office tower was sold to the state of Tennessee.

And we all know how that ended, except for a little footnote. The insurance business, American General, is now part of American International Group, AIG, giving Middle Tennesseans another reason to despise the greedy corporation. If greed hadn’t prevailed, we might still have Opryland. Dang it.

* * *

Are you aware of the renewed interest in cupcakes? Oh yes, they are a national sensation, but not among men.

Hammerhaid's not buying it either. The last good cupcake he had was homemade by his mom about a thousand years ago. Yellow cake topped by a ton of chocolate icing. It was heavenly, and Hammerhaid had a way of pinching them before they were iced.

“Nobody will notice a tiny little pinch,” he wrongly thought.

There was nothing worse than sharing them. If a baking tin had space for eight or 10 cupcakes … they belonged to him by golly. After all, they were small and perfect for little hands.

Homemade cupcakes disappeared only to be replaced by store-bought ones perfect to buy and take to a kid's birthday party. Didn't really matter if the icing was icky, and the cake was as dry and tasteless as cotton balls.

Now, cupcakes are making a comeback, especially mini ones.

And they just aren't suitable food for men, especially for overgrown ones like Hammerhaid.

“There's no way for a man to eat a cupcake without looking like a fool,” he snorted.

“I guess you could eat one with a fork, but why bother. Most of them are just a bite or two, but I get the $%^ things all over me. The icing gets all over your face and the cake crumbles all over your clothes. And what the heck do you do with that little paper wrapper of a thing? Wad it up and put it in your pocket? Drop it on the floor casually and kick it under somebody else's chair?”

“So I say forgetaboutit,” Hammerhaid said in his horrible fake Italian accent. “Give me a slice of pie any day.” Especially Julie’s Key Lime Pie.

T-t-t-t-that's r-r-r-r-r-ight.

Tagged under Voices

Member Opinions:

By: bota on 3/22/09
There is no way that Hammerhaid could connect AIG with Opryland. Ham, sausage, breakfast, Easter, yes.... but not Opryland.