By Judge Brian Addington, Gray I went out for lunch the other day and heard an '80s song that I had not heard in years, Head to Toe, by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam. That song really got in my head, and I came back to the office thinking about it. Eventually, it led me … Continue reading Rest in Peace, Scheduled Members
Category: Hon. Brian Addington
What’s the Difference?
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray I recently took my son and members of his cross-country team on a running and history trip. The boys ran two 5K races, one in Virginia and the other in Pennsylvania. They had a good time running, and we enjoyed some relaxing days at the pool. We also toured a … Continue reading What’s the Difference?
Of love and other poisons
By Judge Brian Addington, Kingsport It was 1751, and Francis Blandy was suspicious. As a loving father, Blandy suspected that Captain William Henry Cranstoun, his daughter's fiance, was already married. When Cranstoun left England to return to Scotland to have his previous marriage annulled, Blandy felt better about the situation. But as the months passed, … Continue reading Of love and other poisons
Put Me in, Coach–I’m ready to play (Oh, Wait, I Can’t)
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray Well, we’re in summer now, and what time is it? Baseball time. By the way, I’m a Braves fan; isn’t everybody? There’s just something about baseball as the perfect way to get folks together on a hot summer evening. Speaking of baseball, playing it in college remains one of my … Continue reading Put Me in, Coach–I’m ready to play (Oh, Wait, I Can’t)
The Loveable, Stubborn Mule
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray When I was a little boy, we had a friend who owned a farm. We visited often because the farm was on our way to church. One day, the farmer asked my brother if he wanted to ride his mule. My brother agreed, so the farmer brought out the mule. … Continue reading The Loveable, Stubborn Mule
More Than a Name on a Wall
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray In November 1982, the United States completed construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. My Dad is a Vietnam veteran, and he was very interested in the construction of the memorial, as he had friends die in the war. Although quite controversial at first, the site has become … Continue reading More Than a Name on a Wall
Life is a highway
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray I can still remember when the first Cars movie came out. I was excited because I thought my son, who was three at the time, would love it. Sure enough he did, and eventually he decorated his room with Cars memorabilia. His love of the Cars movies led to a love … Continue reading Life is a highway
Slip sliding away
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray I was sitting in our car in Nashville years ago when I heard a catchy tune from Paul Simon, Slip Sliding Away. I later learned the Oak Ridge Boys backed him up. I really liked that song, but I was used to hearing the Oak Ridge Boys sing gospel. I … Continue reading Slip sliding away
Honoring law enforcement
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray I recently came across the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. This happened while researching coins; I used to collect them and was wondering about the price of a coin I previously owned. While doing so, I discovered that the U.S. Mint issued a National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Silver Dollar … Continue reading Honoring law enforcement
It’s not that funny
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray I like having fun. Through the years, I’ve had some great times with friends and family. I won’t tell who, but another judge on the Court of Worker’s Compensation Claims and I almost got thrown out of the University of Tennessee Law Library because our study group was laughing so … Continue reading It’s not that funny
Between a rock and a hard place
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray, and Jane Salem, staff attorney, Nashville As we just celebrated Labor Day, and as we approach the 100-year anniversary of workers’ compensation in Tennessee, both are excellent reminders of the importance of the Workers' Compensation Law. As you know, workers’ compensation was conceived as the “grand bargain,” in that employees … Continue reading Between a rock and a hard place
Rough as cob, sweet as corn
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray As summer winds up, soon we’ll be saying farewell to fresh corn on the cob. Sigh. I love corn: corn on the cob, popcorn, grilled corn with cheese, creamed corn, and plain old frozen or canned corn. My Nana could cook the heck out of corn. I used to fight … Continue reading Rough as cob, sweet as corn
Settlement approvals to be held in Morristown
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray We’ve finally settled into the new office in Gray. It’s been a pleasure to work in a new space for mediations, approvals and hearings for our Northeast Tennessee counties. As part of our long history of service to the public, we formerly offered settlement approvals in various cities throughout Northeast … Continue reading Settlement approvals to be held in Morristown
Remembering Fraterville
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray In the summer of 1981, my family moved from Kingsport, Tennessee, to Grundy, Virginia. Grundy is located in the coalfields of Southwest Virginia. We only lived for a few months in Kingsport while my dad sought a church to pastor. Before that, we lived in Nashville for four years. The … Continue reading Remembering Fraterville
Safe Travels
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray As spring break approaches, I started thinking about a topic that’s close to my heart: travel. I love to travel and experience new places, people and food. I love to return from a successful trip and share my experiences with others, encouraging them to travel there, too. I’ve enjoyed trips … Continue reading Safe Travels
Precious Memories and a Bright Future
By Judge Brian Addington, Gray (formerly of Kingsport) It was a new experience when I walked in the door at 1908 Bowater Drive in Kingsport, Tennessee in late 2004 for the first time. What used to be a Greyhound bus station, unemployment office, car parts store and church now served as the Bureau’s Northeast Tennessee … Continue reading Precious Memories and a Bright Future
Brave Tennesseean is ‘Righteous Among the Nations’
By Judge Brian Addington, Kingsport I have written before about my interest and love of heroes, mentioning Alvin York and Tom Lee, both great Tennesseans. They exemplified courage in distinctly different ways and both were widely recognized for their accomplishments during their lifetimes. I am proud they called Tennessee home and are part of our … Continue reading Brave Tennesseean is ‘Righteous Among the Nations’
In Re: Louisiana’s Disappearing Lake
By Judge Brian Addington, Kingsport I like to fish. It was one of the first outdoorsy things that my dad and granddad taught me. I typically use natural bait or spinners and love to fish for trout, bluegill and bass. My love for fishing, though, pales in comparison to that of Eric Fenstemaker, Program Coordinator … Continue reading In Re: Louisiana’s Disappearing Lake
Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say
By Judge Brian Addington, Kingsport I’m from the country and can slice the English language better than a butcher. I’m really bad when I read aloud. At home, I often try to read something to my wife, only to be stared at and told, “I didn’t understand a single thing you read.” At work, in … Continue reading Saying What You Mean and Meaning What You Say
In Re Labor Day
By Judge Brian Addington, Kingsport As a child, I always dreaded the end of summer. My school granted me three and a half months of freedom and I loved to take every advantage of it. I spent all day outside as often as I could, running from friend’s house to house and totally enjoying myself. … Continue reading In Re Labor Day
From the Bench 