A Good Christian Raisin’ and a Eighth Grade Education
The local (Knoxville) Ron Paul meetup group was featured in the KNS today.
I feed guilty that I have not been to a single event that the meetup group works. I really need to correct that. I’m on their mailing list and keep up, but just haven’t made it out. However, one cool thing about Dr. Paul’s campaign and his supporters is that it is grassroots, so there are many ways to contribute, one of which is writing a post or two here every now and then.
Or maybe I’m just rationalizing.
SVD has a pretty funny post over at KtownLowDown about “Local News“. Well what do I find featured in the KNS the very next day? A real scoop: Kenny Chesney Still Loves The Vols.
Look, I get it that offbeat stories are interesting. When somebody does something really stupid or odd, it’s going to attract interest. I even understand covering stories about scandalous nude photos or crazy sexual escapades. If nothing else, there’s some web traffic to be gained.
What I don’t understand is a front page (at least on their web site) story about which college football team has earned the allegiance of a singer.
Can anyone who would actually care one way or the other even read?
This isn’t even local news.
From the KNS
A Knox County sports referee who used his position to lure child molestation victims into his home will die in prison.
Hopefully this death will be administered by the most sadistic son of a bitch in the penal system. Bonus points if it occurs within the first week, lessening this walking fart’s burden on the taxpayers.
Good riddance.
The KNS tells us that former Tennessee State Trooper who received a favor from Knoxville based porn star Barbie Cummings will be prosecuted, even though the work she performed was pro bono…
James Randy Moss turned himself in to Wilson County authorities in Middle Tennessee this morning to face a sealed indictment on charges of official misconduct, tampering with evidence and official oppression.
I’m a little surprised that Barbie Cummings doesn’t still have her blog going, or if she does I can’t find it. She really could have made a big splash with this story if she’d played it right. I thought from the beginning it was just a clever stunt on her part to get her name out–no such thing as bad press, right?
From the KNS:
School security chief Steve Griffin said this morning that his department scoured the web after they received information Friday relating to photographs of Inskip Elementary School teacher Melinda England.
Get ready for an onslaught of this. I predict that “nude teacher pictures” will be the new “doing it with the teacher” in 2008.
The fact is, lots of people have digital cameras, but not many people have common sense. Really, it’s bad enough to let someone else take and have pictures of you in compromising situations, but to post them yourself?
Forget about whether or not it is inappropriate–is this person smart enough to teach kids?
Some people don’t think it’s a big deal, and maybe they are right. But if you are going to be employed by the public (schools) you have expect that they (the public) are going to judge you by the community’s accepted standards–right or wrong doesn’t come into play.
Maybe people will eventually catch on that you can’t do stuff like this and expect that it is going to be copasetic, because chances are we are pretty far away from parents thinking this is ok.
Now that the KNS trial over Knox County Commission’s violation of Tennessee’s Sunshine Law has been decided, what should we expect next? And no, I’m not referring to whether or not Scott Moore will (be asked to) step down or not, or how the seats will eventually be filled.
I’m more interested in knowing if they media scrutiny of County government is now going to turn back onto the Mayor’s office and the events over there. One thing that became clear to the public, if it wasn’t clear already, is that there are definite factions opposing one another.
If the KNS doesn’t pursue the story vigorously, it could be viewed as support of the argument made by some Commissioners that the New Sentinel is biased towards Mayor Ragsdale. Should we then expect more hard hitting coverage from another angle? From another news outlet? Will it be initiated by the Commissioners damaged by the trial as a sort of counterpunch?
This has potential to get even more interesting.
From the KNS
Jurors this afternoon said commissioners did violate the Tennessee Open Meetings Act in the way they chose 12 replacements for term-limited officeholders.
Now what? How do we fix it? What is the fall out? Does anyone want to vote for me? 😀
***UPDATE***
From WBIR
Chancellor Fansler announced he will release a written decision based on the findings of the jury. His opinion will offer a remedy.
Starting today, state Department of Revenue agents will begin stopping Tennessee motorists spotted buying large quantities of cigarettes in border states, then charging them with a crime and, in some cases, seizing their cars.
I can go so many different directions with this one…
Do I make the comparison to the Dukes of Hazzard with revenuers, crooked local authorities, and free wheeling Robin Hood types whose lawless behavior we cheer on?
Do I draw a conclusion that more state authorities in Tennessee are trying to get into pulling people over so they can take advantage of the fringe benefits that have become associated with traffic stops in our state? (That one is for all of you who voted for it in the last poll).
Or do I say nothing, since I don’t consume cigarettes?
First they came for the smokers, and I didn’t speak up because I don’t smoke.
Then they came for the Sunday beer sales, and I didn’t speak up because I’m usually too hung over to drink on Sundays.
And when they came for the people who play home poker games, there was no one who was interested in playing poker on Sundays, the only day I have time to play, left to speak for me.
The KNS says that a study reports
51 percent of high school students questioned had not heard of the day when they are required by law to learn about the Constitution.
The occasion, created by Congress in 2004, usually is observed on or around Sept. 17, the day the document was adopted in 1787.
There’s some irony for you. Congress makes a federal law regarding public education (which by the way is covered nowhere in the Constitution) that students must learn about the Constitution. Doing what it does best, our public education system then strikes right at the meaty part of the bell curve and makes sure that a healthy 49% of students actually receive the education as mandated.
Sounds about right.
Personally, my favorite part of the Constitution is “Congress shall make no law”. Ever wonder if we’d be better off if they’d just stopped there?
Local people will hate me for writing this, and most non-locals won’t get why it’s a big deal.
It is really sad funny, but I didn’t know that football season started today until about 30 minutes before the UT game. This is what is considered the real football season around here by the way, not the NFL. I’m risking my status as a Knoxville resident by admitting that I wasn’t really aware and don’t care that much about UT football.
Now for the fun part. The start of football season means that it’s time to start listening to sports talk radio again. See, I’m not really a football fan, but I’m a huge “Members of the Knoxville Chapter of Mensa talking about football on the radio” fan. It’s hard to believe the entertainment they provide is actually free.
I just checked the scores and saw that the Vols lost, so it should be good this week of radio. The chicken littles will be out en masse, not realizing that win or lose, they still have to go to work on Monday. I’ve never understood how people can get so emotionally invested in something over which they have no control. Maybe that’s it? The fact that they don’t have control is what makes them freak out over it? Dunno.
Anyway, here’s a quick stab in the dark of some things we may here this week:
“Phil Fulmer should be fired”
“I don’t understand why they ran _____ on that 2nd and 4 during the 3rd quarter”
“How many games does Phil have to win this year to keep his job?”
“Let’s just hope Cal wins out.”
“If Fulmer gets fired or resigns, who should we go after as a coach?”
“I just want to say GO VOLS! I’ll hang up and listen to your comments.”
“If the NFL comes after Phil, what are the chances of him leaving?”
See a common theme here? Tennessee fans do love them a good coach firing!!!
***UPDATE***
As sure as the sun rises. The first comment on the article in the KNS I linked to:
“it just goes to show that we pay top dollar to overrated coaches (phill fulmer mostly)”
I love this time of year! It’s better than Christmas and Arbor Day combined!!!
