Posted on

This Week on The Dukes of Newport

Revenuers come to Hazzard, err, Newport to investige a mini-casino, cock fighting, and moonshine production that is all being orchestrated by Boss Hogg under the protection of the ultimate dirty cop–Roscoe P. Coaltrain.

Of course, Boss Hogg and Roscoe try to pin it all on Bo and Luke. Enos, a pawn in their game, is forced to arrest the Duke boys. Luckily, Uncle Jesse and Cooter are able to give Daisy a ride to the jail, where she is able to distract Enos. This gives Bo and Luke just enough time to get Flash to bring them the keys to the jail, climb into the General Lee, jump a creek where the bridge is out, beat up Boss’s cronies and turn them over to the revenuers and the state police from Capital City.

Of course, Boss Hogg denies all knowledge of the vice operations, and gives all of the money confiscated to the Cocke County orphanage. Then everyone gathers down at the Boar’s Nest, where Loretta Lynn sings one song in exchange for having a bogus speeding ticket ripped up.

Sometimes I scratch my head and wonder why everyone thinks we are all stupid rednecks.

***UPDATE***
They also shot some arrows with dynamite taped to them. The Duke boys aren’t allowed to have guns because of previous convictions for running shine, so they are forced to use dyanamite instead.

Posted on

Lobster for Lunch in Knox County

KNS has the story about our mayor’s executive administrative assistant, a commissioner, and an unknown third party feasting on $37.98 each lobster tails, then grabbing a couple more to go, for pre-tip bill of $198.56, Luckily for the taxpayers (I guess), they basically stiffed the waiter, only tipping him $29 (14.6%).

Frugality and class! So the total bill was $227.56–FOR LUNCH.

Good thing we had a 100% increase in our wheel tax a couple of years ago (hope you are enjoying the new library).

“Clearly, while we consider business meals legitimate expenses, we certainly feel that expense was excessive,” Norwood said.

See, that’s the problem. County government is not a business. Businesses sell products and services to customers on the free market. In business, customers have a choice to buy from someone else or not to buy at all. The business then has a choice on how it spends this money and is accountable to shareholders.

“While we can’t tell our guests what to order,” Norwood said, “we discourage people from ordering unusually expensive meals.”

Obviously.

Posted on

Fairness on Talk Radio

Diane Feinstein is “looking at” pushing the fairness doctrine for talk radio broad casters in the United States. The conversation was brought about mostly by the public outcry over the proposed immigration bill that has been getting slammed on talk radio, which is by and large right leaning.

For the record, I’m hardly a fan of Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity is an even bigger self-promoting jackass that Rush is in my opinion. Savage is a nut, but entertaining. Neil Boortz is the only one of these guys I can listen to for more than an hour or so. Nevertheless, what isn’t fair about the current state of talk radio? These guys put out a product, people listen, advertisers buy ads to reach these people.

In contrast, the left started a radio station, no one listened, no one bought ads, they embezzled money from at least one charity to keep it going, still no one listened, they didn’t pay their “talent”, their talent quit, and they folded.

By the way, isn’t it funny that “spreading the message” isn’t so important when you aren’t getting a paycheck? I’m a little disappointed that Al Franken wasn’t willing to stay on the air for what he believed is right, not just for the money. Hell, even Coolio said that if hip hop didn’t pay he’d rap for free–that’s real commitment to your cause.

It seems pretty cut and dry. If someone wants to make things “fair”, they can sink millions more dollars into a leftist radio station that folks who drive to work and back and are out all day on sales calls–the people they propose stealing from–will continue not to listen.

That sounds fair to me.

Posted on

Local Currencies — A Brilliant Idea

CNN has the story of a local community printing its own currency that tracks to the dollar at a rate of 1 BerkShare (the local currency) to $.90. Yes, this is legal.

Since large national chains aren’t entering into agreements to accept local bills, only the small, locally owned shops are accepting them. And based on the rate at which they track to dollars, customers receive a 10% discount for using the local currency.

For all of you people who complain about the big box stores and that the gov’ment should do something about them, apparently some LOCAL governments have, and it works well.

The market will always find a way.

Posted on

Why We Fight Wars, At Least Why I Would

I was talking to some guys at work this morning about the reasons for war. There are several answers I’ve heard throughout the years–land, money, religion, etc. One guy actually stumbled onto what I believe is the true answer when he said that animals don’t have war because all they do is eat, poop, and breed. My question was if he thinks we are really all that much different from animals. The males fight for dominance and the right to breed with the female of their choosing, right?

From what I can tell, all conflict between men is rooted in the desire to mate. The desire to get money, power, win a competition, on and on and on. It’s all rooted in the desire to get some. The guy with a bomb strapped to his chest may THINK he’s doing it for Allah, but he’s really just helping some other guy get an extra wife.

My friend correctly took the argument to the next logical stage, “Would war be eliminated if women were in charge?”

To answer simply, no. They’d just fight over shoes.

Posted on

KPD Prostitution Sting Wildly Successful

The KNS reports that a sting ending at 6 am in the Magnolia area caught eleven “criminals”. Apparently ten women and one man were engaged in swapping services one party was willing to provide for money the other party was willing to pay.

Stay tuned to the KNS. I’m sure they’ll have a follow up story once the victims of these crimes are found and identified.

In (somewhat) related news, the former Highway Patrolman involved in the Barbie Cummings traffic stop is under further investigation for other traffic stops he made involving women. Not sure if they are looking for evidence of him disposing of drugs or receiving sexual favors from the women he has stopped. Based on the photo I saw of him, I’d say the former is more likely than the latter.

Again, they should let this die. Cummings herself says there was no exchange of services involved and he still gave her the ticket. The guy has already been fired, and I think that’s enough–not because of what he did, but because he was stupid enough to tell everybody about it. We should expect our Highway Patrolmen to be at least a tad bit brighter than former presidents.

Posted on

Positives Of Rezoning

Well, I’ve complained a couple of times that parents have every right to be angry with the Knox County school board, but they are mad about the wrong thing.  The quality of even the best schools in the county aren’t where they should be, especially with the amount of money spent every year.

Maybe this will light a fire under the taxpayers to hold the schools more accountable.  I doubt it, but maybe.

Posted on

Knox County Property Tax Increase?!

WHAT?!?!!? Wasn’t it the threat of a property tax increase the used to strongarm the public into voting to approve the doubling of the wheel tax a couple of years ago?!?!!? By the way, that money was supposed to go for the new downtown library. If you haven’t been, take a trip downtown and check it out. It is truly a beautiful building. And the books–you’ve never seen books such as these.

Right.

Here’s my favorite quote from the KNS story:

“We’ve had very solid economic growth, but I don’t think anybody anticipated the impact of the pension plan on the budget,” the mayor said.

Actually, I think there were quite a few of us who anticipated this impact. That’s why we voted against it! I don’t need access to the accounting records of the county to know that spending a ton of money that wasn’t spent previously is going to impact a budget.