Atomictumor

Just picked up todays Observer, and boy howdy, not one week after an editorial (and, may I add, a post on the ‘tumor) about the council being hard to reach, we have an editorial from the council. About Woodland.

Now, I’ve not said much about Woodland for a good reason… because I don’t really care. Yes, its mean, and heartless, and cold, but I really don’t care if they zone a hotel. Frankly, I can understand why it’d be an ideal place for a hotel. Sure, I might bitch if somebody wanted to put a hotel near here, but it’d be a dumbassed place for one, fo sho.

It’d be cool if they’d talk about something that affects the whole town, instead of a fraction it. Something like… mmm… the schools!

Well, sorry. Maybe next week, parents, maybe never. The council hasn’t seen fit to address the school issue anywhere in public, other than to bring up the (true) fact that it was the school board that voted to cut busses in order to make their budget. However, one telling part in the editoral goes something like this:

“This City Council has worked diligently to keep the tax rate stable, but that can only be done if tax revenues increase through growth in our asset base…”

Bing. There’s the attitude of at least one member of council right there. Stable tax rates over all. Unless big business doesn’t play along.

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I had this post all written, and then saw the Ask Inky answer in the Oak Ridger today.  When queried about why exactly the appearance of citizens part of the city council meetings got moved to an uncomfortable part in the back, he replied with:

“Handling business items is the priority.”

Damn Dave.  That was cold, seeing as how the business of the citizens of this town is the business of the city council.  He then piles another insult on by mentioning that the council members are easily reachable by email, and other methods.
They can’t see the forest through the trees, and understand that a declining school system isn’t going to bring in residents, and improve that tax base. Maybe they figure the quick fix of another hotel will save the day, but last I heard, there already is vacancy in Oak Ridge.

Just yesterday I talked about how I like what the council is doing. Maybe I can amend it to believe theres room for at least one vacancy on the council…

Oak Ridger has the scoop:

“I wish I had three Johns.”

Indeed.

According to the Oak Ridger, the Oak Ridge Board of Zoning Appeals shot down a proposal for an indoor skate park across from the School Administration building, citing concerns about the nearby residents, busy streets and the effect it will have on the older, established neighborhood.
The article didn’t go too in-depth and as such, didn’t say if the proposal included a request for funding.  Hell, I’m not even sure the Zoning Appeals board would have anything to do with funding.  But anyway, they shot it down, so it’s a moot point.
It’s funny that this skate park proposal was shot down the same day AT and I almost hit a skateboarder on our way to pick up MastaG.  This damn fool kid was riding his board right in front of St. Mary’s school on Tennessee Ave. in the middle of the road.  AT might have hit him if I hadn’t said anything.
That’s not the first time he and I have almost hit a kid riding around town on a board.
Saying that the proposed indoor park on NY Ave. was close to busy roads is stupid.  The outdoor skatepark at Yearwood park is at a much more dangerous intersection.
Saying that the indoor park would be disruptive to neighbors or the “established neighborhood” is silly, as well.  Oak Ridge has very little to offer to kids that age.  We have no mall, no really good hang-out spots.  What do kids do when they get bored?
They cause trouble, that’s what.  If we don’t provide entertainment to kids, they’ll use all that pent-up energy for nefarious purposes, like drugs, alcohol, vandalism and even harassment.
I personally think an indoor skate park would be a wonderful idea.

Whatever you think of file sharing, copyright infringement, or whatever, we all pretty much commonly agree that the RIAA are dicks.  They just plain suck.  They fix prices, they sue dead people, and the legal tactics they use on everybody else are pretty rotten.  Particularly seeing as how the ‘everybody else’ being referred to are their customers.

Now they’re gunning after Youtube.  Despite the fact that the popular (and, I admit, pretty cool) video sharing service is free, and doesnt’ show ads that I’ve ever noticed, they want a cut, because people are uploading RIAA copyrighted content.  Thats right, I’m talking about that Gnarls Barkley video you were all watching.

According to Universal Music honcho and head douche Doug Morris,

“What doesn’t work for us are companies trying to build businesses using our content without our getting a fair share… How we deal with these companies will be revealed shortly.”

Betcha it rhymes with rawtoot!

Happy birthday!

I’d love to say that I’d keep writing if nobody showed up, but I probably wouldn’t.  Thats the beauty of having multiple authors, because you know at least SOMEBODY will read it.

But its all you wierdos that read the stuff we write because you want to that I appreciate the most.

Thanks!