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Knoxville “The Couch” June 8, 2008 10:12 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Local Politics, Of Interest, Touchy Subjects, Travel , 6comments

The New York Times did a travel piece on Knoxville with some creative writing and declared that the locals refer to Knoxville as "The Couch."

KNOXVILLE is often called "the couch" by the people who live there. [Source, The New York Times-Travel, Allison Glock, 8-Jun-08, 36 Hours in Knoxville]

I came to Knoxville in the Fall of 1988 having never lived more than 4 ½ years in one place. Knoxville is comfortable and I settled in. But never have I heard anyone refer to Knoxville as The Couch! I’ve heard Big Orange Country, The Valley, K-Town, and Knoxvegas. Until the Knoxpatch blog came around I’d never heard that one. And by people who grew up here, Hell, but they leave and then usually come home in 2 to 4 years. The only couch reference I’ve ever noticed is the roadside dumping of couches which are often recycled by University of Tennessee students. There used to be a place in South Knoxville where couches go to die. I never took a picture but it was this huge cliff or old, grown over rock quarry and dozens of couches were haphazardly piled at the bottom as if when their time had come they’d run to the edge of the cliff then plummeted to the sacred couch burial ground. (Was near Ijams if anyone is curious).

Allison Glock wrote a very nice article about Knoxville! The couch reference is just befuddling and makes me wonder if some of her 36 hours wasn’t spent on one of the West’s old couches. Of course, maybe it was a red herring to get Knoxville media and blogs to link to the article. If so, it worked! Michael Silence, Byron Chesney, Bill Lyons, Katie Allison Granju, Michael Silence again, Glenn Reynolds, Katie Allison Granju again, Jack Lail, Michael Silence again, Say Uncle, Chris, KnoxInsider, and Randy Neil.

Update: Glenn Reynolds draws the same conclusion I did. (Glenn, who’s your source!) Jack Lail notes the point.

Update: The Reluctant Optimist, Michael Silence rounding up, and Ann Althouse.

Update 9Jun08: Michael Silence writes the NYT’s editor, Knox Blab discusses The Couch and Michael Silence sums up the Blab chat, and Katie Allison Granju announces Ken Schwall will address this on Channel 10 news at 6pm tonight.

Update 9Jun08: Casey Peters does a roundup, and Michael Silence does an update, and Michael Silence conjectures they meant "Swingtown" and then Michael Silence posts the solved mystery. The Couch continues to provide amusement to the newspaper staff, here and here.

Update: Michael Silence gets automated responses from the NYT. Michael Silence notes Liz Donovan jumps in.

Update 10Jun2008: Michael Solomon (letter seen on No Silence Here) complains and says Allison Glock is owed an apology and Barry wonders why a real issue is being ignored for "The Couch". Michael Silence gets a funny comment.

Update 11Jun08: Ken Schwall interviews people.

Update 12Jun08: Metropulse interviews Allison Glock and she isn’t happy with Knoxville bloggers. Katie Allison Granju agrees with me that bloggers were not outraged just confused at the authoritative way Alliison Glock claimed locals call Knoxville "The Couch." We appreciated her well written article and I think her statement "Next time I suppose I’ll just write about Pigeon Forge." is a poor response; instead, she would have made herself look better by thanking the community for the correction to her error. Chris at Rocky Top MBA draws an elegantly written conclusion to Couchgate. Well done Chris!

Michael Silence responds to Glock’s response. And notes other blogger’s responses.

Update 14Jun08: Michael Silence cites more comments (much to Cathy’s chagrin).

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Be involved with your schools! Act TODAY! June 3, 2008 2:02 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Announcements, Education, Health, Local Politics, Of Interest, Politics, Touchy Subjects , add a comment

During the rezoning we told the school board that the community wanted to be informed and involved in the choices that were being made. The School Matters forum was created as a result to help facilitate communication on educational issues. School Matters can be used by the community to talk amongst themselves on all issues of education throughout life. Education is not limited to K through 12. Fortunately, the school board listens in on School Matters and often provides commentary and responses.

The Knox County Board of Education will host an overview of school finance and the FY 2009 Budget request at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, June 12 in the West High School auditorium at 3300 Sutherland Ave.

The session is for interested citizens and is designed to provide a primer on school finance and an overview of the FY 2009 budget request and approval process.

[Source, School Matters, Knox County Schools Budget Overview Meeting for General Public]

Your comments to this announcement on School Matters could possibly help keep the budget on track and steer our educational resources in the best possible manner to provide our children with the education they deserve. Take time and comment now! For the children.

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ACT NOW! They are voting TODAY! February 27, 2008 8:35 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Activism, Education, Health, Local Politics, Politics, Touchy Subjects , 1 comment so far

They are voting today!

This vote regarding kids going to the school closest to [their] home, gets voted on TOMORROW! This is an initial vote by six house members. They must be contacted today.

The original email:

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Rep Mike Turner and Senator Haynes have proposed a change to the Tennessee Code that shall allow "any pupil so desiring to attend the school closest to the geographical location of the place of residence of the pupil." This bill is in committee this week so we must ACT NOW! You can get more information on this bill by going to the TN government state website: http://www.state.tn.us/

The bill is being proposed in both the house (2524) and senate (2891). This addresses the concerns of many families throughout Knox County who felt that their children should attend a school closer to their home.

I encourage you to call or email your representative. Also, if you have a relationship with anyone on this list or in the State House or Senate, please contact them as well.

Below is a list emails for State Officials representing Knox County.

Thank you for your time.

Pamela Treacy

Senate

  1. Randy McNally (R) 307 WMB, 37243-0205 741-6806 741-7200
    94 Royal Troon Cir, OR 37830 483-5544
  2. Jamie Woodson(R) 317 WMB, 37243-0206 741-1648 253-0270
    8509 White _s Pond Way,37923 539-8683
  3. Tim Burchett (R) 310A WMB 37243-0207 741-1766 741-7200
    8220 Bennington Dr 37909 693-1902

House District

  1. Harry Tindell (D) 33 LP, 37243-0113 741-2031 741-1446
    P.O. Box 27325, 37927-7325 524-7200
  2. Park M Strader (R) 214 WMB, 37243-0114 741-2264 741-1005
    708 Farragut Commons Dr,37934 694-9165
  3. Joseph Armstrong (D) 25 LP, 37243-0115 741-0768 253-0316
    4708 Hilldale Dr, 37914 523-6374
  4. Bill Dunn (R) 205 WMB, 37243-0116 741-1721 532-8221
    5309 LaVesta Rd, 37918 687-4904
  5. Frank Niceley (R) 113 WMB, 37243-0117 741-2282 253-0217
    1023 Creek Rd, Str Plns37871 433-4419
  6. Stacey Campfield (R) 113 WMB, 37243-0118 741-2287 253-0217
    2011 Flagler Rd, 37912 455-2627
  7. Harry Brooks (R) 207 WMB, 37243-0119 741-6879 253-0212
    6600 Washington Pike, 37918 687-5987
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Rocky Hill polling packed February 5, 2008 4:30 pm

Posted by utterz in : Daily Life, Local Politics, Podcasting, Politics, Touchy Subjects, United States , add a comment

Mobile post sent by djuggler using Utterz.  Replies.  mp3

I was pressed for time on that post. Didn’t want to cross the 100′ barrier and sound like I was reporting something.

At the time I made that post (4:30pm), the staff reported that roughly 800 people had been through those polls.

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Go Vote! Today is important! February 5, 2008 9:30 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Local Politics, Politics, Touchy Subjects, United States , 1 comment so far

Today is Election Day! Make the time to vote please! We have all seen that everybody’s vote counts. Voting is a civic duty and is important to the democratic process. (For the asinine Stacey Campfields out there, "democratic" is not to be confused with the Democratic political party. Until fear mongering, constitution shredding, AT&Tism, and Homeland Security improprieties in the name of protecting your freedoms, completely erode it, you live under a democratic form of government. Specifically, the United States of America is a Representative Liberal Democracy.)

I also encourage you to print your sample ballot and, at the bare minimum, do an Internet search on the candidates you will be choosing. To go the polls and vote on someone because their name rings a bell, or one name sounds better than another is not helping anyone’s cause. Your wild guess may knock a potentially good candidate out of office. If you are in Knox County, your sample ballot is online. Print it, spend a few minutes researching your candidates, and vote knowledgeably! Remember, your employer is obliged to give you time off to go to the polls.

Update: See also: Video of me encouraging voting and far better video of Todd Jordan encouraging voting.

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Voting for Stacey Campfield would be asinine January 30, 2008 10:52 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Local Politics, Politics, Touchy Subjects , 1 comment so far

People of Tennessee, particularly District 18, quit voting Stacey Campfield into office. It’s embarrassing!

Related: The pernicious effects of banning words, by By Christopher Hitchens, slate.com

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Giving my 2 cents about the superintendent November 27, 2007 6:33 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Education, Health, Local Politics, Politics, Touchy Subjects , add a comment

I’m heading to Bearden High School to give my input how the next school superintendent. I hope you’ll be there. This is important. This is our future!

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We asked to be heard; tonight is our chance! November 26, 2007 1:57 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Activism, Education, Health, Local Politics, Politics, Touchy Subjects , add a comment

Do you care for the future of education in Knox County? We have asked that the citizens be heard in choices like rezonings and choosing a school superintendent. They are now willing to listen!

Knox County residents are invited this week to share their suggestions on what characteristics the school system’s new superintendent needs.

And the school board has been told to stay away.

[Source, Knoxnews.com, Residents' input sought on superintendent]

I personally think the superintendent needs to come from outside of Knox County and maybe far from TN where local politics and good ol’ boy relations will not be an influence. I want someone making decisions that are right for our children and not because of politics or helping a buddy out.

Don’t forget to attend the superintendent search forums tonight (11/26) at either Austin East or Central High School auditoriums, beginning at 7:00 pm.

Additional forums will be held Tuesday, 11/27/07, at South Doyle and Bearden High School auditoriums, also at 7:00 pm.

[Source, Knoxviews.com, ]

This is very important! Make the time to voice your opinion please.

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Engineer Roads for Speed Control November 11, 2007 9:49 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Local Politics, Politics, Privacy, Touchy Subjects, Transportation, Travel , 3comments

View Larger Map

Knoxville is pondering the use of automated speed cameras to ticket people who violate the speed limits. I am opposed. I am a treat the problem, not the symptom type of guy. My quality assurance training taught me that if you automate a flawed process, you simply perform that flawed process with greater efficiency.

Florida came up with a solution. I read about it a couple of years ago. (unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find the reference) An architect and civil engineer reduced speed by eliminating traffic controls, removing signs, putting people and trees closer to the road, and narrowing the roads. widening the double yellow narrows the roadThey engineered speed control! It worked. Would you like to try it? Knoxville is engineering roads for speed right now! The roads that connect Kingston Pike to Sutherland passing by West High School are changing to reduce speed. If you turn from Kingston Pike to Forest Glen Dr you will undoubtedly notice that the double yellow widens briefly, the road has some lines painted across it, and some ruts have been carved into the road to audibly warn you to slowdown. These are fairly intangible but work! You cannot help but slow down.

What happens when people get used to the lines and drive fast anyway? Firstly, the faster you drive over the ruts, the more horrid the noise which sounds like you are destroying your tires. Secondly, in addition to the psychological narrowing, the roads are being physically narrowed at the midpoint. With the addition of this median, cars will slow down. Maybe they’ll add a tree! (doubt it)

Why not engineer the roads and use speed cameras? Speed cameras treat the symptom. The symptom is that people are speeding. Physical narrowing of Tobler LnThe problem is that people feel like they are making good time and packing more into their lives by speeding. The truth of the matter is that if you are speeding in a town or city, you may be shaving a minute or two off your commute but due to traffic patterns, and the placement and timing of lights and other traffic controls, your commute does NOT change that dramatically as compared to simply driving the speed limit.

Won’t cameras teach people to slow down? No, cameras work after the fact, catch the wrong people, and cannot identify the driver. They also cannot judge the situation. Safe driving sometimes includes speeding up. Often we try to avoid an accident by slamming on the brakes. It feels natural. Sometimes accidents can be avoided by speeding up and I shouldn’t have to speed a day of my life in court plus fees explaining that to repeal a ticket from a robot. Since speed cameras have their effect after the incident, they in no way prevent tragedy! The camera that send a ticket to a speeding high schooler for speeding from West High to Kingston Pike does not save the life of the child who runs out into the road to get his lost ball. The re-engineered roads, which treat the problem and force the new high school driver to slow his vehicle, give that driver the opportunity to stop in time to save the life of the child running into the road to get his lost ball.

Update: Groovy!

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Vote today! November 6, 2007 7:09 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Local Politics, Politics, Touchy Subjects , add a comment

If you are eligible to participate in today’s elections, please do! We must actively work to get ourselves and others to the polls. Every vote counts! You have time. Your employer is required to let you go vote!

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Say NO to speed cameras October 30, 2007 3:36 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Economy, Gadgets, Local Politics, Politics, Technology, Touchy Subjects, Transportation, Travel , 3comments

I was against red light cameras (and still am! $2 million TN dollars went to TX because of Redflex!) and I sure am against speed cameras. Speed trapping makes roads dangerous! Roads should be predictable. We don’t need people slamming on their brakes for police cars and cameras. Sometimes to avoid a problem it is safer to speed up then slow down even if that means hopping above the speed limit. An officer can see, "that truck was about to sideswipe him and he avoided it by speeding up." A camera cannot make that judgment.

I often drive fast on the Interstate. It is safe because the relative speed of traffic is the same and visibility can be several miles. I don’t drive recklessly. There is a huge difference between driving fast and driving recklessly. A slow driver can drive recklessly. In town, I tend to drive the speed limit. I recognize the lights have been timed such that you will make little gain by speeding in town. The few seconds you shorten your trip by speeding is not worth the danger you place pedestrians and other drivers in within the unpredictable confines of busy roads.

Speed cameras and red light cameras are profit tools for public, tax funded law enforcement. We don’t need them! We fix traffic problems through better civil engineering (narrow roads, curves in roads, reduction of traffic signs, removal of speed limits, etc.) and through education. Could you imagine the impact it would have if a police officer pulled you over for speeding and instead of giving you a ticket brought a video player to your car and forced everyone in the car to watch a 15 minute educational video on how speeding wastes fuel, puts unnecessary wear and tear on the vehicle, places people at unnecessary risk, and reduces travel time by less than a few minutes than staying under the speed limit? The 15 minute delay per incident may be reason enough to slow down. But even if the message did not reach the driver, perhaps it would get through to some of the passengers and then you’ve made a difference. Will a bill in the mail have that same impact?

UPDATE: Michael Silence has put up a poll to see if Knoxville wants speed cameras. When I took it, 86% said no.

Update: UT to probe ethics of using traffic cameras. Think about the other cameras we can have in our future "beeeep Our facial recognition software has identified you as Jane Doe. You have been standing in the same spot for 5 minutes and one second which constitutes loitering under ordinance w37704. A fine of $45 has automatically been assessed to your cell phone bill."

Related: Google is mapping Knoxville. How will you be immortalized for the world to view? Do speed cameras change driving habits? See Driving Patterns - Let the Ass Merge.

Update: More details including Chattanooga’s numbers.

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Who put me on this soap box? With a tinfoil hat?! October 18, 2007 2:44 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Local Politics, Politics, Touchy Subjects, United States , 1 comment so far

Is Oak Ridge getting rougher? My reply to Atomic Tumor:

I often wonder if its not that things are getting rougher but that things are getting smaller. Years ago living in a small down with 3 television stations, the focus was on local news with bits of highlights of nation and world the half hour before local. I am sure school shootings happened but if you were in Wilmington North Carolina and the shooting was in Denver Colorado, it didn’t really impact you.

Now as the shooting is happening its beeping across cell phones around the globe like a stock ticker. We know everything about everyone as it happens. That’s good! But we must maintain a sense of perspective which is hard to do under the current fear mongering administration. The government, the media, and the preachers have people scared into giving up their rights! These people aren’t thinking; baaaa baaaa. Re-read 1984. Look at the what’s happening in the UK and how it could easily happen here. Watch Wag the Dog. I’m not saying go totally tinfoil hat on us, but if we don’t shock some common sense into some people, we are going to speed down a bad path. GW Bush 2008!

As an example, the Rocky Elementary School Principal is adamant that the children’s safety at the school relies on enclosing the entire property in a horrifically ugly hurricane fence. Will it have barbed wire? This will destroy a community school. No one will be able to use the playground on the weekends. Home values will fall. Is there really a threat to the children? I haven’t seen it and I’m not stupid or blind. But the principal is so caught up in the security assessment by some for profit firm (that’s what the firm is supposed to do!) that he doesn’t even want people talking about the fence.

In summary, we are now inundated with information that makes the world smaller but also stresses us with somebody else’s problem. Fear mongers react instead of respond thinking “this will happen to us” and in an oddly self-fulfilling prophecy, their lives get scarier because of the increased security due to "the threat."

[Source, AtomicTumor]

Update: Suzanne point out that the crime figures reflect that Oak Ridge is just getting rougher. From City-data.com crime index (higher means more crime, U.S. average = 323.2):

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Voters Need Not Hide Behind the Curtain October 10, 2007 8:10 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Local Politics, Politics, Touchy Subjects , add a comment

Knox County has decided that voter privacy is bunk. As long as you certify the information is for political reasons only, Knox County Election Commission will send you a list of active and inactive voters and their history. Cost? Free!

We have changed our policy concerning purchase of voter lists on disk. If you will print out, fill in and send us the Certification for Purchase of Voter List on CD (http://www.knoxcounty.org/election/pdfs/request_form_disk_list.pdf) we will send you a disk with all the active and inactive voters and their history. For free. [Source]

I wonder just how detailed that history is?

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Haslam Makes Me Giggle September 20, 2007 11:31 am

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Local Politics, Politics, Technology, Touchy Subjects , add a comment

Right! Sure. Billy you just keep fooling yourself.

"These are great jobs with bright, creative people who have created something that’s special here," Haslam said. "When you talk about the media production business, now you talk about Knoxville in the same league as New York and Chicago and L.A. And maybe this is an even better place." [Source]

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Panic! September 13, 2007 4:32 pm

Posted by Doug McCaughan in : Local Politics, News, Of Interest, Politics, Touchy Subjects , 1 comment so far

Don’t take hand lotion to the airports! Hand lotion is the next terror substance! Because..well..uh, terrorists have smooth hands? No, that can’t be it. Um… No..can’t publish that thougth.. that would take away the G rating of this blog? What’s that? I lost my G rating? Oh I never had one! So, Knoxville wants to be Boston?

A white substance left in a hospital emergency room, prompting a quarantine of the area may have been a hand lotion. [Source]

Oh NO! Potentially deadly substance found in hospital! What do we do?!

"It smelled good, so we’re thinking it was a hand lotion," [Source]

That’s right! Stick yer nose in that thar anthax and tell me ifn its dangerous. After the spokeswoman for the Knox County Health Department, whose job is apparently to go to crime scenes and shove her nose into unknown substances, you know, like medieval food tasters!, after she lived, it was determined that something had to be done with the substance.

A private contractor that handles the hospital’s wastes will incinerate the bottle and contents, Dougherty said. [Source]

You got that right! We determined the substance to be inert and harmless so instead of having a hospital employee, or the high paid (she does get paid well for shoving her nose into stuff right?) health department employee, or for that matter one of the sick people at the hospital, or a child, to simply throw the container into the trashcan, we are going to pay a "private contractor" (read that as expensive) to dispose of the substance. I had the personal privilege of working with one of the fine companies in Oak Ridge who get paid to move hazardous waste around. You know those spray cans of paint, compressed air, and so forth that you so casually chunk into the trash can? Those are considered hazardous materials and government agencies have to pay to have them "properly disposed of" which means that they are dumped into 50 gallon drums, sealed, and shipped to a landfill at $10,000 per drum. Not tightly packed mind you. Sure, they could fit a lot more cans in a drum if the spray cans were put in an orderly fashion but if you just throw them in the drum you have to create more $10,000 invoices (and it takes less time). So you can bet the private contractor is going to take a vacation on that container of hand lotion.

Does anyone think before they jump anymore? Or has the government just got you that scared! Is this over? No way! For your enjoyment, the News Sentinel promises to spend more money on this horrific event!

More details as they develop online and in Friday’s News Sentinel. [Source]

Anyone know what teenage boys do with hand lotion? That’s what’s happening with your tax dollars right here!

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