Year: 2008

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Call the writers, my script has blank pages!

Being "only human" is perhaps the hardest part of being human. We are prone to error. We are a reactive bunch despite intellectually knowing that we would be better served as a responsive organism. Stress and chaos induces triggers to ingrained habits at the most inopportune times. This is dadhood…3 steps forward, 4 steps back. The noise rose, multiple bodies tried to defy the laws of physics and occupy the same space at the same time, a pet yelped, and I brought shock and awe when I should have used please and thank you. Way to go daddy-o. Calgon take me away! (Someone should make a scotch and name it Calgon.)

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Costco coming to Knoxville

Costco will be tearing down the old BeltsBelz Outlet Mall across from Cotton Eyed Joe off of Lovell Road and building in its location. That’s a little off the beaten path. I didn’t think Costco’s and Sam’s existed in the same markets. It’ll be interesting to see if Knoxville can support Sam’s, Walmart and two BestBuy’s in close proximity. Yes, if you haven’t heard, Turkey Creek is getting a BestBuy. Personally I cannot see the BestBuy on Town and Country Circle surviving.

Little nostalgia. I remember the BeltsBelz Outlet Mall on its last dying legs. Walking through it was almost spooky. It was like the ghost mall. Then years after it was closed, I returned to it with several scouts to help package gifts for Angel Tree children. The moldy, rotting building accentuated the somberness as an Angel Tree volunteer called out the shortages in gifts and donations. Many empty bags were left "organized" on the floor with hopes that gifts would be scrounged for those children. None-the-less, the scouts running about and feeling good that they had helped someone that day reflected echoes of the energetic activity the mall had once known in its halls and particularly in its food court (as the old food court is where the bulk of the Angel Tree activity happened).

Old haunts go to make room for new haunts. I look forward to seeing what Costco brings to Knoxville.

Update 8/13/2008: Belts corrected to Belz thanks to JMT and hiknapster on city-data.com.
Update 1/14/10: I don’t know the status of this project but it may have gone to North Georgia- "Costco identified in secret Catoosa project"
Update 1/21/2011: WATE reports that Costco is still trying to enter the Knoxville market and is considering property at Kingston Pike and Lovell Rd.

…6 News has learned Costco is looking at a potential site at the intersection of Lovell Road and Kingston Pike in West Knox County. … A Costco senior vice president says the discount chain has been interested in the Knoxville market for years, but could never find the right site. He can’t confirm anything until a deal has been signed, but he says they’re getting very close. [Source, WATE, Is Costco coming to Knoxville?]

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Signup for the No-Fly List

Today is the deadline to sign the Kucinich petition to impeach GW Bush based on these articles.

Other than impeachment, censure is an option. Of course, with so little time left in the GW Presidency, what’s the point? Perhaps it prevents him from declaring martial law and stopping the elections in November? See President GW Bush 2004-indefinitely.

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Milestone achieved

Despite the power blinking out and the Internet being down for the bulk of the day, I worked hard today, hit a programmer’s high, held the buzz, and came to a good place on my current project. Some of the stress has actually rolled off my shoulders and I feel good about the project. Now I can reabsorb the stress regarding the absurdities in my life right now. Tomorrow will be back to bureaucracy! I will have to spend a bunch of time on the phone and am thinking I may need to dust off the business cards of some old lawyer friends of mine. The next couple of weeks promise to age me by several years.