14 November 2018

[Perrin Lovett] - The Dastardly Legume

The Dastardly Legume

All events herein transpired last week in Anytown, USA.

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Police Dispatch Radio, 9:14 AM

P-Nut 3: ‘Responding … 7-3-2 at Carver Middle, East Main…’

Dispatcher: ‘All units … P3, be advised calling code 3.’

P-Nut 5: ‘Roger. Cover is code 3.’

Dispatcher: ‘All units: central office and north wing evacuating. South wing in lockdown. Advising Planters High lockdown.’

K-9 1: ‘Which school code 3? Over.’

Dispatcher: ‘All units: cover fire rescue on arrival. … Debbie call Crosstown for additional ambulances.’

Debbie: ‘[garbled].’

K-9 1: ‘Which school? Over.’

Lt. Jif: ‘Mobilize ALL units. Pan is ground commander. 7-3-2 in progress at George Washington Carver Middle School. 300 East Main Street. Situation critical. Casualties unknown. Suspect mobile and dangerous.’

Dispatcher: ‘Sheriff’s S.W.A.T. inbound.’

Lt. Jiff: ‘We may need their F.L.I.R. Call the Highway Patrol for air. … Clear the Sam’s parking lot for Medevac. Close off Main and seal the perimeter.’

Sgt. P. Pan: ‘Ground C.C. in route. ETA five.’

Dispatcher: ‘ G.C.C.: coordinate with HAZMAT upon arrival.’

Sgt. Pan: ‘Roger. … Anybody know where Skippy’s kid is?’

Debbie: ‘In class … at Carver.’

Pan: ‘Jesus, protect us.’

*******

5 the Hive, Live, Breaking News, 9:52 AM:

Morning Anchor: ‘Breaking news in Anytown. Authorities in Anytown are responding to an emergency situation at George Washington Carver Middle School and Center for STEM Excellence in Standardized Testing. 5 the Hive learned, minutes ago, that the situation may involve a possible chemical attack. We do not, at this time, know if this is a terror attack or yet another school shooting. Our own P.B. Jay is on the scene. P.B., what do we know?’

Reporter Jay: ‘Pandemonium here at Carver Middle. I’m across Main looking at the campus. You can see … over my shoulder … we have fire trucks, ambulances, dozens of police. A S.W.A.T. team is preparing to make entry.’

Anchor: ‘Have you heard of any students or others harmed or … otherwise?’

Jay: ‘I’m seeing … we have hundreds of students and teachers exiting the building. You can see them with their hands raised for safety. The authorities are not taking any chances. And … I have here Assistant School Superintendent Aller Gee. Mrs. Gee, do we know exactly what has happened or if there are any casualties?’

Mrs. Aller Gee: ‘All of our children and their safety is our only concern. I have a rumor, a report, there are several sixth graders down … [voice cracks] … our babies are... [sobbing] More may be trapped in a bathroom or science lab. I’m trying to think of the children.’

Jay: ‘Thank you. [hugs Gee] Thank you. We’re all crying, here. And, everyone, the police are directing us to back up towards the Waffle House. Two more helicopters just landing now.’

Anchor: ‘We now know there may be six children, possibly more, succumbing to injuries at Carver Middle. A terrible tragedy. We will constantly cover this story and update you regularly. Now, 5 the Hive’s Jimmy Carter has more on the cows still loose on I-19…’

*******

CNN, Don Lemon’s Pride Show, 10:01 AM:

Don Lemon: ‘It hasth happened again, America. A school shooting isth in progress at a middle school in Anytown. Local sthationsth are now reporting over six dozen children have been shot, possibly by right-wing extremisthsss. ATF field director Charles Shultzsss is on the air with us. Mr. Shultzsss, is this shooting a hate crime?’

Dir. Shultz: ‘Well. For starters we don’t even know if this is a shooting. It’s certainly an emergency of some kind. I haven’t heard … and I just hung up with the State police … heard of any fatalities or other harm yet. To call this, at this time, another school shooting seems like fake ne….’

Lemon: ‘There you haveths it. Another, and maybe the worst, domessstic terror attack on minorities ever perpetrated on American soil. Likely the work of supporters of the Pressidenth’sss deranged agenda of hate. I trusth Chelsea Handler is dissrobing - not that I am interesthed.’

*******

Text from Mandy Ubi to her Mother, 10:10 AM:

‘Mom. IM n class under a desk waiting. WE R skered. Ok were skered now Ms. lucy siad shelter in plase. I hered teen gunshoot. She say he is somwere in our bulding. Roby is missin.’


‘ps lost my plege against critical think. BUTT benchmark texts reskelduled to firday.’


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Tweets from the President, 10:29 - 10:30 AM:


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Mad Moms Excited by Anaphylaxis, Nuts, and Tomfoolery (MEANT), Blog Post, 11:07 AM:

‘So, Moms, HOW many times do our children, our most precious possession, the very reason we frivorce, our little soccer balls to helicopter, have to SUFFER before something is D.O.N.E.???!!!???!!!

I just got off the phone, dropping bombs with Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz’s office, demanding ACTION!!!

Babies can’t breath!

Babies can’t educate!

Babies, our babies, can’t not be available for “dad’s” calls!

MSNPC is saying SIX whole school districts may be effected. Hundreds may be dead. This is the 9/12 of our cause!

Enough is ENOUGH, Moms of AMERCA. We ACT NOW!

PS: LOL. Check my Insta, nutty beothes!!!’

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CNBC, Rick Santelli from Chicago, 1:10 PM:

Rick Santelli: ‘Sue, all agri futures are suffering. And you know this is a result of Anytown.’

Sue Herera: ‘So, it’s to buy?’

Santelli: ‘Definitely time to buy!’

Herera: ‘Are you watching Mylan’s prices, Rick?’

Santelli: ‘Mylan is through the roof. Has to be … possibly is all this new, emergency ordering for the Epipen. The Anytown effect. Bad news but, you have to understand the market, the best news, here, since Elon Musk lit the doobie.’

Herera: ‘So, time to buy Mylan?’

Santelli: ‘Buy, buy, buy, baby! Buy and bye, Sue. Back to you.’

Herera: ‘Buy … bye Rick.’

*******

Telephone Call from Mary Sue to Murdis, 1:21 PM:

Mary Sue: ‘They say it’s something worse than a shooting. Worse than drinking a Pepsi.’

Murdis: ‘Jesus don’t like Pepsi.’

Mary Sue: ‘He don’t like the little brown nutties neither. No. “I gave you the green plants to eat,” He said. Them children is misbehavin’ and it’s a-coming back to ‘em.’

Murdis: ‘John’s boy wouldn’t ever be part of any such. It’s them others that I worry about. Ain’t right. Dressing like that and those phones. Forknite they call it.’

Mary Sue: ‘Crowns for Heaven...’

*******

Joint Statement from Nancy Pelosi, Charles Schumer, Cory Booker, and the Combined Democratic Social Progress Caucus, 1:43 PM:

‘Chairman Mao once said, “children in the classroom are like rice in the furnace.”

We all know what he means by that and, today, we all know what our President means by continuing to constantly ignore school violence, school funding, RUSSIAN Collusion, and general indifference to the civility that makes America the original proposition nation.

Our thoughts are with the young students of Anytown, especially those newly arrived via caravan. Our thoughts are on the prayers of a nation - please keep those out of our schools. And, also keep out all those instruments of deplorable terrorism. School should indoctrinate our young, be places where they fear to think or speak.

The time is now for a Blue Wave of college for all, secure from fear of anything except fear. We must act now to enact sensible and TOTAL gun control. We must raise taxes.’

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Rush Limbaugh’s Radio Show, 2:03 PM:

‘Friends, they’re not even telling us what is happening at that school. CNN, MSNPC, Nancy Pelosi - they call it a shooting. All I hear is that there’s some problem. A problem. And it may have something to do … something chemical.

Is this ISIS? We don’t know. We don’t know anything. And, listen now, that’s where Lifelock comes in. You don’t have time monitor what your kids eat at school, let alone the credit you worked so hard to est…’

*******

The Alex Jones Show, 3:00 PM:

‘What this is … all this is, is an attempt by Nazi-collaborator George Soros to control our children and their minds. We have a picture of a crisis actor, ON THE SCENE, in a top hat and wearing a monocle. You can bet your vitamins on this one. You tell me what’s going on!’

*******

Text from M.B.M to P.B.L., in re: the Piedmont Chronicles, 3:33 PM:

‘Could you lay off the “fiction” please? National affairs don’t need embellishment and, frankly, Kayla’s a little upset. PS: Go DAWGS!’

********

Governor’s Press Conference at Carver Middle School, 4:00 PM:

‘I am pleased to announce that the day’s emergency situation at George Washington Carver Middle School and Center for Standardized Testing Excellence and Magnet Technology ...
Is over.

While it seems that no children were ever actually harmed, or even threatened, we must remain vigilant about just what could have happened. This is our school. Your school. Anytown. Any school.

Before I discuss what unfolded today, I’d like to thank all of our first responders.Thank you, to all the police, firemen, EMTs, wrecker operators, pilots, chemical warfare specialists, Republican voters, and - most especially - to our greatest ally. We owe you and will continue to pay our debts. The ATF, our Twitter-in-Chief, the janitor with that mop. Remember to vote. Our state is strong because we continue to make the trade for eternal safety.

What happened today is inexcusable. Through utter carelessness and disregard for school policy, state law, and common sense, the offending subject was allowed onto this campus. Allowed around all of these very small and vulnerable children.

Make no mistake. What could have happened is beyond our worst nightmares. My lips are swelling just from that thought. The doctors at Crosstown and Mercy Metro. Our veterans. Think and let us pray.

The suspect, like the intended victims, was very small. Small in stature but a veritable Godzilla in terms of purely raw, life-taking power. For all listening and watching: these little brown monsters are simply not allowed in our schools. Not in our cafeterias. Not in our backpacks. No in the car lines nor the buses.

Just one … just a single one of these walking, rolling, crunchy weapons of mass destruction has the potential to kill all of our students - not one in twenty, as you’re told by the fake news - but all of them. Most adults too.

But … not today.

Today, because of our dedication, our vigilance, and our determination, the unthinkable has been prevented. Again, we owe our very lives to all our first responder heroes.

The school will be closed for the indeterminate future. The buildings will have to be cleaned, sanitized, perhaps razed. But no cost is too great for safety. The safety of our beloved little ones.

Hear me now, all voters of good conscious: the offending PEANUT has been isolated, contained, and DESTROYED! God bless Anytown and God bless America!

*******

Pic by Richard North.

***The preceding was work of satirical fiction, hopefully humorous. The style one may recall from a certain 1897 novel by Stoker. No children, peanuts, nor politicians were harmed in the concocting of this monstrosity.

- Perrin Lovett


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13 November 2018

[MB McCart] - Covington Council Meets Tonight; Expected to Vote on Proposed Apartments on Covington Bypass

Greetings! 

COVINGTON COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT. 6:30pm. CITY HALL

Busy day today, so let's get right to it:

It's looking like the Covington City Council will likely vote to approve Special Use Permit for a proposed 55+ apartment complex at easily one of the worst intersections in Covington.

Keep in mind that the Covington Planning & Zoning Commission voted UNANIMOUSLY to deny this permit.

A theme with many who have voiced their support for this project is that there's nothing that can be done to stop it, and the city will get sued.

Well, that's not correct. The city doesn't have to do a damn thing with this special use permit, first & foremost. 

"But if we deny the special use permit, they'll just come back since they already have the zoning." Well, that's true.

"They'll sue!" Fine. We got lawyers, and the city has a ton of money...

But let's back up a step & look at the big picture.

The beginnings of public zoning go back to the beginning of the 20th century. After some legal challenges, the US Supreme Court, in 1926, ruled that regulations & zoning laws are legal as long as they benefit the public welfare, do not infringe on the due process of any landowner & do not constitute an unjust, or improper, taking of one's property.

Just like in the judicial system, it's all about the balancing of equities. Landowners' property rights are not necessarily absolute. There are rights of the communities to take into account as well.

A very important & legally accepted reason to deny any project is thoroughfare & infrastructure capabilities, as well the amount of available real estate needed, or outstanding, for a particular zone, and whether or not the use is needed. Finally, case law has shown that financial considerations & tax-base implications can also be considered. 

With all that said, here are the main reasons why I think the council should vote this down tonight & immediately begin to redo our entire master plan & zoning ordinances.

- Per the US Census, approx. 60% of residents in Covington are tenants, well above the state & national average. We have way too many rentals already.

- Also, of the major apartment complexes the city already has, there is ad valorem revenue of approx $500,000 vs a conservative estimate of over $2 million worth of expense incurred due to these properties. The big expense is education. And guess what BOE millage rate we have in our neck of the woods? 20 mills. The state max.

- but probably the biggest thing that can legally stop any development is throroughfare capabilities. If it's not there, then it's not there, and the city can deny permits whether the zoning allows for a particular use or not.

Finally, I call on the city council to NOT vote tonight. You'll be seeing the new traffic study for the first time this evening. The prudent course of action would be to have staff & the planning & zoning commission to analyze this information before any course of action. 

Thx,

MBM

12 November 2018

[MB McCart] - Monday Morning Check-in: Sometimes it's Gotta Rain; a Primer on Pissing Off Everybody

Greetings, Fearless Readers, and we sure hope it's good out there. 

Well, apparently it's supposed to rain for like the next few weeks, or so it seems. Today, particularly, looks especially awful in & around the COV with basically 100%-likely rain all day & night with temperatures in the 40's. Yuck! 


A few things to cover today, let's go with some bullet points, shall we? 

- How 'Bout Them Dawgs! It's always great to beat our supposed "brotherly rivalry" rivals, the wareagletigerplainsmen from "Clemson Without a Lake" - the "Abuurn" farm school. While up late in the game 27-10, the Dawgs decided to fake a field goal & go for a late touchdown. Apparently the Auburn folks are a little sore about it. Good!

- So last week I was able to accomplish something pretty remarkable - I basically managed to piss off pretty much everybody. With my three political posts last week, I received negative feedback in the FB comments, the website comments, email, FB Messager & via phone & text. With the one post, Democrats were pissy about my voting for Kemp; Libertarians were upset that I was voting for Kemp; Republicans were upset that I was voting for Libertarians & Democrats down ballot. But the most specific anger was from...

- The Newton Co. Republican Party (NCRP). In another post in which I was doing a feature piece on the campaign of Spencer Arnhart, I inadvertently, with two sentences, managed to apparently, in a metaphorical way, pour sugar down their gas tank while beating up their Mom. This was not my intent whatsoever, I assure you. Again, it was a feature piece on Spencer that many folks appreciated & very much enjoyed reading.

However, by using the words - "completely abandoned" - I ended up pissing in the NCRP's Corn Flakes. Looking back, I should've parsed my words a little differently. I was going on an in-person conversation I had with Scott Jay, the Chair of the NCRP, a couple months prior that seemed to confirm the fact that most folks in the party had no interest in being involved with Arnhart's campaign due to the fact that many purportedly felt that he was a "Never Trumper." I also based it on the fact that there was exactly one Republican running in Newton Co at the county level & the NCRP Facebook page didn't post anything about the 4th District race in the 120 days leading up to the election. I have been able to confirm that the party did offer the floor to Spencer at their general meetings leading up to the campaign, as the Chair had told me. As I said in a comment on the Facebook thread for this piece, it WAS a mutual decision. Spencer, based on all the noise in the system during this time, did not attend any of the NCRP meetings during the last few months of the campaign. I should have clarified that.

Also, the line about the qualifying money was unnecessary & below the belt. I do apologize for that to my friends on the NCRP's Executive Committee & its general membership.

- So the Abrams campaign is still fighting to make sure every vote is counted while still soliciting campaign funds. I have waded through the numbers & I truly believe the Kemp campaign is correct - it's mathematically impossible for either a recount or a runoff, so I'm not sure why this is still dragging on. But, we should have closure on this thing after tomorrow afternoon.

- Congrats to local guy, Tim Fleming. The former Deputy Secretary of State is now the Chief of Staff for Governor-Elect Brian Kemp. I got a chance to personally congratulate Tim when we ran into him & his lovely bride at the UGA/AU game.

So, what's coming down the pike for TPC this week?

Look for TWO pieces from our CF Floyd Feature Writer of National Affairs, Perrin Lovett. This will be Kayla's off week, but we're hoping for a piece from Ellis Millsaps & look for the usual weekend post from superbly talented Bess Tuggle!

I'm working on a couple of write-ups that you may see at least one of this week.

Okay, friends, thanks for reading & we'll talk to you soon.

- MBM 




11 November 2018

[Bess Tuggle] - Memoirs of Surviving Children: Insomnia & Missing Kitchen Wares

Insomnia is not a fun thing.  It varies from mild and moderate to severe.  My heart goes out to all those that suffer.  I’m one of them, so I feel your pain.

Most nights I just wake up, have a snack and go back to bed.  My husband and sons’ know that –nothing- is safe in the ‘fridge at 2 o’clock in the morning.  I don’t care if you have your name on it or not.  If it’s not duct taped closed I’m gonna nibble.

Then there are those nights that the little squirrel in my brain gets out of the cage, and there’s no more sleeping after that.  Not, at least, until I manage to catch the squirrel.  I just pace and let my mind run where it will until I manage to catch the rascal.

Last night was one of those nights that the squirrel escaped and was elusive.  I paced around the kitchen, through my office, then through the living room, back around the kitchen.. and had an epiphany.   

There is actually a purpose for dust-ruffles.  You know, those things that you put over the box springs and they hang down so you can’t see under the bed.

They are a pain in the rear.  Putting them on means lifting a mattress.  No easy feat when the mattress weighs as much as you do.  Taking them off to wash is just as bad, if not worse – but they keep kids from getting in trouble.

When it was “clean your room” time my boys’ knocked it out.  There was so much “stuff” crammed under their beds that I couldn’t see because of the dust-ruffles.

Taking a dust-ruffle off, as tough as it is, -can- restock your kitchen dishes!  After going through the trash, hidden candy wrappers, stuffed animals, miscellaneous toys crammed under there, left-over food in various colors depending on its state of decomposition – you get PLATES back!  And bowls.  And glasses.  And cups.  And SILVERWARE!!!  If silverware wasn’t found in the woods, it was under one of the Things’ beds.

I did have a brief time that I had one, full set of matching silverware.  Then, I got grandkids.

Their rooms looked good, though.  I’ll spare the details of opening up closets.  

- Bess  

Quick note:  While half your kitchen may be hidden under a child’s bed, dust ruffles under yours will not, I repeat, WILL NOT keep Christmas presents hidden!  As the shopping season begins, hide their gifts accordingly. 




A jack of all trades, Ms. Tuggle has been a Covington resident since the late 70’s. She's been a K-Mart cashier, cabinet builder, vet tech, office manager for a beef cattle ranch and water well company (where she was able to hold benefits for D.A.R.E. and Scouts), a court reporter, business manager, assistant at a private investigation firm, legal assistant, convenience store clerk, landscaper and elementary school substitute teacher.  Her greatest pleasure is being a wife, mother and grandmother.  Her stories are all real, and all names will be withheld to protect the innocent, and also maybe the guilty, depending on the crime & the Statute of Limitations.  

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10 November 2018

[Fred Wheeler] - Remembering Kristallnacht

* the following is a piece by guest contributor, Fred Wheeler of Patriots' Table 

Hi,

Yesterday, at the Lunch Bunch meeting the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht came up. This was a pogrom against the German Jews, their synagogues and businesses  carried out primarily by the SA (Brownshirts) of the Nazis in November, 1938.

We need to inform ourselves about the Brownshirts (as distinguished from the SS ) because we have their equivalent here, today, in America. Antifa, who, ironically claim they are ant-fascist believe in the same things and engage in the same activities as Hitler's Brownshirts. The recent mob that intimidated Tucker Carlson's family is just one example. While they are nothing but street thugs this branch of Antifa is led by a professor from John Jay University.

They are cheered on by the likes of Maxine Waters. Presently using the tactics of intimidation (refusing service to someone wearing a MAGA hat, crowding around and yelling at people trying to eat dinner, picketing with bullhorns at their homes, publishing the home phone numbers so people can make threatening calls, etc.). It won't take long before these actions will escalate. There are cities, primarily on the west coast, where the violent acts of Antifa are not only tolerated -- they are encouraged, by the police standing down and the refusal of authorities to charge these people with a crime.

Fred