You grew up in Atlanta in the 70's? That's the decade Atlanta finally died. Mortally wounded in the Sixties, Atlanta lost her personality, her heart, her soul, her identity in the Seventies.. In the Forties and fifties Atlanta was known as the "BIGGEST LITTLE TOWN IN THE NATION". People in the South went to Atlanta when they died. Atlanta was the Mecca for shoppers in the South East, Rich's was the Temple.

Our Grand Parents lived in the most fun community/city around Atlanta ... Hapeville. Early 50's, We cousins, ages eight through twelve, would catch the bus (trolleys stopped running in the late 40's) on Saturday morning around ten, and go to Atlanta. We wandered the town from the Fox on Peachtree down to Woolworth's (Whitehall St. right before kerosene district). We would slip into York's Pool Hall, go to either the Fox, Martin's Rialto, or Loews Grand to see a movie, terrorize Rich's, eat dime hamburgers (forerunner of the Crystal), adventure into the train depot, and generally have a grand time. Most of the time we didn’t have enough bus fare to get back home, but the bus driver always said ... “Go sit down”

Today, I wouldn’t want my 44 year old son or 40 year old daughter to do that. Drive straight to where you are going, and come straight home.

Sat scores 1500? Amazing! I guess that equates into circa 1958 SAT Scores of about 850 ... outstanding and congratulations. I know, too snide! But too true?

I can't remember that period of time ... too much pot in the air. The bongo sessions in Piedmont Park are a faint memory.

Ah yes, Atlanta in the 70s. The dreaded "10th Street at Peachtree" where all the long haired hippies hung out, selling the counter-culture newspaper "The Great Speckled Bird". I think there's a Starbucks there now.

There were all the bright yellow porn stores nearby, where the BankOfAmerica tower now resides.

Piedmont Park in the 1970s was quite an unusual place, too. My parents inadvertently introduced me to hard rock there. We went there for a picnic one summer day on a Friday. They were setting up equipment for a huge rock festival to begin the next day. Some group, I think it was the old Alice Cooper Group, was doing a sound check, and we heard the loudest, rocking-est version of "The Patty Duke Show" theme EVER. Talk about blown away!

"But Patty's only seen the sights a girl can see from Brooklyn Heights...whaaat a wild duet...still they're cousins, identical cousins..."

not the dreaded long haired evil hippie freaks.....say it ain't so.

"once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at ti right"

not the dreaded long haired evil hippie freaks.....say it ain't so.

"once in a while you can get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at ti right"

I suppose because those two "lesser" schools you mentioned have larger percentage of minority students, they are in your eyes "LESSER"?! May I once again point out that there is nothing "inferior" about ANY Fayette County School and that FAYETTE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL gave birth to all those "superior" schools you mention?!

How blatantly ignorant, racist and elitist can you POSSIBLY get, "SNIFFLES" ... Don't interject what you clearly DO NO KNOW! Which clearly, from all your "assumptions" is A LOT.

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NEWSBOY : DELIVERING NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

Spin it however you like, but Sandy Creek and Fayette County are the "also rans" of the county.

What were the only two schools to fail to crack the 1500 average threshold on the 2007 SAT test?

Sandy Creek and Fayette County
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/sat2007.html

What two schools have hundreds...HUNDREDS...more students suspended than the "big three"?

Sandy Creek and Fayette County
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/0708disciplinechart.html

Lets see.....lower test scores.... more discipline problems.....
seems like that's a fair enough definition for "lesser schools".

Feel free to differ, of course. I notice you quickly played the race card.

Hmmm, while they might have more suspensions which can result from discipline problems did you look at the other numbers? Starr's Mill had the highest amount of drug incidents with a record of 14, double that of the next highest schools. McIntosh reported 20 fights to the county. What about all the other incidents that aren't reported even though the schools are supposed to be truthful? Get a reality check, these people are trying to protect their kids. Talk to someone who goes to each of the schools they can give you a real outlook.

Before your head gets too big, Fayette County Schools rank in the top ten percent of the State of Georgia (Loud applause!) Georgia ranks in the lowest five percent of the States (quiet hush), The united States ranks last in first World Nation, in bottom ten percent of 2nd world nations, mid range in 3rd world nations (tears) ... Yet we spend more dollars per student than any Nation. How and why is that? Any doubts? Witness my poor presentations.

Above is questamations, but very close to actuality.

Oh pshaw, my head is plenty big already.

You are correct in lamenting the sorry overall state of public education in America today.

The only thing I can add to this is my own personal experience with public education in Fayette county:

My children were all able to take advantage of a number of advanced courses offered here in Fayette county. I should note that not every county in Georgia places an emphasis on courses for advanced learners. Additionally, my children were all able to take advantage of AP (Advanced Placement) courses offered during their junior and senior years, which gives them a leg up on entering college freshman and is an excellent basis for a quality education. I wish these AP courses had been available to me back in the dark ages when I attended high school!

As my kids have "taken" from the system, they've also "given". They applied themselves to the best of their collective abilities and scored well in excess of the "average" SAT score for their school in this county. Think of it as them doing their part to raise the overall SAT average here.

My kids received an excellent public school education here in Fayette County. They were all able to attend the college of their choice, some on scholarship.

Yes, overall things could be better...there is always room for improvement. Having said that, I am very pleased with the excellent foundation in learning they've received here in Fayette County.

You have done well, your children have done well, I wish you and yours the best, the best being a world they live in that is wonderful, a world not distorted by self acclaim, a world not looking at artificial materialism or ribbons for recognition and measurement of self, nor for others, but true worth seen through the clarity and courage of humility, a maturity that has no need to wear medals or cirtificates of accomplishments to take the place of what is earned only through inner growth, respect won for being what you are, really are, and knowledge that can be counted on by all who see and know becAUSE YOU LIVE IT, NOT WEAR IT.

What should we expect from our children? What are they capable of? Is our love (of self and our children) hurting them? Are we the ones getting in the way of their ever becoming what ever it is their potential allows, letting them "be all that they can be", with the happiness and satisfaction, ... the bone and soul deep contentment of knowing they have done a good job, that their achievement and accomplishments are worthy and needed, the peace of mind and spirit that comes from maturity and knowledge they have done well, handled their responsibilities with honor and ability; pride being in the work, not themselves.

Too much money, too many toys, too little discipline or supervision, too much praise for too little effort, too much time and mobility to wander into the ever more available "Devil's work shop's?"; partaking of the so tempting and artificially sweet and titillating vices destructive to mind, body, soul, integrity, development of character, courage of character, will to do what is necessary, and do it right and on time? Do our children have the humility necessary for true courage to grow? Have we developed their ego rather then their honest self. Are they blind, deaf, and numb to what is really important because of the thick shell of self destructive ego they are enveloped in? Are they, in other words, too much like their parents?

It is natural and right that parents see their six year old win a race at school and immediately visions of Olympics run through their head; a hundred on a spelling test they are a Hemmingway, hundred on a math test, our next Einstein. But the great leaders of the past,, the truly great leaders and people who changed history in every area, had parents who had need of work from them, and needed it ASAP for survival. The mantel of manhood with it’s obligations and responsibilities often fell on the shoulders of youths barely in their puberty, children at age six and seven were made apprentices to craftsmen (Angelo, De Vinci).

A lean, mean, determined generation of people desperate for life itself can and do win resources enough to one day allow for fat, dumb, selfish, lazy and foolishly artificially happy kids. These kids invariably come from fat, dumb,selfish, lazy, and foolishly artificially happy parents living off the efforts of their ancestors. They only think they worked for a living.

A twelve year old boy can, upon the death of his father, take hold of the hard scrabble farm and do a man’s job, caring for his Mom and six brothers and sisters. It has been done many times, too many time to count. The world may not have know what a good man he was, grew to be, but everyone around him did ... as for him? He died a content man, happy with his life. The world was better for his being here. The story isn’t gender specific. It happens more amongst the stronger sex then the male sex.

Tell me sniffles, what classes do the big three offer that FCHS doesn't, Isn't that what determines how good a school is? What did your kids get at McIntosh that my kid doesn't get at FCHS. Does being a Tiger mean my kid will be in trouble or be less of a person. Tell me when something happens at the big three, does it make your kids less of a student or a person? From what you say it makes my kid less. My child doesn't get suspended, or use drugs, she's not pregnent and she hasn't sold any drugs or threatened to shoot up a school. When that stuff happens at your school you discount it, but if it happens at FCHS or Sandy Creek it seems to count more against us. Why is that?

I yam what I yam...Popeye

Good morning Hutch, I missed your reply this weekend as this blog got buried under the avalanche of football blogs this past weekend.

Insofar as what classes are offered at the big three vs. FCHS, I have no idea. I would assume the course offerings are roughly the same. I'm not sure where you're going with that question.

You ask what my kids get at their high school vs. your kid at FCHS? Off the top of my head, I'd say a better education and a more stable learning environment. The "better education" claim may be explained away by higher socio-economic factors, quite frankly, I'm not sure. I do know that, every year in the past decade or so that we've lived here, Mcintosh routinely wipes the floor with FCHS in SAT testing. How would YOU explain the differential, year in and year out? As far as "more stable learning environment", I think the sheer number of disciplinary reports at the big three vs. the others speaks for itself. My understanding is that most high schools in Fayette county are roughly the same size, how would YOU explain the large variances in the numbers? (If it makes you feel any better, I am at a loss to explain the differential between Mcintosh and Starrs Mill). Is it a basic lack of respect for authority at SCHS and FCHS? Lack of parenting skills? I'm not picking on you here, I'm asking for your opinion.

I don't think your child is any less of a person based on the high school they attend. I am equally sure that he/she is proud of her school, at least as proud as you appear to be.

Let me give you an analogy. Suppose I was to tell you that the Mcintosh football team was just as good as FCHS. Wouldn't you laugh at me and point out that FCHS hammered Mcintosh 41-3 and is in the playoffs and Mcintosh is not?

Well, the same thing goes for academics. MHS and SMHS made the Top 25 list and were honored by Gov. Perdue this year for academic excellence. Is this a knock on other shools in Fayette county? I don't believe it is. If you look at my original post, I used the phrase "lesser schools" but did not intend it as an insult. "lesser" does not imply "inferior", although I've seen numerous attempts by yourself and Newsboy to twist my words otherwise.

I'd like to close by noting that you may have inadvertently highlighted the difference between the styles of parenting between our two schools. I am proud of my children and point to their accomplishments: AP classes, SAT scores, excellent education foundation, etc.

On the otherhand, while proud of your own child (as you should be), you focused on what your child DIDN'T do: DIDN'T get suspended, DIDN'T use or sell drugs, DIDN'T get pregnent (sic), and DIDN'T threaten to shoot up a school.

You highlight the difference in our approach to parental expectations far better than I ever could have.

Have a blessed day!

Let me show you where I'm going with that question, if all the schools offer the same classes and all the kids that want to take those classes are allowed to and they make as good as grades that they want too, how do you figure FCHS is any less, oh yeah, just the fact that it's in Fayetteville. Your analogy as to the football teams doesn't hold water. If we take the top hundred students at each school, what will be the difference in their GPA? I willing to bet a very very slight difference. Let me also point out that the things I alluded too that my child didn't do were the things that your school were in the news for just this year, not that was happening in my school, so I do highlight it, but as always you seem to miss the point. To close I have to say your choice of phrases to describe our {lesser schools tells more about you then anything I could say, and I bet your kids are the same elitest jerks that you are. You have a blessed day too.

P.S. While my child is only in the 9th grade, she hasn't tken the SAT yet, I can only cite what she has done so far as in Honor Roll, All State Band, Wind Ensemble as a freshman, Member of the Metropolitan Atlanta Wind Ensemble and I could name a few others but I'll let it go for now anyway.

I yam what I yam...Popeye

You are right, one's choice of words tells a lot about an individual. BTW, wishing you and yours a blessed Thanksgiving. TIGERS ALL THE WAY!!!!!
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Well, I’m glad your intended use of “lesser” was not implying inferior. BTW, it’s McIntosh not Mcintosh and schools not shools.

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Your comments are well spoken, my child goes to Sandy Creek- did sniffles ever answer you question that when that stuff happens at your school you discount it, but if it happens at FCHS or Sandy Creek it seems to count more against us? I don't see his response. I think we both know his answer. Don't you?

Well, now that I know your "HOOD" I'm wondering if your sniffles aren't from snorting too much ... OH, NEVER MIND! That would just succumb to your ignorant / arrogant "N'awth PTC" branding of anybody not like yourself as "LESSER."

STILL ... how could somebody who claims "McIntosh High" as part of their heritage DARE (let me repeat) DARE suggest it's superior to other high schools in the county, what with all the negative publicity coming out of the hallowed halls on Walt Banks Road of late?

Shall I remind you? Girls plotting to shoot up their classmates, a soccer star running a pot ring out of his Greensway bedroom, etc etc. blah blah blah.

And finally ... HUNDREDS?! HUNDREDS MORE kids suspended, disciplined, whatever? Citing what sources, pray tell? Or does that matter? For you, of course not!

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NEWSBOY : DELIVERING NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

Goodness, Newsboy, I think you need a nap or something!

You want to know my sources? Take a look at my post. You see those lines that begin "http:" and are followed by a bunch of slashes and words?

Those are called hyperlinks, pal. Paste 'em into your browser address bar and visit the sites I referenced. Select "Fayette" from the drop down list and then click on your beloved Fayette County high school. Scroll down to the bottom and marvel at the sheer number of disciplinary incidents your alma mater endures each year. Then compare that to Mcintosh high school's number of disciplinary actions. Take note of almost two HUNDRED fewer incidents. Then come back here and apologize to me.

Put another way, the three "powerhouse schools" in this county have far, far fewer incidents...so much so, that when something bad DOES happen at one of these schools, it's "front page news". The seeming lack of discipline among students at the "also-ran" schools (I'll refrain from calling them "lesser" schools as that term seems to upset you) is so prevalent that quite frankly it's not even news anymore.

So, to conclude: ANECDOTALLY, there are isolated incidents that occur at Starrs Mill, Mcintosh, etc, that from time to time cast the school in a less-than-desirable light.

STATISTICALLY, though, the schools with the greatest number of discipline problems (and lowest SAT scores, but I digress) are Sandy Creek and Fayette County high.

Have a blessed day!

Newsboy,
You need to disregard comments made by Sniffles. He's not from around here. LOL

I've lived here in Fayette quite a while. Kids went to Kedron, then Booth, then Mcintosh.

Thanks for asking.

Newsboy and I were here before PTC was "created." Our ancestors were born here in the 1800s.

You're welcome.

GO TIGERS and FCHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do I know you? And yes, you are correct ... 7th generation, NONE removed. Proud and true. Great-great-somewhere way back there was here when they ran the Creeks out, original land-lot owners. We were dirt poor and proud. Not much has changed! LOL!

OH YEAH ... GO TIGERS!
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NEWSBOY : DELIVERING NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

Mayberry Didn't Exist?

Last evening, after picking up my great niece from work, I stopped by a super market to buy some items my wife of 45 years had written down on a paper. I was driving my daughters Jeep, my daughter had my truck, their truck had gone to work with my son-in law that day and he had to work late. My grand daughter had riding lesson and My daughter needed my truck to pull the horse trailer.

The parking lot was full. Driving down one lane I noticed a couple empty spaces the next lane over. Toward the end of the lane I was driving down the spaces were empty, so I turned left across the empty spaces to turn left and make my way down to the spots close to the store. I was in an unfamiliar vehicle, and I was preoccupied in thought about something else as well ... easy to have a fender bender that way. As I begin to enter the lane I heard a horn and hit my breaks. I heard a horn for at least three seconds after I came to a stop ... long enough to look to my right and see a young lady, cell phone to her ear in one hand, other hand on the horn, foot on the gas peddle, and going at least three times as is safe for a parking lot.

Had I not stopped, she would have hit me in the right rear end because she lost the time opportunity for stopping before hitting me. It would have been my fault, but from her vantage point she had ample opportunity to see me all the way, and to figure out what and where I was going, but she didn't once put her foot on the brake, she did set down on the horn though ... all the way to and buy me, talking all the time on her cell phone. I was wrong: she was rude ... and would have definitely been a contributor to any accident, as she could have prevented it. Do you think she believed she was rude or wrong? I don’t ... probably was telling her friend “I think some stupid old man is about to pull out in front of me ... yep, he did, I thought so” ... BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRE. I sometimes think there would be fewer accidents if cars didn't have horns, too many people use them for brakes, and to cuss people out.

I believe there were more towns close to being Mayberry than you believe today’s recent, transient, first generation “bed room communities” like PTC or remade Fayetteville is anywhere near as polite and neighborly as you would present them to be. None. or few, of the kids around here worry about anyone telling Dad, and if they did, Dad would tell them to mind their own business ... if he was in town, or not still at the office in Atlanta, or happy hour with the guys, or on the 15th hole. For way, way, too many kids today Concern for politeness, consideration of others, Personal and family reputation is a distant second to what the latest Pop Tart is wearing ... or not. Respect for self or others has a whole new set of measurements today. All that way? No, for sure not, but the ratio of those like that to those like that fifty years ago has to be twenty to one, and growing. Of course, twenty years ago the young lady would have been fortunate to be driving the car, and the car would have been the one and only family car. She would darn well been careful.

I could list so many things, but as you see no problem with the trash on TV, radio, movies these days, I won’t waste my time. When Grand Pa's feel as you, no way we will anytime soon lower the illegitimacy rate, STD rates, Drug abuse/addiction rates, divorce rates, crime rates, single parent home rate, etc, to what it was fifty years ago ... nor imporve civility to anything near what it was.

GA Red Bug,
What a great commentary! I find myself reliving those good ol’ days many times over with my son’s. I will go on memory lane and talk about “when I was your age…”, and talk about how different society in general was back then. I shared with them a story of how we used to ride our bikes to town and spend the days there and not return until dark, without mom and dad having to worry about our whereabouts; somehow we always managed to make it home in time for dinner!

Family dinner, another lost art it appears. Computers, cell phones, game systems, and our kids busy lifestyles have taken over; however, our family still manages to sit down together, especially when my oldest one comes home from college, and have a meal. My boys actually look forward to it and that makes me feel good.

Thanks for your insightful posts Red Bug, glad you are contributing to this site.

Reminds me of an incident yesterday.

I was travelling north on Hwy 92, ready to make a left on Gingercake to make my way down to 54.

An oncoming, southbound car had just entered the turn lane to make a right onto Gingercake. I calculated that if I was quick I could make my left in front of the car without it ever having to slow down.

I made the left.

Just as I was crossing the oncoming lane, I realized that my attention had been drawn away from the more important lane--the oncoming thru traffic on 92! I had pulled out in front of an oncoming and speeding "monster truck" (a pickup with huge wheels, etc.).

Stupid, stupid mistake that could have been disastrous.

By sheer luck and through no planning of my own, there was just enough time for me to make my escape before the advancing truck got to me.

So what does he do?

He accelerates--no doubt to emphasize how stupid I was. As a result, we passed within a hair's breadth.

When all is said and done, I would rather be guilty of stupidity than meanness.

GA: Very nice and nostalgic post. If only we could get there (Words to Creed's "Higher")

When dreamin I'm guided to another world time and time again
At sunrise I fight to stay asleep, cause I don't wanna leave the comfort of this place.
It's like a hunger a longing to escape from the life I live when I'm awake.

Altough I'd like the world to change it helps me to appreciate those nights and those dreams.
But my friends, I'd sacrifice all those nights if I could make the earth and my dreams the same.
The only difference is to let love replace all of the hate.

Let's go there. Let's make our escape, come on let's go there.

Let's ask can we stay.

Muddle, I use to get mad when people did unthoughtful things in front of me (intentional or perceived as intentional). One day in Fayetteville, NC I was in my bag comming from Pope AFB, and in a double turn lane. The van to the inside of me crossed from their lane to mine and ran me and my 35th Anniversary corvette onto the curb. I won't too happy. I pulled up beside them, fuming and (in uniform no less) glaring with pure anger. The confused gentleman behind the wheel of the minivan had no clue what he did or why I was mad. He nervously raised his hand and waived, and the light turned green allowing him to pull off before I could wave back. That was 1998 and I have given everyone the benefit of the doubt since then. I assume all highway hijinx are purely unintentional moments of confusion, and I instantly forgive other drivers of their trespasses. I've been a much happier driver since. No middle fingers; just waves, be carefuls, and have a nice days. The recipients usually appreciate the gesture.

Cheers,

Kevin "Hack" King

First, for 45 years! Now that's something to be proud about!!!!!

The parking lot thing is..., well it's unfortunate. I'm afraid being neighbourly is gone the way of being chivalrous. As the population grows everyone is competing. Look at the way people drive. It's always competition to get ahead of someone else. Heck, I have had people pass me on the road shoulder on a multilane road just so they can race to the next light. This is nuts!!! I hope I'm teaching my children better manners.
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I wasn't paying attention, and I definately should have been, BUT (always the "but" when you are at fault). As for as nearly having an accident it doesn't come anywhere near a close call, but for me getting my feelings hurt, and a little peeved, it souldn't be anything worth talking about. The youing lady had three options, it was a parking lot and no cars around that section, She could have turned to the left, to the right, or slowed way down, stopping if necessary. But, I truly didn't see her coming and should have ... my 20 year old niece to my right may have figured in, but no excuse.

Had I continued on and she had of hit me, I would be the one at fault, and I accept responsibility. What irks me is her attitude "I have the right of way and if you infringe on it I will knock the heck out of you, then flipping me off with a loud, long, angry horn not intended to alert, but to curse. She blew the horn well after I was stopped and right on by me, cell phone to her ear in one hand, other hand on the horn, foot on the accelerator and going thirty at least.

This young lady couldn't have cared less what I ( the stupid old f-rt) thought or felt, or anyone else looking thought; She no doubt felt totally justified. Civility, respect for others, even stupid old f-rts? Forget it! That, to me, is the issue.

About three weeks ago my washing machine went belly up so off I go to lowe's to buy another. We set it in the back of my old pickup{76 F100} and start to leave, I pull up in the last row as far from the store as possible and get out and move the washer up next to the cab so it doesn't fall over, get back in, look left and right, and start to pull out just to slam on my brakes because some clown coming at an angle across several of the lane comes within six inches of hitting me and with not even a sorry or oops or anything whips around me and drives on. He had to see me get in my truck and had to see me start off but just didn't care. If I didn't take extra care in parking lots he would have nailed me good, or bad as the case may be.

I yam what I yam...Popeye

I wonder if she was trying to race to a handicap spot? Talk about being civil. You're not an old f@rt or stupid. It was bad behavior on her part.
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Caution - The Surgeon General has determined that constant blogging is an addiction that can cause a sedentary life style.