Beaumont; you've just scratched the surface: Shall I continue!
No emergency exit from Shamrock Ind Park! On council's agenda since July 15, 2004.
A raised crosswalk on Laurelwoood which was promised to be removed over 2-1/2 years ago.
An inability to receive answers as to whether all zonings and land use changes have been put into ordinances and the data transferred to the County Tax Assessor.
Trickum Creek repaving has been in limbo since Oct 16, 2003. Still not done.
A new road was paved (Swanson, leading to Publix from Tyrone Rd)
But, no curbs or gutters; just piles of rocks for storm water control
40 to 50 year old oaks destroyed on town owned property and not replaced.
Outsized signs erected in violation of town ordinances.
A junk yard next to Shamrock Park that has been growing for about 2 years.
etc, etc. etc.
Come to the Planning meeting on February 22nd when the town will try to sell commercial and senior housing. The comprehensive study, recently completed, stated that the people of Tyrone do not want this.
The saga continues!

Loopie you are so right about it all and then some. So how are we to get any business done if the Council aren't having meetings? I am just as frustrated as you, but our voice is not being heard. I can go to the 22nd meeting, but since the Council doesn't listen to the Commission's recommendations, I'm not sure it will do any good. I will be there in hopes that the Council will listen to the numbers of citizens that hopefully will turn out.

I posted a blog about this a couple weeks ago when they first closed their doors. After asking around with little results, I finally posed the question to a friend of mine who is a reporter for the Fayette Daily News (sorry, John!). She informed me that the owner is in the process of filing for bankruptcy. Apparently, he gave NO warning to all of his employees. They came in to work one morning, and were told that the doors were closing. Classy, huh?

They have the best return policy in the business.

You can bring it back whenever you like for any reason and they'll take it back.

Everything except computers.

People were bringing them back three and four years after they bought them and taking advantage of their great program.

If there was any significant difference in bottom line phone bills don't you think everyone would soon change to the cheapest one that worked?
I'm sure all those charges you mentioned are charged to you also on any other phone company you may select---they are LAWS!
Actually Bellsouth (now ATT) is one of the very few companies who actually own phone lines. All of these companies like Vonage buy time from ATT and re-sell it to you, just like the electric co-ops do from GA Power.
In their ads they pick out one item and say it is cheaper (long distance, say) but limit it in some way, and overcharge on something else. Just look at your total bill and you will see.
I'm not pushing Bellsouth, actually I have Verizon wireless.

For what it's worth, I recently switched my phone service from Bell South to Comcast Digital. Comcast is about $10/month cheaper than Bell South, and Comcast has more features for the basic price, such as free long distance and Caller ID. Poor voice quality used to be a problem with VOIP (voice-over-internet protocol) telephone service, but no longer. My calls sound just as clear as with Bell South. The only hiccup I came across when I switched was my home alarm system monitoring service. My old service was not compatible with VOIP, which is digital, so I had to switch to a company who could handle the digital signal. Otherwise, it was a smooth transition, and I kept my original phone number. If you already have Comcast for your TV cable, then it's a piece of cake to make the switch.

Dollaraday, I think the reason that Bell South/ATT can afford to charge higher prices is that many people who still use traditional land line phone service are in the lifelong habit of using Bell South, so they just continue to use it, even though there are cheaper alternatives available. Old habits are hard to break. By the way, I also have Verizon cell phone service, but I'm not ready to give up the land line entirely.

They've invented cell phones that tie into a company's VOIP service so that employees can use either their desk phone, or their cell phone to make calls. When they step outside the building, they can still use their cell phones, (with the same phone number) and their signals are routed back to the company. Someday soon, they'll program cell phones to tie into our VOIPs so we can use our home and cell phones, with the came number, at the same time and not have two different bills, (or services). That's what I'm waiting for.

I used to have bellsouth but they are too expensive
i have comcast dsl,cable and home phone and i'm very happy with the service you should call them and compare.

wierd...... I knew a guy that used to have a home phone. Now of course he just used the money to add minutes so he is like the rest of us. That's pretty cool though, I am in to retro!

You could go strictly cell, or go with a VOIP (voice over internet protocol) that uses an internet broad band connection.

Is this *all* Chili's restaurants?

Also, where is there the Chili's in our area? I've never eaten at one, but now plan to take my wife on a dinner date.

Losing a young daughter to cancer is incomprehensible to me, as the father of four and grandfather of six. When my own father learned of my prostate cancer diagnosis, he said, "Why couldn't it have been me instead of you?" I think all good parents would say the same.

Great idea....I will have lunch at Chili's and then take the rug rats to Chili's for dinner. They don't deserve it but what the heck.
We give to the Farber Children's Cancer Research Insitute and to the Komen Foundation and they are both worthy recipients.

One day God will explain to us why cancer is here.

Wanna shock me--- Get Basmati to lend unanimity on this one blog....

I think that they will have it beat within our childrens' lifetime. This matters a great deal to me as my wife and I both have extensive family histories of cancer, so that our children have likely inherited a confluence of cancer-prone genetic material.

Pioneer researchers are experimenting with genetically engineered viruses (and vaccines) that have already produced limited success in attacking melanoma cells in humans.

Imagine a preventive or curative cancer vaccine!

This is all the more reason to support current research. They're hot on the trail.

Muddle, you are one of the most confounding people to read on this website....and believe it or not, that's NOT a criticism of you.

From your posts, one can see that cancer is a subject that weighs heavily upon you...and I can certainly see why it does, given your circumstances.

The other day, though, you gave an articulate, well-thought-out impassioned defense of George W. Bush's presidency (which I will eventually get around to responding to, btw, but I digress). For the life of me, I can't see how you can reconcile the "anti-science" (for lack of a better word) of the Bush administration with your desire for a cure for cancer in our lifetime.

From what I've read, the most promising possibilities for cancer treatment breakthroughs will be courtesy of the Bush administration's number one bugaboo, stem cells. Adult stem cell research, the type of research promoted by the government today, seems to be limited primarily to bone marrow cancer, which, while important, is something of a niche area.

Embryonic stem cell research, the type currently prohibited (okay, severely restricted to the point where it's all but prohibited for you nano-parsers out there) by Bush administration administrative fiat seems to be the wave of the future with regards to treating both leukemia and lymphoma, two "mainstream" forms of cancer.

The old cliche "Nature abhors a vacuum" is relevant here: research hasn't stopped in this area simply because the Sun King of Crawford has decreed it...it's simply moved offshore to Irish and New Zealand laboratories. Try as they might though, these countries do not have the state-of-the-art funding and facilities that the United States enjoys.

Like you, I want to see breakthroughs in the treatment and prevention of cancers in my lifetime...and yes I have a vested interest in this as well as 80% of the males in my family tree succumb to colon cancer.

I guess what I am asking, in an admittedly circumspect way, is if you have consciously made the decision to forego long-term benefits (cancer treatments) for short-term "security" with your support of President Bush.

It's a moral quandary for me.

And I would not automatically cast the prohibition as "anti-scientific." We *could* do *lots* of things with our applied science and technology. But some of those things are immoral. Peter Singer, for instance, has advocated experimentation on the irreversibly comatose. Or suppose that experimentation on newborns or fetuses was advocated by some scientists who maintain that cures for major human maladies may be had by doing so. Supposing they are right, would we be justified in proceeding? I think not. And to object to an immoral application of science is not for them to be "anti-science."

The issue, then, is whether there are morally significant considerations at stake.

I think it's clear that opening up research on embryonic stem cells would likely hurry the advance of the breakthroughs we all long for.
And I think I understand the argument for embryonic over adult cells, given their respective stages of development and potential for new tissue growth, etc.

But the question comes to this: Does the promise of hopeful results justify our intentionally producing--and then destroying--genetically complete and distinct human individuals as a means to those ends?

To many, perhaps such as yourself, the question seems to be a no-brainer: the lives of millions of actual persons can be saved and their health and well-being ensured or restored as a result of such research. At most, what we have in such embryos are *potential* persons. Others worry that this is just a clear violation of Kant's Principle of Humanity: "Always treat humanity...as an end-in-itself and never merely as a means to an end."

The moral issue involving embryonic stem cell research goes beyond the abortion issue, in my opinion. For here we are talking about the intentional production of human life *for the purpose* of its destruction to advance further ends.

yes this is all chili's - there is one in PTC not sure of other locations close but if you go to their website you can locate one close by - and yes I would have traded places with Steph starting way back when she was 12 and first diagnosed and would glady trade places today if I could.

Our love and thoughts go out to you in the loss of your 18 year old treasure. I think the fear of going through what you and your family did haunts each of us in regards to our children. God Bless!

Well, even though i closed my acount with them last week they are still nickeling and diming me. They just sent me a bill for three dollars, even though the acount is closed and their is no activity in the acount.
Seeing their commercial on tv makes me sick, they are the rudest money grubbers I have ever come across.

I moved to PCHNB from BB and T and have nothing but good to say. I have had any problems taken care of quickly and politely (and one of the problems was my own fault).
NOTE- Listen to Clark Howard about Debit Cards!!!! They are bad news.

Good or bad, the banks are determined to eliminate checks. Banks also want to close their doors to the public. Appointment will be needed in seperate offices. Only predator loans will be available. That is unless you are huge, big, much money, or some south american country!

Are you really that paranoid? Do you have any idea how much labor (cost) is involved in processing checks? Electronic transactions are so much more efficient, and as a result, obviously cheaper. Plain and simple, it's all about the bottom line, not some great conspiracy theory that the government wants to monitor every purchase you make. Trust me, if the government wanted to track your spending habits, they can already do that. And, if I'm not mistaken, all checks are translated into digital images when they are processed (if not all, then most are made into digital images now).

Yes, someday checks will be obsolete. And I bet all you conspiracy theorists are shaking at the thought of banking/making purchases with your thumbprint or some other biophysical identification, but that is coming, too!

I am a banker by trade. I would not recommend PTCNB to anyone.

I know someone who allerted the head teller that a suspicious person was in the parking lot hanging around the ATM for a long period of time- when the person allerting the teller left the bank- there were detectives outside to greet her regarding HER suspicous behavior. This good citizen no longer banks with PTCNB.

Isn't this the bank that is sueing us for the money they "gave" the tennis center without collateral? Maybe they need it?

what you get when you allow your child to attend government school- which is government interference. Duh.

I don't know Mr. Ahl, but I think he sells stuff on the net. He has sold you something, too. Saddam still thinks he is dictator of Iraq. Things can always be worse, can't they?

Hardtack, why must you try to ruin every topic that is posted? Are you that unhappy of a person that you must seek to destroy any joy that others try to share?

Holjen's post was beautiful and I am a better person for having read it. I am sorry for you that you chose to deride this lovely passage.

You are so right the people here are spoiled pigs. I pick up trash all of the time when I'm out walking. It is probably the same people who are littering that are doing the complaining about the appearance of our city.
Guess what folks; keeping this city beautiful is the resposibility of the PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE!!! Clean up after your piggy kids and set a good example yourself for a change.

i as a young adult gets really angry when i see trash in the roads. all it takes is to walk to the trash can and throw it in. hey those of you who want to clean your car clean, put a small trash bag and empty it when you get home. IF ALL OF US KEEP UP WITH OUR OWN TRASH, WE WONT LOOK LIKE A TRASHY CITY. WE LIVE IN A BEATIFUL CITY LETS KEEP IT THAT WAY.

I'm not sure about the minimum $1190 fine, nor whether we have some who are Gestapo on the force, nor whether officials know better, or not, but I do know that teenagers in particular are fined more for such things in Mr. Sams court, routinely. I think it has to do with the fact that teenagers need a lesson early (so their parents have to pay the fine, of course--teaching them something) and that officials are sufficiently embarrsed by the publicity. It just seems to me that it should be the reverse: let the teenagers work off their violations cleaning the jail---no fine for the parents to pay, and let the officials pay dearly, serve time, and be fired. Only way to stop it---fear of money loss and jail.

We are the laughing stock of the world, because of the worthless idiot we have in office right now.

Go online and read any paper from around the world. Most of the people in other countries speak the english language more succintly than our buffoon.

They also have a better handle on basic economics and finances. They also have half of an idea of what mercenaries are for. We should be working smarter not harder. The mercenaries would have had osama in 2 months or less and it would have cost alot less in money and lives.

Hey skyspy, I disagree with your statement for several reasons:

You may disagree with our current President's policies but to call him a worthless idiot just makes you guilty of the "Clinton Bashing/politics of personal destruction" fringe element.

While public speaking is important, I will take a few mispronunciations or some particple mangling from a person that is moral, ethical, decent and honest. Despite partisan attacks, look at his predecessor's record for number of administration indicted.

Your economic statement seems bad since the US economy is going great guns, while Europe has 10% unemployment and stagnant growth.

Can you prove that these "mercenaries" would accomplish what the finest fighting force in the world including Seal teams, Green Berets, Rangers, Force Recon, and Delta have not been able to do?

What country uses mercenaries? Where do they advertise and what do they cost?

I think you will find that the Taliban and Osama, who are mercernaries for the Arab oil interests, whipped the Russians in Afghanistan. We don't know how to fight a war against terrorists with all those fine outfits you mentioned: not even after we bomb them mercilessly! We learned in Viet Nam that it took ten of our boots on the ground, in the way we fight, to just hold even with terrorists. We didn't learn a thing there, apparently. This is what we get when we let politicians run the war instead of just directing good Generals as to their objective and not how to get there. Our current batch of officers are taught too much international intrigue and not enough capture and occupy. Also, if IKE, Patton, Marshall, Bradley, MacArthur, and others hadn't told some politicians to go climb a tree somewhere, on occasion, in private, we could have lost WWll. They can't do that now, our current crop of politicians will not listen to Generals at all and they will be retired, early or one rank lower for pension purposes even if they say what they think to the boss.

I disagree with your statement that the Taliban and Osama are mercenaries. They are religious extremists, they fight for their warped religious views, not for money. Heck, they would probably slit the throats of infidels for free, just for the fun of it.

As far as WWII, if you are a student of history, you will know there were many foul ups that occurred. Even though we had broken their codes!

Operation Tiger a rehearsal for D-Day was attacked by 9 German E boats: This brief action resulted in 198 Navy dead and missing and 441 Army dead and missing according to the naval action reports. Later Army reports gave 551 as the total number of dead and missing soldiers.

Market Garden resulted in the decimation of a British Airborne Division, The Battle of the Bulge caught allies napping, the loss of the USS Indianapolis, etc. The major difference now is that the media does not support this war. P.S Don't forget the Raid on Dieppe.

Fighting insurgencies is difficult, but not impossible. To win the American people must not lose faith and commitment. Vietnam was an example of winning battles, Tet was a catastophy for the NVA/Viet Con.

I guess the millions killed in Cambodia and Vietnam after we left is a prediction of what will happen in the Middle East if we do not win.

I think you underestimate todays leaders. I served with General Casey and he will state his opion no matter what. Maybe, just maybe they support the policy of training the Iraqis to take over.

First of all honest moral people don't shy away from military service and they don't go AWOL when they are given an easy non-combat duty post. They don't run over people while driving drunk(whether they were illegal immigrants or not).
Our country is trillions of dollars in debt, for no good reason.

Our men and women are not killing machines, not the way mercenaries are. I do not say that out of disrespect. My father and brother have both served this country. Our kids that are raised on baseball and cherry pie and everything good in this country are not killing machines. You know very well that very little is known about mercenaries, they are as secretive as the CIA. They don't advertise and you know it. After doing a google search all I found were a couple of books on them, that still left more questions then answers.
Maybe they wouldn't have been successful, maybe they would have. It's a toss isn't it. But what we are doing does'nt seem to be working.

We can agree to disagree. I respect your opinion because you have served our country.(unless you made up your blog name).

The election has been over for two years. If there is ever a time for character attacks the time prior to an election would be appropriate. Now, whether you agree or disagree, he is the President of the United States, and if that phrase does not send a shiver up your spine you are missing something fundamental about being an American.

We have a great system, not a perfect one. Continual harping on speech difficulties or past indiscretions belittle the office and our nation. Support the President and if you do not like his policies organize legal opposition and prepare as well as support future candidates who are in favor your positions.

Respect is something that is earned. It is not given out gratuitiously just because you have been given a big job title.
He has done much to belittle himself. No one had to help him with that, he has done it on his own.

You have serious self esteem issues. Get professional help.

You are just now answering a post from several weeks ago? Sorry no esteem problems here. I don't have to follow the heard, bush lover. People with low self esteem just follow blindly........I will NEVER DO THAT.

You shouldn't either. People with low self-esteem issues insist that they are still right(or their vote was right) in the face of incredible evidence to the contrary.

Snap out of it.......think for yourself without following the heard.

Not only does your login name explain a lot; it is obvious that you are uneducated, just based upon your spelling errors. Buy a dictionary and look up the word President. Oh, and do some research, there are numerous female Presidents in the world.

Yo funfur realy 0 so the guy admits he is small you still did not give any proof that we are ready for a chick President there is not one in the World worth a hitch. IF there is you failed to mention it state some good facts or go back to bed or back under the rock you crawled out of!!

I don’t know about us being ready or not for a woman President. If the right man for the job is a woman, then so be it.

I would have voted for Colin Powell had he chose to run. Most likely will vote for him if he decides run.

I would personally love to see Hilary run aganist Powell as I would take great pleasure in seeing her get her A$$ kicked all the way back to Little Rock.

Actually she won't ever go back to AK. That was just a stop on her journey. She is a limo liberal and belongs in Manhattan.

There is no way she can be elected with her current approach to issues. She even turns women off with her screeching.
meow

You're about to overplay your hand there "littleman", don't ya think?

Vote for dat dere Linda Wells! She's a gud un.

Isn't dere spelled derr in the state of ga?

I reckon you's just ignurent.

Derr is fer writin letters. It goes Derr John, n on n on.

I'm just an ignorant northerner. Only lived here for 15 years and don't have the spelling part down just yet.

But I'm fixen to.

agree more!!

Time for Linda Wells to call it a day, she has worn out her welcome.

Blowing taxpayer money on frivolous lawsuits just don't cut it in this county. Dissing seniors and voting against them ain't gonna cut it either.

Good bye, Linda.

I agree completely, something is wrong with the folks that run Petsmart. I have stopped shopping there years ago - if you want excellent friendly service, try Haynes Pet Centre (near Ace Hardware, just outside Peachtree City on Hwy 54). They do a fantastic job... http://haynespuppies.com

I like the people at Haynes. I, personally, have had nothing but good experiences with them. But one major issue will always bother me about them. They sell puppies. I have been assured that they hand-pick the puppies from only reputable breeders, but any "reputable" breeder that you talk to will not allow their puppies to go through a pet store. I am 150% against puppies being sold through a pet store, mostly for the puppies sake. That one thing bothers me about BOTH of our locally owned pet stores, Haynes in PTC, and the pet store in Tyrone (next to Publix... also GREAT service and people, but still with the puppies).

As long a there's a profit to be made, who cares about some old trees. Besides, if they were that old, maybe they needed replacing anyway.
[please note sacrastic tone]
Keep up hammering about this, Loopie. Can you tell us by name who made the decisions to clear and cut down the trees?

Isn't it just amazing what these people will say in an attempt to justify their wrong-doings?

I totally agree with you frenchsa. It is best to have the breaks for the students and teachers. Ok...you may have to get a sitter or take a week of vacation which you would have had to do during the extra week of summer. Sounds like a lot of parents consider the schools the babysitter, not the educational system.

95% of parents with children don't want to hunt babysitters numerous times per year so that executives and teachers can get paid more and have nore time off. Who is the customer here?

I think the kids need more time off from school and schould have a week off in October. frenchsa I agree with you frenchsa.

Now that the poor patients with BC insurance have had their britches scared off, we will gladly accept the much increased charges to BC by Piedmont hospitals, which the patient will eventually pay with premium increases. Companies will simply keep having employees pay more and more of the premiums, as has PTC government done! My lord, a doctor visit now is $150.00, without complications! Five to seven minutes time, usually.

All I know is that I got a thing in the mail from BCBSGA saying that Piedmont had made unreasonable demands. Who knows?

I've just come through cancer treatment at one of the premier treatment centers in the world, and the bills really racked up. Though the totals were around $80k, I paid perhaps $300.00 out of pocket. BCBSGA (Blue Choice) is excellent, no-hassle coverage. I do hope they can work things out with Piedmont.

-----

"Every time I'm in Georgia I eat a peach for peace."
--Duane Allman

We missed your posts and I'd have hoped you were on vacation with one of your exotic beers in your hand. That would have been better.

I know I'm not alone when I say I'll pray for the best for you and yours.

Praying for you as well.

-----------------------------
Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

I think it's safe to say everyone here send our thought and prayers out for you as you deal with this horrible disease. Keep a posting and keep us posted.

Muddle, I just wanted you to know that I did indeed have the PSA test done.

Don’t have results back yet, so I’ll just have to wait and see.

Maybe Bill & Hilary were right after all.

Trying to justify Clinton's socialized medicine scheme from this is absurd.

-----------------------------
Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

we do not hear anything about this issue until it is time for an election?

Could it be that election time is when we choose people whom we expect to get things done under the Gold Dome and in D C? DUH?

And by the way, we've been hearing about same sex marriages and banning such throughout the last several years. When did this issue reach the front page and the 6 o'clock news? When the gay/lesbian coalition started with the "in your face" crap and staging gay pride marches across the nation every weekend.

You can be assured that the 98% of us who are heterosexual did not bring the issue to the fore. The gay/lesbian community did.

Yep. The radical special interests groups come pouring out at elections.

Did you see the Pedophile Party popping up in Scandinavia? Trying to get recognized as a political party with the platform of lowering the legal age of consent to 12 years old?

These sexual perversion groups have no limit. Just look at NAMBLA.

And what about the polygamy groups?

Anyone who says this end with allowing gay marriages is blind or lying.

Then there is PETA. And the Socialist Party Movements. And on and on.

I hate election years.

And as an Independent I get angry at the sudden resolution to solve things by the Dems and Republicans.

-----------------------------
Keeping it real and to the core of the issue, not the peripherals.

Here's a wonderful solution to all those who gripe, complain and otherwise get in a froth over what's on TV and the radio: it's a new invention (to some, apparently) called the "ON/OFF" switch. Yes, that's right- you too can now be one of the tiny minority of people who, up until now, have enjoyed this secret device. How does it work? It's simple! See something you don't like on TV? Turn it off. Amazing. And here's the best part: most likely, the TV you already own came with this wonderful yet apparently secret tool.

Damn, is it really this sad? Either you're a grown man or woman in charge of your own house and children or... you want the government to raise them. Don't like what's on TV? Fine- change the channel or turn it off. Upset about what's in the theater? Don't go. Hate what you're hearing on the radio? Pop in a CD/MP3 or, in deference to the simpler-minded among us who are still regaling in times past, an 8-Track. It's sadly amazing how much grown people have surrendered of themselves these days.

Of course, no one can argue with the squirrel's advice to turn off offensive material.

But doesn't this just miss the main point of the objection that any rational person is raising? It is a lament that we live in a culture in which this sort of thing is in high enough demand that it is readily available, and in a way that requires a high level of vigilance to keep it from impressionable children.

It was not always so. And it is a sign of moral decline.

Sure, I can change the channel or turn such bull$hit off if it comes on. I can pay special attention to what my (grand)children are watching on TV or doing on the internet. But the fact remains that the prevalence and popularity of such filth helps to define the nature of our society, and things are not very promising.

You might as well object to someone's complaint to the fact that there is an increasing number of internet (and other) predators who would harm our children by saying, "If you don't like it, then keep a close eye on your children!"

-----

"Every time I'm in Georgia I eat a peach for peace."
--Duane Allman

No, I missed nothing. Quite to the contrary, the point is one of relevancy. You may call it moral relevancy, or whatever you like. The point is that one can only police one's self and one's domain. What is "objectionable" to you may not be to me; in fact, given the tenor of your posts as well as others here, that's likely a safe assumption. I simply have mastered the apparently difficult ability to remove what I find offensive from my purview. However, I respect those who may still wish to experience such material and accord them the right to do so. I do not assume to foist my moral views, either singularly or in as part of a group collective, upon others. Quite simply, if you don't like it, just move on. People have been ranting about a so-called moral decline since the dawn of history. I would dare say that you commit certain acts or behaviors with which you have no problem but those in your parents' or grandparents' generations would certainly have. Do not confuse social evolution and enlightenment with a "decline." Now certainly I'm not defending this particular organization, the Black Eyed Peas or whatever, as "enlighted." But the fact that groups such as this can now find purchase as something that appeals to certain people rather than being dismissed for social reasons, as undoubtably they would have 30 or 50 years ago, is a positive sign of growth, not decline.