Free-For-All Friday 12/11/09
Decatur Metro | December 11, 2009Use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here in the past week.
Comments are closed on Monday.
Use this post to make comments and ask questions about local issues not discussed here in the past week.
Comments are closed on Monday.
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Michael
tracie
poplar
CH
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Bin Birru
Chadwick Stogner
No2decatur
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smith
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macarolina
Kevin
does anyone know why virtually none of the street lights work in the section of commerce dr. between college ave & the high school (on the high school side of the street)? there is maybe one working & it’s so dimly lit that it really provides nothing w/ the trees there & there are several posts w/ lamps that aren’t working. it’s such a dark area & there is a bus stop & two crosswalks in those places. it would be really easy to not see a pedestrian in the dark. we live near thinking man & aren’t that far to walk to Decatur but we never do it at night b/c it really feels unsafe in that area at night.
also, they really don’t clean the sidewalk in that strip so if you’re walking there (or rather, stumbling around in the dark) – it’s easy to fall on all of the debris from the trees.
does anyone know where these concerns should be voiced w/ the city of decatur? or if there is a reason why these lights aren’t lit?
correction…that should’ve been commerce between howard & the turn in for high school parking lot near the new football field.
Start with David Junger at the City. Having said that, the City street lights are maintained by Georgia Power and we are somewhat at their mercy.
Submit the outages here: https://customerservice.southerncompany.com/Outage/Streetlight.aspx
I used it for the light in front of my house and they really did show up within 5 days as promised.
Thanks Steve & Scott. I’ll try Scotts rec of submitting outage with Southern Co….and if that doesn’t seem to get anything done then I’ll check in w/ the city of Decatur contact.
shameless plug: don’t forgot to check out the Guadalupe Project, a benefit at Mingei World Arts for the refugee and immigrant women’s microloan program, Figures of the Virgin of Guadalupe, created by women artists, will be auctioned off tonight from 7:30 p.m to 10 p.m. at the store to benefit artisan refugee and immigrant women.
I’d love to know if any Decatur restaurants are going to be open on Christmas Day.
Sushi Avenue on the Square has a sign on the door that says they’ll be open if you’re into that kind of thing. You may also want to check with Feast.
I’ve gone with friends to the Brick Store on Christmases past.
Thinking Man is always open on Christmas Day (I believe they refer to it as the celebration of Darwin’s birthday).
Spoke with a brickstore employee recently. He tells me Thanksgiving and Christmas day are traditionally their busiest days OF THE YEAR.
I thought there was activity to monitor the traffic lights in Decatur and adjust their timing – did I dream this ? The intersection of Sycamore and Commerce is an accident waiting to happen, as no one has patience for that light and risk crossing as cars fly around that corner towards Ponce.
We are totally at the mercy of DeKalb County for anything having to do with traffic signals until the City can find a way to get someone competent to do it, which, IMHO, DeKalb County isn’t (competent).
For those that weren’t at the taping of “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me” last night, Decatur was a frequent topic of discussion since native (actually, he moved here when he was 2, we discovered) Roy Blount Jr. was on the panel. They talked a good bit about Blount Plaza, named for Roy’s dad, one of the initiators/builders of MARTA.
Hubs and I were there too last night. Most of the cars parked in the deck had Dekalb tags – maybe they will come to Dekalb or Fulton next time instead of Cobb. I would have loved to have seen the crew at Agnes Scott or the Fox as opposed to OTP. And I would have loved to have seen Mo Rocca there as well…maybe next time. Great show. Can’t wait to listen to it tomorrow.
Yeah, I’ve seen three shows at the Cobb Energy Center (The Swell Season, Neko Case, and this) and at every one of them, the performers have commented on how sterile and depressing the surrounding area is. That’s the impression of Atlanta that place gives, and it’s a damn shame. Thankfully, they had Roy there to set them straight (and I gleaned via Twitter that producer Ian Chillag may hail from these parts as well). On the other hand, that’s a pretty big place and they sold it out fast, so might be tough finding them a venue down around these parts, lest we’re talking the Fox or maybe the Rialto?
I was pleased with the panel. Mo is amusing, but he tends to dominate the panel when he’s on. My favorites are Adam Felber, Charlie Pierce, Roy Blount, and Paula Poundstone.
Oh, and last night only cemented my opinion that Rick Sanchez is an oblivious, self-obsessed douchebag.
I have a crush on Mo…what can I say. I watch CBS Sunday Morning every Sunday just to see him (not totally true, I really like that program). Loved the panel last night…totally agree about Rick. There are so many other cook CNN/HLN folks that would have been so much better. Shoot, we have so many other local celebs that would have been better. Oh well. It was a great show though and a great way to spend my 31st birthday.
My husband is former Accenture and really would like Peter’s comments about Tiger and the Accenture ads to make the show. Too bad they were made after the fact.
Yeah, he actually posted photos of those ads with his comments on Twitter earlier in the day, as well as his first encounter with Chick-Fil-A.
In general, it seemed like a lot of the funniest stuff happened in such a way or at times that won’t make it to air. The show itself was a little dry, other than the heavy reliance on (admittedly, pretty effective) Tiger material.
Funny you say that. We saw Neko Case there as well and we had the same impression. For an “Energy Center” it had no Energy. Friends had seen Neko earlier in the year at the Fox and said it was a MUCH better show. Damn! Missed the Swell Season. Excellent group (duo?).
I have been to the Cobb Energy Centre as well, and it seemed agreeable in all respects. Maybe not to everyone’s taste, but then neither is the FOX. Annie Lennox sounded wonderful and that is why I went, not for the surroundings. As a former Decaturite, I remember thinking at the time what a shame it was that my county/town didn’t have a “nice” arts center.
Decatur/Dekalb sorely needs something similar for Perforning Arts, located in a safe, clean, easily accesible area. The Energy Centre is next door to a plethora of restaurants, hotels, and shopping in a well lighted, clean, landscaped safe area…all important factors when planning such a space. Not sure that nexus exists in Dekalb. If Decatur had nicer hotel accomodations/convention space, a Performing Arts Center would ice the cake. And before folks chastise me for not considering the new high school center as an equivalent, well…it’s not the same thing.
What? How did I not know about this? Where did this happen? I love that show.
oops, in my excitement I posted my question without reading all the other comments. Now I know where but I still don’t know how I was oblivious. Will it really be aired tomorrow? That soon? Cool.
We’re busy at the Decatur Rec. Check out our blog, http://decaturactiveliving.blogspot.com, for info. on youth lacrosse signups, bridge, table tennis, etc.
Does anyone know what is up with all the trees being cut down on the front lawns of homes on S. Candler?
I was wondering the same thing today so as I was running by the area I asked some of the guys that were cutting down the trees and they mentioned that there were plans to build a new bridge at the location. Does anyone know anymore?
Just beginning to register my surprise and dismay at the giant pole with the civil alert siren on top that was erected in the schoolyard right across the street from my house in Winnona Park yesterday. We had no idea it was coming. I called Commissioner Elect Patti Garrett to confirm that the city is in the process of implementing its shiny new civil alert system, and hooray for public safety, but does that siren have to point directly at my house? And couldn’t someone have called me to let me know it was happening before the trucks showed up yesterday?
Did I miss something?
Where else would you like for the siren to be? The locations were chosen to provide coverage for the whole City and the warnings will only be used in emergencies.
As to providing notice to you, what difference would that have made? And, I guess, they could have called all your neighbors in a three block area also. BTW, the system was discussed and passed by the City Commission last Spring.
“schoolyard right across the street from my house”
“twenty feet in front of someone’s residence”
Sorry, but you’re not gaining much credibility with me. If it’s in the schoolyard across from your house, it’s at least 50 feet away, because that’s the right-of-way for the street, plus I doubt if your house is right next to the street and you have a front yard of 30 or 40 feet, so the pole is some distance away.
In a densely populated area like Winnona Park, the pole likely would be close to someone’s house or houses, regardless of where it is placed, so there aren’t a lot of alternative locations.
As for the locations and the vote, I’d be certain that the design of the system upon which the various bids were based was a matter of public record.
I hope this goes without saying, but let me clarify that I’m not opposed to an emergency alert system for our community. I am, however, not happy with the lack of communication from the city to the residents whose homes are now next-door neighbors to the sirens.
I have searched decaturga.com but have found nothing on the public record about the system design (only some commission meeting minutes from when the bid was accepted. The only information provided about the location of the sirens is a response to a question from Commissioner Kemp stating that “there would be a siren in each quadrant of the City” (May 4, 2009 minutes). I don’t even see a record of the name of the company that won the bid. Steve, if you can direct me to more information made available to the public before Dec 10, I’d be glad to see it.
What I would be even more interested in knowing is whether the City approached Columbia Seminary or the Methodist Children’s Home–two areas in our quadrant with considerably more open acreage than the densely residential rest of Winnona Park–about placing the siren there. I don’t know whether this was even an option. Was the Winnona Park field selected because it was easiest (being city property and all–no other parties to deal with)? Was it topographically the most advantageous (although that doesn’t seem logical to me, seeing as how it’s actually at the bottom of a hill, and my house sits at the top of the hill). But I was not given the opportunity to even raise these questions before the siren went up yesterday.
Whether the siren is 20, 50, or 100 feet away (it’s near the edge of the field, right across the street), it’s going to be earsplitting.
I’d be curious also to know where the other three are going up. Has anyone else seen big trucks with poles and sirens going up in their neighborhoods?
I imagine the sirens have to be on public property, which is why yours is in the schoolyard. And, the Children’s Home and the Seminary are on the fringes of the City limits.
I wouldn’t think the details would be on the City website; not all public information is or is required to be, especially detailed design and bid documents. For that matter, there is no requirement in the law for any of that material to be there. But, I’ll bet a review of the City Commission material presented at the meeting did include an overview of the system, although I don’t know that for sure. Also, the minutes of the meeting where the bid was awarded would have included the name of the winning bidder and the agenda prior to the meeting would have it as well.
At any rate, a request to the City Asst Manager for Emergency Services or the Public Works Department I’m sure would have yielded the complete package.
“it’s going to be earsplitting” It’s supposed to be. The “earsplitting” sirens will only be used in emergencies and I would be glad to be alerted in that event. You act like they will be used all the time.
Best Practices comment for our local arts establishments — PLEASE use (or learn how to use) the BCC field if you’re going to send an eblast about your event. Having to manage a ridiculous amount of spammy emails at work is one thing — having to do it on my personal address because my address is being exposed to hundreds of organizations without my consent is altogether different. Unless you’d like to pay me to manage my own personal inbox…then, copy away…
I’d like to think that providing notice to me would have made it less of a obnoxious surprise, given us an opportunity to protest before the siren actually went up, and perhaps talked with city officials about possible alternative locations that aren’t necessarily twenty feet in front of someone’s residence.
As for the system being discussed and passed by the City Commission, I’m fairly certain that the detail of the actual locations of the sirens did not require a vote. It also seems that it would have occurred to someone that contacting the homeowners directly (and I do mean *directly*) affected by this project before it was implemented would have been a good public relations move.
I’m racking my brain trying to remember if I saw the tornado sirens on the agenda recently. They must have been, but maybe it was phrased in a mundane enough manner that I didn’t notice.
If it had read “locations of new Decatur tornado sirens”, I would have been on it like white on rice, so I’m guessing it was probably noted along with budget approval or something. That’s my guess at least.
Since we’re free-for-allin’, I’d like to lobby for Decatur Metro to drop this system in which all comments are made anonymously. By that, I mean anybody can create any identity they want, and I cannot email, say, Allison or Steve or ScoobyDoo, all of whom may be people I know.
I think information gains or loses credibility with the source. I think the quality of comments is different when people don’t have to stand behind what they’re saying. Is there any thought to changing this?
BTW, Allison, I bought a house very near a railroad intersection, and they blow those sirens a lot, including at 2 a.m. We’ve gotten used to it, and it never woke up my babies. I venture to guess that these sirens will only go off in emergencies, and if you’re home, you’re gonna want to hear them.
I agree–we should all be forced to use our real names if we are going to comment.
–Jeff Miguel Russell
Absolutely not. See my nickname? If people knew who I really was, every liberal in Decatur would be protesting in my front yard, screaming for me to be thrown out of the city.
Yes, because we are all utterly intolerant. Besides, there are plenty of “token” Republicans here in Decatur–it’s still in Georgia after all.
Nonsense, dear– there’s no teabagger mentality on the other side, especially in Decatur. Rather than storming your castle, they’d be bringing you cupcakes, trying to get you to see the error of your ways, and then having a sit-in in the street in front of your house (no trespassers here!), singing “Kum By Ya” and lighting candles for your immortal soul. Fear not, DTR– you’re more a curiosity than a threat here. We mean you no harm.
A sit-in? That’s awesome! It will make targeting so much easier! I won’t even need to dial in my scope.
And there goes the gun reference. Wow, that didn’t take long. Of course, there are liberals that own guns too.
Token –
You are not alone!
We’re out and proud! (maybe we need our own parade?
I always wonder why Republicans consider themselves such victims and subjects of persecution?
Their religion always seems to be under attack, their heterosexual marriages are under attack by gays, the government is always trying to pick their wallet, immigrants and minorities are trying to take away their culture, public schools and liberal university professors are always trying to indoctrinate them, mysterious European scientists are conspiring to take away their SUV’s, and the government is trying to take away “their” single payer government health care.
Maybe they do need a parade to air these grievances!
Relax, everyone. I was just making a harmless joke using a stereotype of conservatism. Pete, I’m a pro- choice athiest who voted for gay marriage. But I’m also a proud republican who does not feel victimized in the least. I only get irritated when people like you make generalizations that do more harm than good.
Token…I think Pete proved your point! Let me know when the parade starts…I’ll march.
At the risk of sticking my nose in (it may get bitten off)…
DTR, you might want to be a bit more obvious when you’re joking, because sometimes it’s hard to tell that in writing. Maybe a little smiley or something. Plus, many on the left automatically assume those on the right have no sense of humor, so you have to try really hard to show you’re joking.
(see the smiley?)
Pete, do you think maybe you’re a victim of your own prejudices? Not all Republicans are right-wing, gun-toting, religious fanatics who think BHO is the anti-Christ and listen to Beck and Limbaugh. Just as not all Democrats are knee-jerk tax-and-spend, save the planet at all costs, government option healthcare liberals. Most people have beliefs and positions that span both sides of the aisle (see DTR’s post about gay marriage and abortion).
Anyway, I hope this little spat comes to a close and we can all move on for the betterment of Decatur.
And now we enter the zone of political-back-and-forth-infinite regress. We are all a victim of our prejudices–acknowledge, move on. Politics is over-rated.
Acknowledged, and moving on. But does that mean I have to change my nickname? I kind of like it.
Your nickname is hilarious–though the “Token” is token in itself, and perhaps an expression of some weird post-modern Kantian ontology related to politics–you should keep it.
DTR, every time I see your name I think of Token from South Park. Then I start doing my Cartman impression and it all goes to hell.
I couldn’t disagree with you more, Diane. This blog is very well-moderated for trolls & such by DM, so the rest of us feel fairly safe in coming here (mostly) anonymously to vent or have our little written tete-a-tetes with each other. If one of the posters here wanted you to know who s/he is, that person can easily e-mail DM and pass it along (or, you could do the same). I think most of us like it the way it is…
Yes, my comments get moderated just because I say things that sometimes people don’t want to hear or are slightly controversial!
I’m pretty sure you only get “moderated” when you name-call or insult someone Pete.
“Controversial” isn’t the issue. The more controversial the better in my opinion.
“I’m pretty sure you only get “moderated” when you name-call or insult someone”
or become irritating and caustic by thread-jacking, which can by accomplished within one sentence in the comment section of a blog.
Sorry Diane, I know this was addressed to me. It’s been a crazy week.
There is a certain amount of credibility that comes with known identities, but I don’t believe it’s an all-or-nothing situation. Sure you can’t judge the argument based on the source, but ultimately everything should live and die with the argument itself.
For all the great commentary by known sources, there’s also tons of crap that people swallow unquestioned because it’s from a known source too…so double-edged sword no?
Also I think that knowing the source more important in a one-way medium, like newspapers than online. In one-way mediums folks can blow an awful lot of smoke with no repercussions, so knowing their background is one important safeguard. The great thing about online conversations is that feedback can be public and holes can quickly be poked in bad arguments. Therefore, I’m not sure I believe that known identities are a must.
Plus, as pointed out elsewhere in this rather odd thread, it would make commentary in a small town much more tepid.
A big thank you to the Decatur Parking Gods for not ticketing my car today when my lunch ran over and I ran out of quarters!
FYI/reminder, there’s a volunteer cleanup day tomorrow at the famous toddler playground…
Since it’s the famous free for all Friday, does anybody know why the sidewalk that was planned for Glendale Ave didn’t happen? It’s a very busy street that is frequently the way most kids in Glendale estates and Clairemont neighborhoods use to get to and from Glennwood 4-5 and the park. It’s hilly has lots of cars parked on both sides of the road, a couple of work crews usually with large trucks and no sidewalk? At least make parking only legal on one side of the street so kids can be seen clearly.
You could direct that question to Hugh Saxon –
Does anyone know why all the railroad intersections along College in Decatur have arms that go down with blinking lights for safety but this is not the case for the railroad crossing on E Lake (right before Ridgecrest Rd heading towards Ponce)? Seems like this is an accident waiting to happen as I have seen cars breeze through despite flashing lights indicating an approaching train.
Thanks!
I called and later wrote to CSX asking them to put gate arms on that intersection. They said they’d perform a safety review, but I never heard back. I too have occasionally missed the rather dull lights overhead, only to be surprised by a very large train headed my way.
I have the exact same question. I was stopped at that crossing the other day with out of town guests and they were appalled that there were no arms at this crossing. Has it always been like this?!?!
Not sure who the best contact is, but I’m pretty sure that intersection is outside the city limits of Decatur.
CSX is the deciding agency. The explanation may be that the trains crossing there are going more slowly due to the curvature and the intersecting railroad..
Just have to say– we bought THE most awesome ornaments at Heliotrope! I can’t wait to put them on the tree! Now, we just need to put up the tree. *sigh* Maybe tomorrow.
So, anybody kill anyone else while I was gone?
And I bought the best gift ever from Taste (I think Heliotrope might also carry them). It’s a head massager made with thin, stiff wire-type thingies. Costs only $4.50 and makes you tingle all over. Brand name? Kikkelman or something like that.
WOW… I just got one of those last night…must be a CONSERVATIVE thing, eh?
Look, people, quit reminding us you are out there. We have one small oasis here in Decatur where we get to be the majority
So… if the conceptual plans for the new 5th Avenue school were drawn up 10/23…then the school system has known that the 5th Avenue lot was smaller than the Glennwood lot for a pretty long time…
And a look at those plans should eliminate any worry about the site being too small for the school. A huge recreational field, student garden, parkspace, covered pavillion, sand volleyball court, and even an outdoor classroom space.
Seems to me that they’re making good use of every square foot of property in this plan. Looks like a great plan! Nice job. Now let’s get back to building for our future!
http://www.csdecatur.net/districtnews/I030668C5.0/5th%20Ave%20Concept%20Master%20Plan%2010%2023%2009.pdf
http://www.csdecatur.net/districtnews/I030668C5.1/5th%20Ave%20Elevations%2010%2023%2009.pdf
It does look good. I don’t really get the volleyball court though. Why not make that a playground? Not everyone likes volleyball, and it can be a frustrating sport for some. Everyone (at least 9-11 year olds) like good, age appropriate play equipment though. I know that the playground at the current GW location is very popular and widely used. I don’t see any space for a playground. Other than that though.. its looks pretty cool!
Problem solved, Mr. Fix It. The school fronts approximately 500 linear feet of Fifth Avenue, which is around 1,000 feet when you count both sides of the street. Using a comfortable 20 foot length per space, this equals 50 on-street parking spaces or the exact same amount being afforded on-site in the plan.
So, lose the plan’s south end parking lot (without, mind you, giving up any actual parking *spaces*) and replace it with a bodacious playground. Mission accomplished!
No Pete. Not a huge field. An 0.8 acre field -smaller than Glennwood’s- with no swings, no basketball court, no play structure, no 4-square court. The site has much less outside space and none of the amenities currently found at Glennwood. A conceptual drawing of Glennwood with 10 additional classrooms where the trailers are and an expanded cafeteria space would show that Glennwood is the better location for the 4/5. It’s too bad the school system isn’t willing to work with the city and go to the 5th avenue community and ask them what they would want (an Art/Music/Dance studio complex, a K-3 school, a neighborhood garden, a neighborhood playground for little children, a senior center, who knows) instead of just telling them that the only thing they can have is a 4/5 school or an abandoned building.
Since they are going ahead with it anyway, following Mr. Fixit’s idea, they could move the media center to the volley ball court area (decreasing the pavillion if necessary), and move the garden into the outdoor courtyard. Then they could reclaim the space as a playground adding the swings, basket ball court (full or half), play structure and 4 square court.
Re playground: Fourth graders come in at age 8 or 9 to the 4/5 Academy. Wherever the 4/5 Academy is located, it’s developmentally important for it to have a playground with monkey bars, swings, a slide, a basketball hoop, and other latency period-appropriate equipment. They may dress like Hannah Montana but they are still kids.
Never thought of asking Fifth Avenue residents themselves what kind of building would best serve them but it’s a good idea. Of course they would choose a school over a deteriorating empty building. I would too. But if they had the choice, what would they prefer go in that space? Certainly a new school brings the risk of rising real estate values and taxes that could hurt some long-time residents with fixed incomes. Not saying they wouldn’t still choose a school but we should find out rather than assume.
Karass, I don’t know if you spend a lot of time in the neighborhood around 5th Avenue School. However, the High Real Estate Prices boat has already left the dock over there. Home prices are through the roof throughout Decatur.
I’ve walked around there a bunch being a Kavanna addict and seen that there’s still a bit of of an original community and some modest homes. But disappearing fast. Is that good or bad? Depends on who you are.
Karass, you are obviously very passionate about the 4/5 Academy. Instead of focusing on all the negatives of the 5th Avenue site and wishing for the whole project to just go away, have you considered redirecting some of your energy into working with CSD on improvements to the 5th Avenue plan?
I actually don’t wish for the whole project to go away; something has to happen given enrollment. I was happy when the Reconfiguration Committee #2 redirected CSD away from a 4-8 at Renfroe to a 4/5 Academy at Fifth Avenue. Trust me or not, my interest in the Beacon Hill idea is to know whether it is feasible or not, best site or not. I heartily wish it had been brought up much earlier in the process when it could have been Option 13 or 14. I think there would have been a lot of good discussion and the matter would be settled by now.
Re playground: Many people are trying to have input with CSD on aspects of the plan but it’s time consuming and not easy. But you bring up a good point–under the CSD System Charter, who should have an active, official role right now in getting parent and teacher input on the specifics of the plan? I would think that the Glennwood School Leadership Team (SLT) should since that group will become the new 4/5 Academy’s SLT eventually. I hope it’s got a big role. SLTs have not been too active yet in general but are getting more so and several Board members have said that they should take their authority and use it.
Never thought of asking Fifth Avenue residents themselves what kind of building would best serve them but it’s a good idea. Of course they would choose a school over a deteriorating empty building. I would too. But if they had the choice, what would they prefer go in that space?
As a 5th Avenue area resident, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT. How many times to we have to tell you for it to get it through your northside skull? Abandonment of this project would be seen as an abandonment of our neighborhood by the schools and the city.
This property is either going to be used for the 4/5 Academy or it will continue to sit abandoned for another 10 years, like it has previously. And if you think that the City Schools will just abandon the property and let the City turn into arts center, you’ve got another thing coming.
“How many times to we have to tell you for it to get it through your northside skull?”
Love it.
Actually, I always felt bad that Fifth Avenue was supposedly closed for renovations, the kids “temporarily” sent elsewhere, then the renovations never happened. I hate to see a school building not full of kids. I originally hoped that all CSD schools could stay open by having magnet schools and some kind of proportional assignment to schools. If Fifth Avenue had had a sports- and math-oriented curriculum, one of my children would so have been there. And my other child has gone to preK at College Heights so we’re really not all that southside-phobic, northside skull or not. In fact, the REAL northside is Druid Hills or Mason Mill. North of College and South of North Decatur is really only pseudo-northside. We only play northsiders on TV.
What or who is this new news source, Decatur News Online?
From Neil Gaiman’s Twitter account:
“Landed. Atlanta is as foggy as dickensian London. Very appropriate.”
Yay!