My introduction

[REWahoo]

Just who are you calling animals

He's been called worse I'm sure. But I don't think of him as an animal, just kinky.

http://www.utopiarescue.com/

 

[yakers]

Not fair, you get Kinky Freedman and we are stuck with The Terminator. Seems like it should be the other way around.

 

[Ol_Rancher]

  'Chief of Public Relations' sounds like something thought up in Austin by some state task force.

  I might owe some alligence to the Republic of Texas.

  The big issue around here is how to defy the upcoming attempt to electronically tag every livestock animal in the state. What they can count can be taxed and what they can track can be recorded.

 

[REWahoo]

Not fair, you get Kinky Freedman and we are stuck with The Terminator. Seems like it should be the other way around.

Guess life's just not fair.

Gotta love Kinky's campaign slogans: "Why the Hell not?" and "How hard could it be?"

http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/platform/

 

[Cool Dood]

There is a fair amount of religious diversity in Texas Hill Country. In this rural cattle county there is a Greek Orthodox monastary and the nearest town of 1200 has 17 different churches. I know of a Hindu temple in the next county but to be truthful I know of no mosque.

As for the ( Yeah Right !) remark, I have no reason to show you any disrespect but, the handle 'Cool Dood' implies a certain lack of savoir faire. Perhaps as a retiree and of mature age and former science teacher, such a name evokes a less than serious response after having taught so many ' Cool Dudes' of high school age.
This forum is open to all and your questions are earnest and have been honestly answered thus far. I would have expected such a handle on MySpace.com rather than a forum on early retirement.
I wish you good fortune and readily admit my life planning until age 40 was in 5 year blocks. You have the advantage of time and long term outlook, I have had the advantage of demographics.

Jeez, talk all you want about the tolerance and diversity of Hill Country, then you discriminate against me on the basis of internet alias?
Seriously, if you want to pick on me for lack of savoir faire, there are better targets to choose from than a tongue-in-cheek pseudonym

FWIW I'm not a teenager or a myspace user and my financial planning is probably of about the same order as a middle-aged FIRE wannabe (and my finances are probably more advanced, adjusting for age). Anyway, I'm not here to start fights, I don't really care whether you patronize me or anything, jes' curious where that came from

 

[Nords]

  'Chief of Public Relations' sounds like something thought up in Austin by some state task force.

The rest of you guys forget that Ol' Rancher is in charge of keeping them there furriners OUT of Texas... if every poster who wants to move to Texas was made welcome, California would empty out before the end of the month. But don't worry, I promise to stay away. I'm glad guys like you are living in Texas so that guys like me don't have to.

The big issue around here is how to defy the upcoming attempt to electronically tag every livestock animal in the state. What they can count can be taxed and what they can track can be recorded.

Hmmmm, so if this pilot program is a success then they'll be ready to expand the tagging to taxpayers?

If every animal is chipped and people have a motive to mess with the revenuers, this puts a whole new meaning on the phrase "cow hacker"...

 

[Cool Dood]

Careful, Nords, another place on my list is Hawaii.....

 

[Jarhead*]

if every poster who wants to move to Texas was made welcome, California would empty out before the end of the month.

You must be smoking those unfiltered bad-boys

 

[yakers]

  '
  The big issue around here is how to defy the upcoming attempt to electronically tag every livestock animal in the state. What they can count can be taxed and what they can track can be recorded.

Neat, we know where every cow is but our borders are wide open. Whats wrong with this picture?

 

[REWahoo]

Neat, we know where every cow is but our borders are wide open. Whats wrong with this picture?

Maybe we should follow the lead of our friends to the North...

Border guards flee danger in Canada

By Sam Howe Verhovek
Los Angeles Times


...Roughly a dozen times in the last four months, Canadian border guards, who unlike their U.S. counterparts are unarmed, have left their posts in response to reports of dangerous suspects heading north.

The walk-offs, spanning the border at posts from Washington to New York, have closed the crossings for periods of a few minutes to as much as several hours. In the most recent case Feb. 10, traffic heading from Blaine into British Columbia was backed up for three hours after Canadian guards left their posts in response to a report that a murder suspect from the Seattle area might be headed their way.

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/journalgazette/news/nation/13917126.htm

 

[Nords]

Careful, Nords, another place on my list is Hawaii.....

E komo mai, brah, plenny room for all!

I grew up near Pittsburgh so I understand your feelings about cold weather. I've never stayed in Texas, but I'm also pretty sure that the surfing is better in Hawaii than in the hill country.

Next time you're researching, try HawaiiAnswers.com and the state's propaganda website. If you're still interested after that, I have more.

 

[Cool Dood]

Next time you're researching, try HawaiiAnswers.com and the state's propaganda website. If you're still interested after that, I have more.

Thanks, mate -- I've just been reading up on it, and will now look into your links. Don't be surprised if I'm back for more...

 

[Ol_Rancher]

Nords is correct about a group of Texans here who would rather not read about wonderful Texas HC.

I am one of them, so anytime I read of someone promoting moving here I try to use a dose of reality to dissuade more people arriving to hasten the approaching enviornmental and social crises looming as San Antonio and Austin boomers bring there rudeness, all night vapor lights, lawn watering needs, demand for trendy shopping, left politics, well drilling, building covenents, taxes, and so much more that has destroyed the last bit of Texas character in Travis county.

It's been a long time since anyone claimed Austin was 'laid back' or 'quaint' or 'charming', but this was discussed in past threads. So if I come off as less than 'Texas Friendly', so be it.

 

[REWahoo]

So if I come off as less than 'Texas Friendly', so be it.

Ol_Rancher, your Official Curmudgeon Badge is in the mail.

 

[Cool Dood]

Hey, no problem, Ol_Rancher, I understand and sort of figured as much. As I say, I don't know you and it doesn't bother me if anyone's "rude" on here, if ya can't take even that then there are few places in this world you'll be happy, anyway...

 

[Cool Dood]

Oh, and Nords, I've had a chance to look through those links, and I'm ready any time for whatever else you can throw at me! Feel free to send it by PM, if you don't want to clutter up the public areas, and if you don't mind then I may have some more specific questions to ask at some point.

Thanks again!

 

[Nords]

Oh, and Nords, I've had a chance to look through those links, and I'm ready any time for whatever else you can throw at me! Feel free to send it by PM, if you don't want to clutter up the public areas, and if you don't mind then I may have some more specific questions to ask at some point.
Thanks again! 

You'll want to get a feel for the local issues. Here's one local newspaper, and here's the other. This ain't exactly the Washington Post. However Honolulu has a Craigslist now, so they're feeling the competition breathing down their necks.

Real estate is not cheap-- here's the Honolulu Board of Realtors for more info. The Stott family real estate business also does a good job and George has an excellent monthly e-mail update for absentee owners. It's a good way to get a feel for the real estate market in small monthly doses.

Traffic is ugly during rush hours. It's susceptible to fender-benders at any time, and there's not many alternate routes on any of the islands. Public transportation is not as robust as you would hope.

Here's where (CFB) gets his Hawaiian-language inspiration. The Beamers have brought a lot to Hawaii's music, too. "Honolulu City Lights" still brings tears to my eyes...

You'll want to learn more about this, too. Luckily Hawaii is one of the most friendly in the nation for retirees, not so much for workers.

The state library has assembled a huge pile of links for just about any other questions.

Finally, this is the Hawaii link that I use most often.

 

[yakers]

Guess life's just not fair.  

Gotta love Kinky's campaign slogans:  "Why the Hell not?" and "How hard could it be?"

http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/platform/

Kinky Friedman, musician and author, is running as an independent for the governorship of TX.

His plan is the "Five Mexican General Plan." He'll divide the TX-MX border into five segments and assign each segment to a Mexican general. Each general gets a bank account with $1M in it, to be turned over to him when Kinky's term is up. But for each illegal spotted crossing in that general's segment, $5k is removed from the account

 

[Maximillion]

The fact that the White Man came in and destroyed an Indigenous Population, stole their land from them, and are now afraid that Yuppies will spoil the place this is truly hysterical.

Mexicans, the original owners , are denied entry into a land that is really theirs by the new White Owners.

My Aboriginal Friends would just as soon we all leave.

We are all Immigrants.

 

[Cool Dood]

Your aboriginal friends were all immigrants, too. Get off your high horse before you fall off...

 

[SteveR]

Mexicans, the original owners , are denied entry into a land that is really theirs by the new White Owners.

My Aboriginal Friends would just as soon we all leave.

Just to expand on your point....

Technically, the Mexicans were preceded by "native Americans" who were descendants of an Asian-Mongol race that migrated from Asia to North America via the exposed shoreline caused by the receding glaciers from about 10,000 years ago. The Indian population spread South into Central and South America and eventually became the Incas, Mayas, and Aztec tribes.  Spanish conquest in the late 1500s created the Mexican culture and society that “owned” Tejas.

These tribes killed each other off for thousands of years before the “white” man ever set foot on this side of the pond.  

As Cool Dood said.

Every body is an immigrant from somewhere else.  

 

[kat]

Nords, just want to say I think it's pretty cool you landed in Hawaii from Pittsburg, and I remember you explaining your career led you to many new places, so it follows.

I went other places from New York and came back ten years ago, and here in eastern upstate paid off a house super fast. Since you speak of surfing, and left the Northeast I'm sure the weather had a lot to do with it. Same for me. I remember being in Portland, Oregon for a year and watching how a quarter inch of snow closed everything down. Geesh, we need a blizzard to even partly close down. And I love the snow. And we keep everything running. When I was in Boston, the buses stopped running during a major snowfall. Never in New York.

Texas Hill Country -- I never even knew there was such a thing, and it sounds like how that's supposed to be. I'll make a point of visiting and see what it's about. I was going to do that with N'orlins, and some day I will.

I get the sense the far out Adirondacks is something like Texas in attitude.

 

[brewer12345]

Texas Hill Country -- I never even knew there was such a thing, and it sounds like how that's supposed to be.   I'll make a point of visiting and see what it's about.   I was going to do that with N'orlins, and some day I will.   

I get the sense the far out Adirondacks is something like Texas in attitude.

Anyone else envisioning the lynching that will go on when kate arrives?

 

[HFWR]

This is true of many parts of the USA, whether Texans will admit it or not...

 

[SteveR]

This is true of many parts of the USA, whether Texans will admit it or not... 

Having lived in the backroads of America in many different places, including Texas HC, I can assure you that the Texas attitude is unique to Texas. While other areas might be described as Redneck, the HC area of Texas, as in other parts of the state, (not including Dallas and Austin here) would be more correctly considered as Texan. For those familiar with the Redneck culture (is that an oxymoron?) most Texans have refined that to a razor's edge. True Texans would never be confused with an Alabama Redneck. Two completely different animals. 8)

So, yes if Kate thinks Texas is like PA she is in for quite an awakening. That is like saying a Frenchman is just like a German.