Disturbing reason why a person wants to leave America

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Ed_The_Gypsy What's wrong with Texas, anyway?


Well, according to REWahoo, this

Quote:Originally Posted by REWahoo
It's been a while since I trotted out the list, but since you asked...

Texas is infested with scorpions, rattlesnakes, fire ants, crazy raspberry ants, cockroaches on steroids, killer bees, mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, tarantulas, brown recluse spiders, love bugs, swarming crickets, copperheads, cottonmouths, rabid skunks, wild hogs, alligators, oppressive heat & humidity, bleak desolate scenery, dirty beaches, polluted air, dust storms, drought, wildfires, water shortages, recurring floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, rednecks, huge piles of flaming mulch, spontaneously combusting playgrounds, roads hot as flowing lava, the stench of natural and unnatural gasses, amoebic meningitis lurking in area lakes, recurring Ebola virus outbreaks, flesh eating bacteria, staggering homeowner insurance rates, unbelievably high property taxes, mandatory death sentences for DUI convictions, polygamous religious sects, and, lest we forget, doesn't look kindly towards Yankees (per Orchidflower).

Well, besides that.

As to your last question.... I think someone has answered that

But really, nothing major.... for me just HOT in the summer...

I have not been to any of the Central American countries.... so I can not say one way or another... my DW loves nature... she paints them all the time... Me, I would only want to stay a few months at a time..

I have read that if you live in the mountains in Panama that the weather is 'better'... that it does not get too hot or too cold...


I agree that OZ and NZ would not let us stay permanently.... but I am not looking to move there permanently... I have read about one guy who lived in both... you can live in either for up to 6 months out of 12... so he moved between the two... 6 here, 6 there, rinse and repeat....

In the end, I might have an in... I have a nephew who has become a citizen of OZ... and I think even NZ... he was married to someone from both countries (now with NZ).... but, he has moved to India recently and I do not know when (or if) he will move back....

But, yea, I do not plan on leaving Texas....

OK, I understand a little better now. TX is sort of barren and does get hot in the summer (been there, done that). There is a lot of natural beauty in our hemisphere. Costa Rica is well known for that, for example. Mexico is as well. You both could have a great time exploring the Americas.

Have fun!

 

[HFWR]

I don't have keys to my house at all. The front door was salvage and I never figured out how to take the lock apart to replace. We also didn't have keys to our last house, which was in a more urban area. Noting to steal, a couple of barking dogs. Meh.

I keep all the doors locked. I figure it'll slow them down just enough for me to chamber a round...

 

[omni550]

I have heard so many people say “It was better in the old days”, and I’m often as guilty as the next guy in viewing my childhood as idyllic and the present as bleak. But, when I am honest with myself, I must admit that too many times I gloss over the bad things and remember only the good, so I thought I'd review and summarize some of the awful things that occurred back then and remind myself what actually happened. I chose the 70s, since that decade covered my 11th through 21st years – for most of us, the most formative years of our lives. A survey of the headlines is attached.
I think that if you are open-minded, you will see remarkable parallels to the headlines for last ten years or so. As Engels said -- history repeats itself -- and as I would add "and we never seem to learn from it". As I note in the summary, at the end of 1979, President Carter gave what is known as the "malaise" speech, although he never actually used the term in his speech. With few exceptions, President Obama could give the same speech today, word for word, and it would still be appropriate. Take a quick read; it will be worth the time to gain the perspective.
Crisis of Confidence . Jimmy Carter . WGBH American Experience | PBS
My own views are that the 70s were a decade of national bad taste. Fashion sucked (remember leisure suits?); the music sucked, particularly in the latter half of the decade (remember disco?); men's grooming standards were appalling; cars were underpowered and ugly (Gremlin anyone?). All in all, I'd rather live through the last ten years than do the 1970s over.

Wow..just reliving the 1970s through reading the headlines. Wouldn't want to repeat that again.

omni

 

[brewer12345]

Hi, brewer,
My experience as well. When I was in the army, I ran across some things that most people will never know about. The real world is not quite like Tom Clancy's world.

Just for information, conspiracies are meat and potatoes in the Middle East and India. The world is never simple to them.

Last I checked, conspiracies were extremely popular among Merkins as well. All the more laughable when I look around me on a daily basis given my involvement with one of the "Great Satans" of many a conspiracy theorist. These people could just about find their way out of a wet paper bag (if none of them are wearing open toed shoes) and they are thought to pretty much control the world...

 

[Mulligan]

Wow..just reliving the 1970s through reading the headlines. Wouldn't want to repeat that again.

omni

Aw yes, the 70s...Reminds of me of a recent time I watched a 70s rerun of Hawaii 5-0. A lady smoking and drinking a cocktail, all while being pregnant and on a commercial airplane. The good old days!

 

[scrabbler1]

I believe there is an equilibrium where no period was better or worse but that we've just exchanged good things for other good things and bad things for other bad things. We got rid of polio but then AIDS popped up, for example. We can't leave our doors unlocked but most would argue that our lives are a lot more convenient and comfortable.

Better/worse? Or a trade off, one for the other?

I think you summed it up well, a tradeoff, particularly in the last 50 or 60 years. Another good example is cars are safer today than they were back in the 1970s with airbags and automatic seatbelts......but today's drivers do many more dumbass things than they could have done back in the 1970s such as driving while yakking on the cell phone or while texting.

 

[brewer12345]

I keep all the doors locked. I figure it'll slow them down just enough for me to chamber a round...

Most residential doors will open with a good, solid kick or two in the right spot. You can go to a fair amount of trouble to reinforce doorframes and the like, but that just means they will come in through a window or whatever. I choose to live in a low crime neighborhood and am frriendly with the neighbors. The dogs bark at anything, and if someone does not get the message Colorado has a "make my day" law. It has never been an issue, except for the door to door salespeople trying to cram a security system down my throat.

 

[REWahoo]

Well, besides that.

Even Texas museums are deadly:

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — A 14-year-old West Texas boy is dead after he ran into a bull statue [at the National Ranching Heritage Museum] on the Texas Tech University campus and impaled himself on one of its horns.

Texas teen impaled on horn of bull statue

 

[omni550]

Even Texas museums are deadly:

Texas teen impaled on horn of bull statue

You'd think that, being from Texas, the kid would've understood the danger. Are they now going to have to put some type of safety covers on the tips of those horns to prevent a recurrence?

omni

 

[Hamlet]

I learned the value of that logic when someone cut thru the top of my convertible to steal my golf clubs that I had in the trunk.

I would have been way better off to just leave the car unlocked, because the repair to the top cost many times what the golf clubs cost.

I stopped locking my convertible after that.

I used to work for a guy who did not have keys to his house... he left the back door unlocked.... but did lock the front...

I asked him about it.... he said... if they are going to the back door to check to see if it is unlocked, they are probably going to break in anyhow... why have a broken door or glass in addition to whatever they steal... kinda made sense... he had never had anything stolen....

 

[Texas Proud]

Well, besides that.

OK, I understand a little better now. TX is sort of barren and does get hot in the summer (been there, done that). There is a lot of natural beauty in our hemisphere. Costa Rica is well known for that, for example. Mexico is as well. You both could have a great time exploring the Americas.

Have fun!

Where I am at, it is not barren... heck, we get a lot of rain around here... and we like the different sites in Texas... the mountains and Big Bend in west Texas... the hill country, the lakes in the east... the beaches... the warm water at the beaches ... it is only the heat in the summer that is bad... AC helps a lot....

 

[Powor]

I think America is in the same state as most other countries, and is far better off than the mass majority. Times are changing is all and people tend to get really cranky when someone they want to be president becomes president. Singapore isn't exactly the best place for Americans, so it might be a tough lesson if the doctor does go...

 

[marko]

You'd think that, being from Texas, the kid would've understood the danger. Are they now going to have to put some type of safety covers on the tips of those horns to prevent a recurrence?

omni

Not likely in Texas.

Here in Mass, they'd have never allowed the bulls in the first place (a dreaded Wall St symbol) and maybe would've gone for something gentler, like sheep or deer, fawns most likely.

At best, we'd have a fence, signs (in 14 languages including braille), a bull and a cow instead of two bulls (dreaded overbearing male symbols), a security guard ("jobs" y'know, but union of course!) and an area set aside for those who wish to protest red meat.

Funded entirely by tax dollars of course.

 

[oldtrig]

Some parts of America are much better off than way back in the 50's and 60's. I just live in an area that was better back then. We have a town of about 16,000.

We had one major company that started laying off people about 12 years ago. At one time there were 9,000 people working in the textile mill here. Some of these jobs paid very good. Today there are only about 400 left and by the end of the year all will probably all be gone. It is a very depressed town. We have companies that have set up here but they only pay around $9 an hour. Not a very bright future for anyone to raise a family here.

I think many others around our country are seeing the same thing. Sure our unemployment looks good on paper but who wants to work for those wages. It is a nice place to retire just not a good place to look for work. All our jobs here have been sent overseas like other textile towns across the US.

I live in a good area for now. Not sure what it will be like in 10 years unless something big decides to locate here and put people to work making good money. All the big companies are moving near interstate highways. Our town does not have that, only a four lane. Things were booming her in the 50' and 60's but not anymore.

We could very well turn into a mini Detroit if things do not get better soon. I am retired here and do not plan on moving so I will just have to make the best of it. I bought my home in 1973 for $22,000. Today homes are selling for $65,000 to 100,000. There is only one home for sale in my neighborhood and it has been on the market for two years. They reduced the price to $99,000 and still not sold.

There would be no way I could retire in some of the places some of our forum members live. The ones I see posting here could come here after selling their homes and live like kings. That is what's happening on the lake near my home. The homes on the Lake sell from $300,000 to way over a million. I could have bought lots 30 years ago on this Lake for 5 grand, forty years ago they were selling for $1000.00. Today they go for fifty to one hundred times that and more. If I had only knew that would happen I would be a very rich person.

I still say things were better 50 years ago than today. I could probably leave my house unlocked but no way I will do that. Two miles from me someone gets broke in everyday. That never happened years ago. The cops never seem to catch anyone. It just keeps on happening.

I own some property I could always build on if it gets to bad here but I sure hate to do that at my age. Oh well, I am still here and well so I guess I should be thankful. over and out. Old trig

 

[Texas Proud]

Some parts of America are much better off than way back in the 50's and 60's. I just live in an area that was better back then. We have a town of about 16,000.

We had one major company that started laying off people about 12 years ago. At one time there were 9,000 people working in the textile mill here. Some of these jobs paid very good. Today there are only about 400 left and by the end of the year all will probably all be gone. It is a very depressed town. We have companies that have set up here but they only pay around $9 an hour. Not a very bright future for anyone to raise a family here.

I think many others around our country are seeing the same thing. Sure our unemployment looks good on paper but who wants to work for those wages. It is a nice place to retire just not a good place to look for work. All our jobs here have been sent overseas like other textile towns across the US.

I live in a good area for now. Not sure what it will be like in 10 years unless something big decides to locate here and put people to work making good money. All the big companies are moving near interstate highways. Our town does not have that, only a four lane. Things were booming her in the 50' and 60's but not anymore.

We could very well turn into a mini Detroit if things do not get better soon. I am retired here and do not plan on moving so I will just have to make the best of it. I bought my home in 1973 for $22,000. Today homes are selling for $65,000 to 100,000. There is only one home for sale in my neighborhood and it has been on the market for two years. They reduced the price to $99,000 and still not sold.

There would be no way I could retire in some of the places some of our forum members live. The ones I see posting here could come here after selling their homes and live like kings. That is what's happening on the lake near my home. The homes on the Lake sell from $300,000 to way over a million. I could have bought lots 30 years ago on this Lake for 5 grand, forty years ago they were selling for $1000.00. Today they go for fifty to one hundred times that and more. If I had only knew that would happen I would be a very rich person.

I still say things were better 50 years ago than today. I could probably leave my house unlocked but no way I will do that. Two miles from me someone gets broke in everyday. That never happened years ago. The cops never seem to catch anyone. It just keeps on happening.

I own some property I could always build on if it gets to bad here but I sure hate to do that at my age. Oh well, I am still here and well so I guess I should be thankful. over and out. Old trig

I am sure one of the previous law enforcement people will chime in if I am wrong.... but from what I have read... at least where I live, most all of the break ins will be concentrated to a small group of (probably) young kids or young adults.... once this small group is found, the number drops a lot...

 

[kyounge1956]

(snip) segregation , yep. I seen what was happening. Lots of cruel things done to many people. I actually witnessed a KKK meeting on a road near my Dads business. I think the timeframe was about 1960. They scared the crap our of me and my brother because we came on to them when driving around late one day. There were lines of cars for about a mile and all these people out of their cars with the white things on and pointed hats. The old rednecks were just plain sick. Many still are today. (snip)

It sounds like you know segregation from having seen it in action. Just think how much more scared you'd have been seeing those men in pointy hats if you'd been their target. I'm one of the people they would have been determined to keep "in our place", if I'd been born at the same time and place as you were. It would have been my family they intended to intimidate that day with their mass gathering. It may have been better for some people back then, but it certainly wasn't better for everyone.

I'm grateful that I live in a place and time when the possibility of men in hoods breaking down my door in the middle of the night isn't the ever-present threat that it would have been in the time and place where you grew up.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

I'm grateful that I live in a place and time when the possibility of men in hoods breaking down my door in the middle of the night isn't the ever-present threat that it would have been in the time and place where you grew up.

I agree. Now all we have to fear is the NSA, the DEA with the wrong address and the TSA with 8-year-old kids on the no-fly list.

 

[Badger]

I agree. Now all we have to fear is the NSA, the DEA with the wrong address and the TSA with 8-year-old kids on the no-fly list.

And while we are at it don't forget the original "Big Brother" - IRS.

Cheers!

 

[MichaelB]

Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me - YouTube

 

[Arifriekinel]

It may have been better for some people back then, but it certainly wasn't better for everyone.

I'm grateful that I live in a place and time when the possibility of men in hoods breaking down my door in the middle of the night isn't the ever-present threat that it would have been in the time and place where you grew up.

I'm with you and very glad someone is speaking from that perspective. It's so strange reading about how fantastic schools were in the time when my great grandparents had to ride at the back of the bus for 5 hours to get past all of the schools they weren't allowed into just to get an education with the books the other schools threw out long ago

My family's biggest horror stories come from that time and before. Racism may still be present, but I can at least walk down the road now without people trying to exact citizen justice on me because I look like someone who they heard did something once, which happened all too often back, then, and was even supported by law enforcement in areas where my family was.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Mike,

As an old friend said, The issue is not, should you be paranoid? The issue is, are you paranoid enough? (He even beats me. I learned from him.)

Based on what I have seen and learned, I have kept a low profile all my adult life. I am also almost invisible on-line (and easily confused with others with similar names, Gott sei Dank).

Google 'premature anti-fascists' for lessons to be learned.

 

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

I'm with you and very glad someone is speaking from that perspective. It's so strange reading about how fantastic schools were in the time when my great grandparents had to ride at the back of the bus for 5 hours to get past all of the schools they weren't allowed into just to get an education with the books the other schools threw out long ago

My family's biggest horror stories come from that time and before. Racism may still be present, but I can at least walk down the road now without people trying to exact citizen justice on me because I look like someone who they heard did something once, which happened all too often back, then, and was even supported by law enforcement in areas where my family was.

+1

 

[bssc]

It's time to move on, folks.
Porky Pig Cartoon Ending "That's All Folks!" - YouTube