2017 Hurricane Season things

[Buster's Uncle]

Hey Green, speaking of doing arts and crafts, check this: http://alphacentauri2.info/JKStudio/


ISTR that you're originally Midwestern.  Well, if they didn't think you talked funny in LA, they probably won't in east Tennessee - but Loozianna is its own place, culturally, not really part of "the south" any more than Florida is.  A good deal of Tennessee is firmly worked up to the 20th century -I was saying that in the 20th century, and it amuses me to not bother to update the phrase- so don't go in with really low expectations of the locals.  If you look for hillbillies and Klan rallies, I suppose you'll find them -Yankees tend to, 'cause they ARE looking- but I'd encourage you to keep an open mind, doing otherwise inevitably showing and not making you any friends.  Don't be like a Yankee, and see inferiority when you're actually just seeing difference.

That's on the other side of the ridge from here, you know - a few hours' drive...

[Green1]

Hey Green, speaking of doing arts and crafts, check this: http://alphacentauri2.info/JKStudio/


ISTR that you're originally Midwestern.  Well, if they didn't think you talked funny in LA, they probably won't in east Tennessee - but Loozianna is its own place, culturally, not really part of "the south" any more than Florida is.  A good deal of Tennessee is firmly worked up to the 20th century -I was saying that in the 20th century, and it amuses me to not bother to update the phrase- so don't go in with really low expectations of the locals.  If you look for hillbillies and Klan rallies, I suppose you'll find them -Yankees tend to, 'cause they ARE looking- but I'd encourage you to keep an open mind, doing otherwise inevitably showing and not making you any friends.  Don't be like a Yankee, and see inferiority when you're actually just seeing difference.

That's on the other side of the ridge from here, you know - a few hours' drive...

I am originally from Mississippi. I did live in Phoenix, AZ for a short stint, but have been here for most my life.

But yeah, open mind is needed when moving anywhere.

EDIT: Who knows, if I do go, I may go on a scouting mission to see the BU compound one day.

[Geo]

That's on the other side of the ridge from here, you know - a few hours' drive...

It's freezing cold up there on the ridge!!!

[Buster's Uncle]

Geo visited in February.  It was indeed colder than a witch's obscenity up at the closest part of the eastern continental divide the day we drove up there, but he'll grant that it was remarkably temperate downhill here in America, if a somewhat wet week.  He missed the sleet a week later, and Buster Herownself.


E_T, I want to introduce you to my man Green1 - I've always seen the two of you as similar personalities, being crazed drunks, I guess, in the non-southern southern states but great guys I can call something that rude to your faces and it's cool.  Y'all make each other's acquaintance, hear?

[Green1]

Geo visited in February.  It was indeed colder than a witch's obscenity up at the closest part of the eastern continental divide the day we drove up there, but he'll grant that it was remarkably temperate downhill here in America, if a somewhat wet week.  He missed the sleet a week later, and Buster Herownself.


E_T, I want to introduce you to my man Green1 - I've always seen the two of you as similar personalities, being crazed drunks, I guess, in the non-southern southern states but great guys I can call something that rude to your faces and it's cool.  Y'all make each other's acquaintance, hear?

NOT calling a former denizen of New Orleans a crazed drunk is an insult, not the other way around.

Anyone that gets so easily offended are no fun to be around.

[Buster's Uncle]

Everybody loves a good sport, it's true.

[Rusty Edge]

I'll admit that small towns limit your opportunities for careers, spouses, culture and entertainment.
On the other hand, if there's going to be a disaster, regional or personal, I'd rather it happened to me in a small interconnected community. You don't know everybody's names, but you know them from shopping at the same store on the same evening, or the vehicle they drive, or the home they live in, or the church they go to, or their friends, relatives, etc. Nobody can escape their reputation, so they do the best that they can. The social fabric doesn't tear when the government fails. There are no riots. Only neighbors.

[E_T]

Geo visited in February.  It was indeed colder than a witch's obscenity up at the closest part of the eastern continental divide the day we drove up there, but he'll grant that it was remarkably temperate downhill here in America, if a somewhat wet week.  He missed the sleet a week later, and Buster Herownself.


E_T, I want to introduce you to my man Green1 - I've always seen the two of you as similar personalities, being crazed drunks, I guess, in the non-southern southern states but great guys I can call something that rude to your faces and it's cool.  Y'all make each other's acquaintance, hear?

Excuse me, I am NOT a crazed (or any other kind of) drunk.  Nor do I really appreciate the implication that I am.

[Green1]

I'll admit that small towns limit your opportunities for careers, spouses, culture and entertainment.
On the other hand, if there's going to be a disaster, regional or personal, I'd rather it happened to me in a small interconnected community. You don't know everybody's names, but you know them from shopping at the same store on the same evening, or the vehicle they drive, or the home they live in, or the church they go to, or their friends, relatives, etc. Nobody can escape their reputation, so they do the best that they can. The social fabric doesn't tear when the government fails. There are no riots. Only neighbors.

As far as regional disasters, I agree with you on only one thing. The closeness and at least fake caring. It was not the hurricane that messed me over as much on one thing, but a landlord when I lost my stuff in New Orleans. My place survived and I was there until they came with M16s to drag me out because Rita was coming against my will. I could not get back in time, the landlord was under pressure to rent out to FEMA workers for twice what I was paying, wheeled up with a trailer and took everything of value and threw the rest of the stuff on the curb. While there are jerks in small towns, too, I doubt that would have happened if I lived in a small city. The callousness of living in the rat race can make you lonely at times even in a place with millions of people. Big city seems to be "handle your business, we will handle ours unless you offer something. If you cease to offer something f -you" kind  of vibe at times. But, there are great people and neighbors in cities, too. It is what you make it and you can not really be isolated, complacent, or stop evolving. A good and bad thing.

But, as far as personal disasters I disagree with you. Personal disasters can be made WORSE by being in a small town due to lack of opportunities.

Small city is less likely to have somewhere to sofa surf and the community may indeed "shun" you as something must be "wrong" with you even if the bad luck has nothing to do with your lack of responsibility or character. News travels fast of folks having issues, particularly if you are different. Even most churches behave like this unless you are a longtime, connected member and consistent tither or someone they can use to "show" how charitable they are and draw in new tithers. Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Allah, Tom Cruise, or whatever at the end of the day churches are non profit businesses. Heck, even though homeless shelters suck and are borderline abusive, at least even the medium sized towns have one worse come to worse. Not to mention, in a small town the cops are bored from lack of crime and can turn on you.

Divorce? Good luck. Unless you are young you have either crazy cat hoarder lady, barfly on her 5th husband that spends her crazy check at the one watering hole in town everyone has slept with, or psycho church lady never married who is frigid as hell and does not like men anyways. That is, even if the town has that. Get used to Okay Cupid of Plenty of fish and be willing to make 2 hour road trips.

Jobs? Unless you work for maybe the one or two big places out there, good luck working at Mickey Ds or Dollar General who will not even pay you enough to pay rent better than some shack or sharing a trailer with 4 folks and will not even hire you unless you are of a completely subservient nature and want the world from you. I knew folks from the oil field crash in little small podunk towns in Arcadian Country Louisiana. The ones who did not lose their house when the unemployment ran out had to take jobs in frozen North Dakota away from their family for months and could not sell the house because no jobs there and they would take a loss selling or renting it because no real jobs.

No car? Car now scrap and not enough cash or credit to buy another? Slit your wrists now or you had better dodge cars and learn to bicycle touring cyclist level since the nearest workplace maybe 20 miles of rural highway. Or move.

Yes, I will take "near suburbs and major cities" any day. Unless I had no choice or was offered a hell of a deal.

[Buster's Uncle]

Excuse me, I am NOT a crazed (or any other kind of) drunk.  Nor do I really appreciate the implication that I am.

Okay, sorry, I thought I discerned the occasional post under the influence, and was speaking the way I customarily tease Green, not intended to be taken seriously.

[Buster's Uncle]

I'll admit that small towns limit your opportunities for careers, spouses, culture and entertainment.
On the other hand, if there's going to be a disaster, regional or personal, I'd rather it happened to me in a small interconnected community. You don't know everybody's names, but you know them from shopping at the same store on the same evening, or the vehicle they drive, or the home they live in, or the church they go to, or their friends, relatives, etc. Nobody can escape their reputation, so they do the best that they can. The social fabric doesn't tear when the government fails. There are no riots. Only neighbors.

As far as regional disasters, I agree with you on only one thing. The closeness and at least fake caring. It was not the hurricane that messed me over as much on one thing, but a landlord when I lost my stuff in New Orleans. My place survived and I was there until they came with M16s to drag me out because Rita was coming against my will. I could not get back in time, the landlord was under pressure to rent out to FEMA workers for twice what I was paying, wheeled up with a trailer and took everything of value and threw the rest of the stuff on the curb. While there are jerks in small towns, too, I doubt that would have happened if I lived in a small city. The callousness of living in the rat race can make you lonely at times even in a place with millions of people. Big city seems to be "handle your business, we will handle ours unless you offer something. If you cease to offer something f -you" kind  of vibe at times. But, there are great people and neighbors in cities, too. It is what you make it and you can not really be isolated, complacent, or stop evolving. A good and bad thing.

But, as far as personal disasters I disagree with you. Personal disasters can be made WORSE by being in a small town due to lack of opportunities.

Small city is less likely to have somewhere to sofa surf and the community may indeed "shun" you as something must be "wrong" with you even if the bad luck has nothing to do with your lack of responsibility or character. News travels fast of folks having issues, particularly if you are different. Even most churches behave like this unless you are a longtime, connected member and consistent tither or someone they can use to "show" how charitable they are and draw in new tithers. Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Allah, Tom Cruise, or whatever at the end of the day churches are non profit businesses. Heck, even though homeless shelters suck and are borderline abusive, at least even the medium sized towns have one worse come to worse. Not to mention, in a small town the cops are bored from lack of crime and can turn on you.

Divorce? Good luck. Unless you are young you have either crazy cat hoarder lady, barfly on her 5th husband that spends her crazy check at the one watering hole in town everyone has slept with, or psycho church lady never married who is frigid as hell and does not like men anyways. That is, even if the town has that. Get used to Okay Cupid of Plenty of fish and be willing to make 2 hour road trips.

Jobs? Unless you work for maybe the one or two big places out there, good luck working at Mickey Ds or Dollar General who will not even pay you enough to pay rent better than some shack or sharing a trailer with 4 folks and will not even hire you unless you are of a completely subservient nature and want the world from you. I knew folks from the oil field crash in little small podunk towns in Arcadian Country Louisiana. The ones who did not lose their house when the unemployment ran out had to take jobs in frozen North Dakota away from their family for months and could not sell the house because no jobs there and they would take a loss selling or renting it because no real jobs.

No car? Car now scrap and not enough cash or credit to buy another? Slit your wrists now or you had better dodge cars and learn to bicycle touring cyclist level since the nearest workplace maybe 20 miles of rural highway. Or move.

Yes, I will take "near suburbs and major cities" any day. Unless I had no choice or was offered a hell of a deal.

You impression of small towns does not line up with my experience - and best be choosy about who you confide that opinion with in the new place.

[Green1]

Geo visited in February.  It was indeed colder than a witch's obscenity up at the closest part of the eastern continental divide the day we drove up there, but he'll grant that it was remarkably temperate downhill here in America, if a somewhat wet week.  He missed the sleet a week later, and Buster Herownself.


E_T, I want to introduce you to my man Green1 - I've always seen the two of you as similar personalities, being crazed drunks, I guess, in the non-southern southern states but great guys I can call something that rude to your faces and it's cool.  Y'all make each other's acquaintance, hear?

Excuse me, I am NOT a crazed (or any other kind of) drunk.  Nor do I really appreciate the implication that I am.

That's okay.

Not every one is perfect.

But, I am sure if you apply yourself you can be a crazed drunk, too. If anything it loosens me up and makes me write better as long as I am not trashed.

Back in the vanilla WOW craze, I was an officer of an also-ran major raid guild of about 300 members at it's hey day on a backwater RPPvP server. (Yeah, I know. No life and a ton of unwarranted self importance for the win)

I had a bit too, too much of cheap beer while perusing the guild forums. I am not sure wht happened next, but I got kind of tinkled at the whole silliness of all the personalities and pettiness of it all. I ended up using colorful language and making a fool of myself.

It was epic. Ended up making folks mad, and if I was sober, I would have been more... shall we say... diplomatic as what I said was true. It would have also been too lame. That is what the POWER™ of booze can do. These people needed to be brought out of their uptight grind smugness over purple pixels that is now irrelevant almost a decade later.

Of course, unleashing this sleeping giant of awesomesauce is up to you... Unleash and embrace. Just be sure to show up for work or you will start having to sell plasma for your beer and will have to settle for Bush instead of Guinness. Tragic. Also, if booze makes you miss work, sprout handcuffs and car wrecks, and holes in your walls and romantic partners you may wish to imbibe in other things.

[Geo]

Everybody loves a good sport, it's true.

Watch out for the tree trunk!

[Buster's Uncle]

I don't get it.

[Green1]

You impression of small towns does not line up with my experience - and best be choosy about who you confide that opinion with in the new place.

Maybe.

But, when you are not a kind of place, all you hear of is what you have heard firsthand. Soddy Daisy seems to be more like Clinton, MS is to Jackson, MS. Chalmette, LA as opposed to New Orleans, LA. Tempe AZ is to Phoenix AZ. It's not like being some place like Iowa, LA or Weed, CA or Parump, NV.

But, I agree. There is a certain deal with city life that makes one almost dismissive to small towns.

I was expressing my turn off towards the isolation of those areas and horror stories I have heard from folks who went places and returned shaken.

But back on thread..

Florida is fixing to get wrecked. A lot of people are fixing to get FEMA money. A lot of charities are going to get rich. Construction jobs for days. Some will be homeless, though or have to move away for good never seeing their friends again. Kind of sad.