What's up everyone?

[Marquis]

I don't have nearly the time to visit this forum that I used to, but my schedule should be pretty calm this evening and wanted to get a chance to catch up with the boards.

It does seem to be a little slow recently, but is that just my perception from the perspective of someone who isn't posting much?

I see so many new names and faces....

I'd very much like to meet some of you, and I hope you feel the same way, but I don't have a particular topic of discussion so I am open to whatever. I should be available for the next several hours, so if anyone wants to catch up, I'm here.

 

[Betticus]

I don't have nearly the time to visit this forum that I used to, but my schedule should be pretty calm this evening and wanted to get a chance to catch up with the boards.

It does seem to be a little slow recently, but is that just my perception from the perspective of someone who isn't posting much?

I see so many new names and faces....

I'd very much like to meet some of you, and I hope you feel the same way, but I don't have a particular topic of discussion so I am open to whatever. I should be available for the next several hours, so if anyone wants to catch up, I'm here.

MARQUIS!!!!!! Hey, what's up? It's been pretty slow lately, not sure why though.

 

[Netzach]

I went canoeing today, no shit. 65 and gorgeous, not a ripple on the Mississippi.

 

[intothewoods]

I went canoeing today, no shit. 65 and gorgeous, not a ripple on the Mississippi.

Oh man. I'm so jealous. I keep meaning to try and go kayaking again.

 

[Xelebes]

Quite warm for November here too. Should be below freezing right now but no, it's right around 10 above. Odd.

 

[Marquis]

The weather here is.... well, it's Florida.

Time for my morning jog along the beach.

 

[VelvetDarkness]

Hi Marquis. Good to see you about and hear that you're doing well.

 

[Marquis]

Really excited about the election.

Thanks for keeping this thread going guys.

 

[FurryFury]

I set my alarm so I could vote when I thought would be a low turn out time. Since then I got some voting freebies, had lunch with a friend, took my son to his sport and generally bounced around like Tigger, high as hell all day!

 

[Netzach]

Well, that was the sound of a thousand paradigms breaking. And I'm just glad to be around today. If I were born 25 years from now I'd wish I had a time machine, just to check today out.

 

[Evil_Geoff]

You know... When I was a kid growing up, the guy 2 houses over from us was the Grand Dragon of the KKK for North Alabama... And my grandmother was a Freedom Rider in the 60's, I wish she were alive to see this.

The times, they are a-changin'.

 

[Homburg]

My dad and I talked about bigotry and racism in his family growing up. First time ever.

 

[VelvetDarkness]

Not to completely hijack the thread but is there still a lot of racism in the USA? It seems like such a multicultural global hub now that it should be a moot issue - or is that just in the cities? I've only personally visited NYC and LA/Las Vegas myself so my experience of American culture is very limited.

 

[FurryFury]

Not to completely hijack the thread but is there still a lot of racism in the USA? It seems like such a multicultural global hub now that it should be a moot issue - or is that just in the cities?

I feel there is still a great deal in the outspoken, fearful, conservatives which dominate in my state.

 

[Netzach]

Not to completely hijack the thread but is there still a lot of racism in the USA? It seems like such a multicultural global hub now that it should be a moot issue - or is that just in the cities? I've only personally visited NYC and LA/Las Vegas myself so my experience of American culture is very limited.

Yes there is. And yes it is. We're probably light years ahead of just about any other nation when it comes to valuing diversity - as lousy as we are at this, it's our flexible spine - monocultures tend to calcify and are very slow to change. India comes to mind as another multicultural nation- while there's sectarian violence and caste lock, there's also an amazing history of absorbing and synthesizing, tolerating and co-existing, and the dynamic nature of the place and its successes are in part due to this.

When other countries can't understand how our political cycles are only 8 years now - this is why. There are so many of us and we seem to effectively be embracing the contributions of others.

And believe me, this is a benchmark, but it's not a giant "racism over" magic pill. There's racism in LA, in NYC, alive and well in SF, just listen to communities of color without the "wow, they're just paranoid" glasses on.

 

[naxalite0906]

Not to completely hijack the thread but is there still a lot of racism in the USA? It seems like such a multicultural global hub now that it should be a moot issue - or is that just in the cities? I've only personally visited NYC and LA/Las Vegas myself so my experience of American culture is very limited.

My dad had so many run ins with the NF when he was growing up. He was very happy to be able to experience today even if it was from the UK.

 

[Homburg]

My dad had so many run ins with the NF when he was growing up. He was very happy to be able to experience today even if it was from the UK.

One of my best friends is essentially from London (moved there from the country when he was a wee tot), and the stories he related of racism, racial violence, just plain violence, etc really made me wonder about racism here.

That said, I've lived in the South, lived in the North, and lived out West. The place with the least racism that I experienced was the West, and the worst was the North. The South, supposed bastion of racism, was vastly more tolerant (in the places I've lived) than many of the spots I've lived in and visited in the North. Western rural Pennsylvania being the worst of them all.

 

[Netzach]

One of my best friends is essentially from London (moved there from the country when he was a wee tot), and the stories he related of racism, racial violence, just plain violence, etc really made me wonder about racism here.

That said, I've lived in the South, lived in the North, and lived out West. The place with the least racism that I experienced was the West, and the worst was the North. The South, supposed bastion of racism, was vastly more tolerant (in the places I've lived) than many of the spots I've lived in and visited in the North. Western rural Pennsylvania being the worst of them all.

I have to say the most genuinely integrated city I've ever been in is Austin, TX. It's almost an idyllic kind of thing - groups of middle class friends out and about have an almost Benetton-ad-like quality.

 

[Homburg]

I have to say the most genuinely integrated city I've ever been in is Austin, TX. It's almost an idyllic kind of thing - groups of middle class friends out and about have an almost Benetton-ad-like quality.

I actually really enjoy my son's cub scout meetings for that reason. It's a bunch of kids having fun, and no real lines between white/black/hispanic/asian/mutt. Good stuff.

The kids, in general, give me hope. You can look at my kids and generally tell that they're not white bread aryan wet dreams, and my eldest daughter's best friend is the same way. I think her mother is part hispanic or something, and her dad's a typical white guy. Lots of mutts like that in school with my kids, and the kids don't notice or care. That's how it should be.

 

[BiBunny]

I think the South gets a bad rap a lot of the time. Undoubtedly, we deserve some of it, but I think we're also a convenient scapegoat, too.

I've lived in the Deep South, in Alabama, my entire life. I've done a bit of traveling about the country, though, and have met lots of different people in lots of different places.

What strikes me about the South is that there seem to be more opportunities for black people (in particular, but other races as well) and white people to interact. (I'm not counting the rich folks who send their kids to private schools and stuff like that. I'm just talking about regular people.) I went to school with people of different races. I worked with them. I STILL go to college with them. Seriously, it's not something I put a lot of thought into. I know in a lot of places farther North, it seems that people are more segregated and don't interact with each other as much, unless they live in really big cities. Like, if a black person walks into a store in the "white" part of town, it's cause for everyone to stop and stare. Here, not so much. We all live amongst ourselves. *Shrug*

I hate to hear the South get run down by people who have never lived here and believe it's still 1950. I even see it on this board and have to bite my tongue. Yeah, some bad shit happened here before I was born. Yeah, some bad shit still happens. But I'd say the South has made larger strides in overcoming racism than many other areas of the country.

 

[Netzach]

I think the South gets a bad rap a lot of the time. Undoubtedly, we deserve some of it, but I think we're also a convenient scapegoat, too.

I've lived in the Deep South, in Alabama, my entire life. I've done a bit of traveling about the country, though, and have met lots of different people in lots of different places.

What strikes me about the South is that there seem to be more opportunities for black people (in particular, but other races as well) and white people to interact. (I'm not counting the rich folks who send their kids to private schools and stuff like that. I'm just talking about regular people.) I went to school with people of different races. I worked with them. I STILL go to college with them. Seriously, it's not something I put a lot of thought into. I know in a lot of places farther North, it seems that people are more segregated and don't interact with each other as much, unless they live in really big cities. Like, if a black person walks into a store in the "white" part of town, it's cause for everyone to stop and stare. Here, not so much. We all live amongst ourselves. *Shrug*

I hate to hear the South get run down by people who have never lived here and believe it's still 1950. I even see it on this board and have to bite my tongue. Yeah, some bad shit happened here before I was born. Yeah, some bad shit still happens. But I'd say the South has made larger strides in overcoming racism than many other areas of the country.

Yes, I have to agree with you on all of that.

However, when you're talking about an election, you're talking about the majority characteristics of a region. Not everyone in a red state is responsible for its content, we know that.

 

[00Syd]

The north certinly has some major racial issues, and the segregation is awful in some places.

Some of the Boston suburbs are the most segregated places I have ever seen in my life. There will literally be one road, and on one side will be upper middle class houses with beautiful yards, lovely coffee shops, a McMansion or two, an organic market, and lots and lots of white people, and on the other side of the road are falling apart houses, empty store fronts, cracked roads, and lots and lots of minorities.

I even came across a neighborhood where the divison was literally along railroad tracks.

Boston, for all it's northern democratic what have you, is the most segregated city I have ever been to.

 

[midwestyankee]

What am I up to?

I'm starting to crash from a caffeine and once-in-a-lifetime-experience high. I've miles to go before I can sleep so it's back to the silver bullet of Diet Coke for now.

I am so proud of my country - not for the first time, mind you for I grew up with the space race on my television - but in a way that I never dared dream might be possible until just two years ago.

 

[Marquis]

My dad and I talked about bigotry and racism in his family growing up. First time ever.

Having a black president is opening up the dialogue on race in the country like I've never seen. It's a pretty amazing thing.

 

[Netzach]

Having a black president is opening up the dialogue on race in the country like I've never seen. It's a pretty amazing thing.

It is. It's also an amazing bridge, people who aren't given to talking to one another lately, are.