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Originally posted by LiL Woosi i hope to god obama does not win vote hillary

This was intelligent.

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Speaking of intelligent, this week's episode of This American Life was VERY good. I highly recommend it. It's an hour-long show, but totally worth it.

www.thislife.org - Scroll down to "The Giant Pool of Money" and click on "full episode" for the stream.

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Originally posted by Ang ' ela_ie Speaking of intelligent, this week's episode of This American Life was VERY good. I highly recommend it. It's an hour-long show, but totally worth it. www.thislife.org - Scroll down to "The Giant Pool of Money" and click on "full episode" for the stream.

Ahhhhh thank you for reminding me Heard it while i was at work (i do delivery) and so I heard like 2/3 of it but missed a bunch of key parts while I was out of my car, wanted to listen again

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http://www.youtube.com/mezzir

Is it bad that I also really want to go on a "Don't live anywhere that could be described as 'rural'" rant right now?



I just want to see higher taxes, more infrastructure, and less sprawl, and I want to see all of these things as soon as possible.

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last minute disco dot net

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Originally posted by Clovis 40 years of tax cuts and 40 years of degrading infrastructure...

WORD.

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http://thesoundofeco.com

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Originally posted by RJT Is it bad that I also really want to go on a "Don't live anywhere that could be described as 'rural'" rant right now.

It has nothing to do with living in "rural" places. The problem is not that people are living in the suburbs and the far-suburbs, it's that their JOBS are in the city.

If you want to live-work-play in rural America, by all means, you're free to do so. But dont live in rural America and commute into town for work. Therein lies the problem.

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Originally posted by Ang ' ela_ie It has nothing to do with living in "rural" places. The problem is not that people are living in the suburbs and the far-suburbs, it's that their JOBS are in the city. If you want to live-work-play in rural America, by all means, you're free to do so. But dont live in rural America and commute into town for work. Therein lies the problem.

I completely disagree - and in fact, I think the phenomenon you're describing has a lot to do with people moving to and living in rural areas. People flock to the country to get their few acres without realizing that thousands of others are doing the same. Slowly but surely the "rural areas" these people have moved become the suburbs, and we have landscape that's turned from cities and countryside to long stretches of suburbs only distinguishable from one another by virtue of the sections of true city that separate them.

I guess more simply put, there are far more people living in rural areas who aren't working in or near them, than there are those who live and work exclusively in rural societies (farming etc.), by virtue of nothing more than the fact that there are (comparatively) no jobs in rural areas. The culture of land ownership in the U.S. has a lot to do with both our dependence on oil and our massive impact on the environment, as well as our complete failure to create a sustainable infrastructure that isn't dependent on a highway system.

Cites are good, people settling out in the countryside just to "have their land"/retire/etc are very, very bad.

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last minute disco dot net

Rob, when I said "in the system," I was referring to families who make it a lifestyle to simply draw a government check every month. They then teach the next generation that this is the way to live, many times, and thus they perpetuate the cycle. This is the kind of thing I see most often where I live, so it's the only commmon frame of reference I have when I say "in the system," if you follow me. So, when I say I can't see the need for higher taxes and more government and more dependency on government, this is what I am referring to, of course.

Being open minded, that is why I asked for your opinion, in particular. When I hear "more taxes/bigger government," my mind is filled with thoughts of people living off entitlements and becoming too lazy to better themselves and be contributors rather than those who only seem to suck up resources.

Our county seat has a population of 2,000 or so. Is that rural enough for ya? Also, my paternal grandmother has a small 80 acre cattle farm, which is where I plan to live and retire someday. It is some of the most beautiful land in the county. Does this desire make me bad?

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Originally posted by Zoso Rob, when I said "in the system," I was referring to families who make it a lifestyle to simply draw a government check every month. They then teach the next generation that this is the way to live, many times, and thus they perpetuate the cycle. This is the kind of thing I see most often where I live, so it's the only commmon frame of reference I have when I say "in the system," if you follow me. So, when I say I can't see the need for higher taxes and more government and more dependency on government, this is what I am referring to, of course.

I'd generally agree with you on all counts that the system you're referring to (generally, the U.S. welfare system) is broken as hell - but I don't think that implies we should do away with it completely, just that perhaps the track we're on now should tell us "YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG!"

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Originally posted by Zoso Being open minded, that is why I asked for your opinion, in particular. When I hear "more taxes/bigger government," my mind is filled with thoughts of people living off entitlements and becoming too lazy to better themselves and be contributors rather than those who only seem to suck up resources.

I too do not care for systems that encourage laziness, but where do you draw the line? Some times the same program that one family abuses because they're content with "just getting by", is how another family who just needs a chance can have the opportunity to improve their quality of life. Should those people be denied a chance at governmental aid solely by virtue of those who abuse it, even if they're harder working than some of those who are already doing pretty well?

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Originally posted by Zoso Our county seat has a population of 2,000 or so. Is that rural enough for ya? Also, my paternal grandmother has a small 80 acre cattle farm, which is where I plan to live and retire someday. It is some of the most beautiful land in the county. Does this desire make me bad?

Well, "does this desire make me bad?" is a bit of a loaded question - my desire for pot makes me bad to some, my opinions make me bad to loads of folks, but not all. What I will say is that I don't think it's a positive thing for you to aspire to if you genuinely want to take part in changing the course our country is on with regard to dependence on oil, as well as urban sprawl. Soon (relatively) there isn't going to be much "beautiful land in the country" solely because people want to retire to farms or their own little plot of land in the countryside.

The only saving grace in all of this is that the recession we're in (if it gets severe enough) might hopefully open some folks eyes to this when all the strip malls we're (as a nation) so fond of start to become ghost towns.

As an aside, I sympathize with you. There is a lot of beautiful country in the U.S., and I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't also like my own little chunk of it to retire on. Unfortunately, what I think the right course of action is doesn't match my personal desires on this one.

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last minute disco dot net

Wow. For a primary that is over, people are still energized by it:

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PORTLAND, Ore. -- Sen. Barack Obama has seen his share of large crowds over the last 15 months, but his campaign said they have not approached the numbers gathered along the waterfront here right now. The campaign, citing figures from Duane Bray, battalion chief of Portland Fire & Rescue, estimated that 75,000 people are watching him speak. The scene suggests this is not an exaggeration. The sea of heads stretches for half a mile along the grassy embankment, while others watch from kayaks and power boats bobbing on the Willamette River. More hug the rails of the steel bridge that stretches across the water and crowds are even watching from jetties on the opposite shore.

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-...he_size_of.html

75,000 people at one rally! Incredible. Do you think George W. Bush has ever seen that many people attend a speech since becoming President?

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I guess it's that kind of unprecedented support for a candidate that makes me have little to no fear about some controversial race issues arising over the next few months. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's going to be a cakewalk by anyone's standards, but I do think that in general if things start to get as petty as they always do, the skeletons in McCain's closet are a lot more likely to harm him than any kind of anti-white, race-related stuff from the Obama's past.

Obviously, again, there's no telling how the general public will respond to race issues - but in general I'd say that's one of the areas I'm least concerned about if for no other reason than by virtue of the so-called "cult like" Obama followers desires to defend their candidate.

There are loads of them out there far nuttier than I am.

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last minute disco dot net

Yeah, I think McCain knows he has to be careful. All Obama has to do is say "Keating 5" in an interview and the McCain campaign will be reeling.

But I did learn something new today. I had no idea that there were over 75,000 people in Portland, OR.

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