"Pete C." > wrote in message
...
> chefhelen wrote:
>>
>> "Pete C." > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > chefhelen wrote:
>> >>
>> >> "Pete C." > wrote in message
>> >> ...
>> >> > Gregory Morrow wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Pete C. wrote:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> > cybercat wrote:
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > > As with every area,
>> >> >> > > education level and economic status has a lot to do with
>> >> >> > > behavior
>> >> >> > > and
>> >> >> > > attitudes.
>> >> >> >
>> >> >> > Absolutely, but PC or not, there are areas that are predominantly
>> >> >> > in
>> >> >> > the
>> >> >> > south, but not exclusively, where there is effectively a
>> >> >> > regressive
>> >> >> > sub
>> >> >> > species of human developing due to the lack of branches in the
>> >> >> > family
>> >> >> > trees. This is biological fact, not any sort of prejudice.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> It's not the South, it's poorer US rural areas in general, from
>> >> >> Maine
>> >> >> to California, from Washington state to Florida.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> I grew up in west central Illannoy, when I read the area
>> >> >> noozepapers
>> >> >> online I see the very same family names committing the same trashy
>> >> >> stuff they were doing 40 years ago. LOTS of meth busts, whole
>> >> >> extended families making meth in fact. On the state sex offender
>> >> >> registry site I see their mugs and go, "Ah, I went to school with
>> >> >> that
>> >> >> guy's parents, they were pervs too...". Loads of DUI's, domestic
>> >> >> abuse, etc...
>> >> >
>> >> > That is a function of the education and economic status for the most
>> >> > part. Bad behaving parents produce bad behaving children who produce
>> >> > more bad behaving children. I was addressing the human sub species
>> >> > issue, not all bad behavior and ignorance.
>> >> >
>> >> >>
>> >> >> But socio - politically speaking, there do seem to be some
>> >> >> "backwaters", e.g. parts of Kansas, Missouri, etc. At least
>> >> >> Illannoy
>> >> >> is a blue state (Chicago helps), we've got stuff like protection
>> >> >> for
>> >> >> gays, etc.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> An anecdote: A good friend recently moved from DC to Denver, he
>> >> >> drove
>> >> >> through Kansas and had to call me several times as he traversed the
>> >> >> state, excitedly telling me about all the stuff that was
>> >> >> "Christian -
>> >> >> themed" and redneck - ish. He'd say, "God, there are even
>> >> >> Christian -
>> >> >> themed MOTELS in this place...!!! There are bible verses on the
>> >> >> truck
>> >> >> stop menus...!!! A waitress asked me what CHURCH I went to...!!!
>> >> >> There are anti - abortion messages on the SUGAR PACKETS...!!!". I
>> >> >> said, "Hey, settle down, you're just passing through, lol...". He
>> >> >> is
>> >> >> an East Coast urban guy, *** and Jewish and very well - travelled/
>> >> >> educated. But he'd never seen anything like Kansas - and he'd
>> >> >> lived
>> >> >> in both St. Louis and Virginia (Alexandria, suburban DC) for
>> >> >> periods
>> >> >> of years. Maybe what got him was that the conservative
>> >> >> fundamentalist
>> >> >> culture that he encountered was *all* that was there in Kansas...
>> >> >
>> >> > Well, when the tornados and dustbowl wipe everything out, it
>> >> > naturally
>> >> > drives the intelligent, educated population to relocate to better
>> >> > areas,
>> >> > leaving a concentration of the ignorant and superstitious.
>> >> >
>> >> >>
>> >> >> As for myself, the only time I really felt scared in my life was
>> >> >> off
>> >> >> the interstate in rural Georgia to fill up my car whilst passing
>> >> >> through. They did NOT like Yankee hippies (I had long hair) in
>> >> >> 1974...
>> >> >
>> >> > On one cross country trip, I specifically planed my fuel fill ups
>> >> > and
>> >> > routes to eliminate any stops on my way through Alabama. I went
>> >> > through
>> >> > at 4am, never leaving the major highways, and this was in 2004, I
>> >> > don't
>> >> > have long hair and I drive a crew cab dually pickup too.
>> >>
>> >> Was this your attempt to be stealthy? You sound as though you'd fit
>> >> right
>> >> in!
>> >>
>> >
>> > No, actually it was the same truck I drove when I lived in CT. I was
>> > happy I no longer had CT plates on it of course...
>>
>> I'm a displaced yankee and I can assure you that they *have* stopped
>> shooting at us!
>
> This may be true, but the impression folks in the northeast have of
> Alabama hasn't improved so we try not to take unnecessary chances.
>


Hell, I know around our area it's a really interesting blend of folks from
all over the world so if you're close to here you can let your guard down a
bit. If they shot everyone who "talks funny" they wouldn't have any
industry here!


>>
>> >
>> >>
>> >> Happy to be in Huntsville, Alabama. We have a 15 minute commute, live
>> >> in
>> >> a
>> >> very nice area where the cost of living is reasonable, have great
>> >> weather,
>> >> aside from the occasional cold snap, and have great friends. Ok,
>> >> there
>> >> is
>> >> the fact that it's a red state but I'm working on changing that!
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> helen
>> >
>> > Yep, certainly didn't mean to imply that there was no intelligent life
>> > in Alabama. I've worked with a few intelligent folks from Alabama, and
>> > notably they were also from the Huntsville area.
>>
>> Huntsville isn't really like anywhere else in Alabama. From what I
>> understand we have the highest per capita income in the SE, and the
>> second
>> highest number of PhDs.
>>
>> This is propaganda from the Chamber of Commerce tho!
>
> I have no doubt that is true, and I expect a large percentage are
> imports from other states and countries as is the case in a lot of the
> southern states.
>


Very true. My hub and I went out to dinner last night with some of the
other folks from his company. 2 Indians, 3 Polish folks, 2 Dutch guys and 4
of us regular Heinz Americans, 2 of whom are Southern. We went to a Thai
restaurant that also serves sushi so we were kind of all over the globe.

>>
>> OB food - Having some friends over tomorrow for roasted chicken. Costco
>> had
>> the two packs BOGOF so I now have 4 sitting in my fridge. I can't fry
>> them
>> for beans but I do roast them well.
>>
>>
>> helen
>
> I'm about to start working on some test batches of my "Damned (ex)
> Yankee" chili for an upcoming informal competition.


Red, green or white? With what I think I'll have leftover tomorrow I think
I'll make some white chili. Good stuff Maynard!


helen