patrick.net

Maybe they chose to incorporate the Confederate flag as an ironic indictment of their racist past. Anything is possible.

Or maybe they are bad artists and meant to hoist the Union Jack.

test

[img]http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/aetsch/cheeky-smiley-035.gif[/img]

testes

I find that when I live in a place, I learn less about it than when I visit. (Assumes a visit of at least a week or two.) When I'm traveling, I spend time walking around, exploring, and observing. I'm also getting a more objective view; it's very easy to become accustomed to things when you encounter them all the time.

e.g. "Bob likes kicking puppies, but he's a great family guy, so we've learned to live with his eccentricities."

Maybe the weather is beautiful and the state is full of PhD scholars and Green party activists for all I know.

Who says either of these would be a good thing???

It’s the colostomy bag defense, “well at least you’re not crapping in a bag”.

WTF??? Is that the next higher level beyond the Chewbacca defense?

skibum,

Not good or bad, just contrary to the stereotyp of Mississippians.

oops. stereotype

Either way, I agree w/ surfer-x. Californians in general are way too geocentric. I think it really comes off as very condescending to non-Californians. Funny thing is, quality of life here sucks for lots of people compared to many other parts of the country.

Ouch. I almost feel I'm being baited about the South, but refuse to believe it. It reminds me of the 'freedom fries' moment.

Y'all behave, now...

Goober,

Very true. I was stating subjective personal impressions about Mississippi and Alabama, as observed by someone who lived in Oklahoma for a couple years and really hated Houston weather.

We do have a close family friend who was a grad student in Columbia for a while, so I do stand by my statement about the suckiness of Harlem.

Skibum, I agree, but if you were b/r (born raised) in Santa Cruz, went to school at Cal Poly and live in $anta barbara, exactly where else are you going to live? You have no choice but to don the knee pads and take it like a man.

Bruce,

Fine. How about we spend our time bashing a certain Swedish vodka producer, accompanied by a drinking game of some sort?

surfer-x,

Yes, that's quite a shackle...maybe we should all check out DinOR's stretch of the Phillippines. The weather is muggy and hot, but beer and housing are cheap, and you don't need a wetsuit to surf.

Aren't Filipinos the Mexicans of the South Pacific?

I'm not sure about the South Pacific part, and DinOR goes on about the Sea of Cortez...but otherwise? Sure!

Astrid...

Ok, I got all governessy for a moment. If it's interesting, go for it.

Still think it was baiting, tho...

goober,

True, there are racists everywhere, but some places are worse than others.

I never said the northeast and west coast had the answers for flyover country. But flyover country also doesn't have all the answers for the northeast and west coast.

Either way, I agree w/ surfer-x. Californians in general are way too geocentric. I think it really comes off as very condescending to non-Californians.

I call it Californiatitis - inflammation of the California.

Californians think that they're the center of the world.

When in reality, it's clearly New York. (Or maybe London again in the next few years.)

Sir X,

Any ideas for drinking game rules?

As for bashing Absolut...maybe start with the hypocrisy of exporting and advertising an overpriced and subpar product that they strongly discourage their own citizen from consuming.

I heard the Swedes (and just about everybody else) buys booze from Britain, and the Brits fly to Eastern Europe to get piss drunk...

I'm from Shanghai, where the rest of the world exist merely as abstract concepts.

Come on now, New York? Ever gotten shacked on a 7ft WNW left hand point break in NY? London? Talk to me when the sun comes out. Ever punched trough a 8ft wave at Davenport and had sunlight filter through the most beautiful aqua water you've ever seen only to come up on the other side and see otters, dolphins and whales?

Granted you can ride a subway and get a good $25 sandwich in either NYC or London. But come on now.

Any ideas for drinking game rules?

Watch 'It's a Wonderful Life" and take a shot of Jager whenever something good happens. Be prepared to vomit.

goober,

If it makes you feel any better, the bulk of my boyfriend's family lives in the Detroit and his immediate family lives in South Carolina.

Also, Washington DC is in-filled swampland. About once a year, we'll get fairly severe flooding somewhere due to the low elevation.

The reason I read this blod is because I’m trying to get out!

Free your mind, and your ass will follow.

Ever gotten shacked on a 7ft WNW left hand point break in NY?

Is that an outdoorsy term or something?

I don't like being outdoors. I went camping once in my life having moved out here. It was very disturbing. I couldn't wait to get back to concrete and steel.

Granted you can ride a subway and get a good $25 sandwich in either NYC or London.

You don't need $25 for a good sandwich in NY. You just need to go to Hero Boy:

http://www.championstamp.com/heroboy.htm

Sir-X,

Come to DC, the musuems and parks here are subsidized by the federal government. There's a subway, and it does not totally reek of urine.

DC? Where is that at?

Jager makes me want to vomit. I prefer rum and coke.

What should I get from reading this article?

http://www.insidebayarea.com/business/ci_4635986

Doom coming soon? Happy rainbows coming soon?

Shhhittt, I just put "DC" into maps.google.com and it seems that there is an East Coast the United States. Who knew.

What do you know about surfing Major? You're from God Damn New Jersey!

"DC? Where is that at?"

That's not merely the center of the world, that is the world. If you venture outside of I-495, you fall off of the face of the Earth.

Rum and a nice sweet dark rum. As a matter of fact I am drinking it right now, "whalers". Or you could add a lime and call it a Cuba' Libre.

Drinking rules? How about all girls take their clothes off?

For all its unhappy history, it's home to me. The whole Oak Alley, she-crab soup, midnight-in-the-garden lovely mess.

Doesn't prevent my enjoying Coronado or Kuala Lumpur.

astrid,

I do like rum&coke especially the one that got left on the night stand from the night before! (Maybe that's why they call it a night stand?)

There are people in Coastal California that will get this, hand make you a surfboard to your particular skill and surfing location. They are called "shapers". Hand made. Fuck me, what a concept.

Hey, I just had steamed she-crabs for dinner.

DinOR, Sir I like the way you do business.

Actually Filipinos are more like the Italians of the Orient. Family, food and drinking, in that order.

Manila and Acapulco were sister cities for about 400 years though.