5 ms·

There are so many things wrong with this comment. First, commuting refers specifically to the to-and-from of your journey to work. I hate cars, but you're bein

by muninn_ 10y ago

There are so many things wrong with this comment. First, commuting refers specifically to the to-and-from of your journey to work. I hate cars, but you're being dishonest in how you're addressing the parent comment. Going to the grocery store, for example, isn't a commute. Actually you could probably use Prime Pantry or something and not even have to drive to go do those things. I strongly prefer a walkable city, and people like Jeff Speck preach the gospel as far as I'm concerned - but I'll take a daily 20 minute drive over an hour hopping on and off trains any day of the week - especially when I can do so from my nice, comfy Lexus or whatever. You can complain about the weather and that's valid, but the whole planet isn't California and we can't all live there for one reason or another. If a bunch of people like me moved out there from the frozen/scorching wasteland of places like NYC, then you'd be priced out of the state. Be thankful that for some people weather isn't that big of a deal. >And don't get me started on the casual racism/homophobia. The Midwest is Trump's America. In-laws firmly believe Obama is a Muslim and that Hillary Clinton is a witch. I'm not exaggerating for effect, and they're not being coy. Sincerely held beliefs. Just because your family is stupid doesn't make everybody else's family stupid. My parents don't think Obama is a Muslim , aren't at all racist, and they voted for Trump. I don't think Obama is a Muslim (I voted for him both times) and I don't like Hillary. So you can stop with the drive-by generalizations here - especially these undeserved "casually racist" ones.

throwaway729 10y ago
> There are so many things wrong with this comment. I feel strongly about the midwest. I hated living there. There are serious down-sides, and if people move to Tulsa thinking it's "NZ in the USA", they're going to be in for a rough surprise. Do you disagree? > First, commuting refers specifically to the to-and-from of your journey to work My point was that you're probably going to end up driving in either case, and if you have to drive anyways, your commute will suck no matter where you live. OR, if you don't end up driving, you're actually not saving much on cost of housing. And you probably have a lower salary with which to purchase that prime real estate. Basically, little net benefit over California or other coastal states. > You can complain about the weather and that's valid, but the whole planet isn't California and we can't all live there for one reason or another. If a bunch of people like me moved out there from the frozen/scorching wasteland of places like NYC, then you'd be priced out of the state. Be thankful that for some people weather isn't that big of a deal. First, I don't live in California. I agree with everything else. It's really all beside the point, though. > Just because your family is stupid doesn't make everybody else's family stupid... So you can stop with the drive-by generalizations here - especially these undeserved "casually racist" ones. My family isn't stupid. Pretty smart by any objective measure aside from willingness to believe confirmational bullshit, actually. Which is kind of my point. They're embedded in a terrible culture. Look, I lived in the midwest for decades. I know what I'm talking about. The politics of the region is dominated by this sort of stuff. It's a LOT more common and MUCH more difficult to avoid in the midwest. The composition of state houses speaks for itself. Name a midwestern state and I'll go member-by-member through its General Assembly to demonstrate to you the obscene popularity of blatant intolerance. Seriously, shoot. It bleeds over into every aspect of life. If you're lucky enough to be white male and straight, you can just avoid talking to people all-together, or silo yourself off from your community, and mostly ignore the terrible culture of the region. Which is what I did. But if you like living in a community where you know and respect your neighbors, the midwest can be a tough place to be.
- tomdell 10y ago
  Stop with the generalizations. They're inaccurate and insulting. You don't know what you're talking about at all.
  - throwaway729 10y ago
    I'm not saying "all midwesterners are racist and believe in crazy shit". I'm saying it's more common and harder to avoid in the midwest. I think that claim is both true and demonstrable. I even suggested one empirical test. At the very least, it's not a generalization. Saying "box a has more red gumballs than box b, so if you don't like red, choose box b" isn't the same as saying "all the gumballs in that box are red". > You don't know what you're talking about at all. With all due respect, I lived in the midwest long enough to have an informed opinion. Maybe our experiences differ, but mine are PERFECTLY well-informed. I believe that you know what you're talking about. I also don't believe your experiences are perfectly representative.
    - hueving 10y ago
      >With all due respect, I lived in the midwest long enough to have an informed opinion. Maybe our experiences differ, but mine are PERFECTLY well-informed. It sounds like you lived in one location in the mid west and have taken it upon yourself to assume that's how it must be everywhere. That's not well-informed, it's just an anecdote about a crappy time spent somewhere in the country.
      - throwaway729 10y ago
        > It sounds like you lived in one location Also not true. Try again. > That's not well-informed, it's just an anecdote about a crappy time spent somewhere in the country. Multiple decades across several states. Both in cities and in non-city areas. The argument here basically amounts to: "But hey, the densest 20% County-Containing-Major-City, ST isn't so bad, and my college educated software engineering co-workers are all pretty decent..." And I'M the one making inaccurate generalizations about the region?! Come off it. Take a week off work on go two counties in any direction. Or hell, to that other suburb where 30% of the metro population but none of the folks you hang out with live. Come back and tell me you still think I'm wildly out of touch.
badsock 10y ago
It's deserved: http://www.vox.com/2016/6/2/11833548/donald-trump-support-race-religion-economy http://www.vox.com/2016/6/2/11833548/donald-trump-support-ra...
komali2 10y ago
You being different than the majority of the Midwest doesn't change the fact that the majority of the Midwest is conservative.

by muninn_ 10y ago

throwaway729 10y ago

> There are so many things wrong with this comment. I feel strongly about the midwest. I hated living there. There are serious down-sides, and if people move to Tulsa thinking it's "NZ in the USA", they're going to be in for a rough surprise. Do you disagree? > First, commuting refers specifically to the to-and-from of your journey to work My point was that you're probably going to end up driving in either case, and if you have to drive anyways, your commute will suck no matter where you live. OR, if you don't end up driving, you're actually not saving much on cost of housing. And you probably have a lower salary with which to purchase that prime real estate. Basically, little net benefit over California or other coastal states. > You can complain about the weather and that's valid, but the whole planet isn't California and we can't all live there for one reason or another. If a bunch of people like me moved out there from the frozen/scorching wasteland of places like NYC, then you'd be priced out of the state. Be thankful that for some people weather isn't that big of a deal. First, I don't live in California. I agree with everything else. It's really all beside the point, though. > Just because your family is stupid doesn't make everybody else's family stupid... So you can stop with the drive-by generalizations here - especially these undeserved "casually racist" ones. My family isn't stupid. Pretty smart by any objective measure aside from willingness to believe confirmational bullshit, actually. Which is kind of my point. They're embedded in a terrible culture. Look, I lived in the midwest for decades. I know what I'm talking about. The politics of the region is dominated by this sort of stuff. It's a LOT more common and MUCH more difficult to avoid in the midwest. The composition of state houses speaks for itself. Name a midwestern state and I'll go member-by-member through its General Assembly to demonstrate to you the obscene popularity of blatant intolerance. Seriously, shoot. It bleeds over into every aspect of life. If you're lucky enough to be white male and straight, you can just avoid talking to people all-together, or silo yourself off from your community, and mostly ignore the terrible culture of the region. Which is what I did. But if you like living in a community where you know and respect your neighbors, the midwest can be a tough place to be.

tomdell 10y ago
Stop with the generalizations. They're inaccurate and insulting. You don't know what you're talking about at all.
- throwaway729 10y ago
  I'm not saying "all midwesterners are racist and believe in crazy shit". I'm saying it's more common and harder to avoid in the midwest. I think that claim is both true and demonstrable. I even suggested one empirical test. At the very least, it's not a generalization. Saying "box a has more red gumballs than box b, so if you don't like red, choose box b" isn't the same as saying "all the gumballs in that box are red". > You don't know what you're talking about at all. With all due respect, I lived in the midwest long enough to have an informed opinion. Maybe our experiences differ, but mine are PERFECTLY well-informed. I believe that you know what you're talking about. I also don't believe your experiences are perfectly representative.
  - hueving 10y ago
    >With all due respect, I lived in the midwest long enough to have an informed opinion. Maybe our experiences differ, but mine are PERFECTLY well-informed. It sounds like you lived in one location in the mid west and have taken it upon yourself to assume that's how it must be everywhere. That's not well-informed, it's just an anecdote about a crappy time spent somewhere in the country.
    - throwaway729 10y ago
      > It sounds like you lived in one location Also not true. Try again. > That's not well-informed, it's just an anecdote about a crappy time spent somewhere in the country. Multiple decades across several states. Both in cities and in non-city areas. The argument here basically amounts to: "But hey, the densest 20% County-Containing-Major-City, ST isn't so bad, and my college educated software engineering co-workers are all pretty decent..." And I'M the one making inaccurate generalizations about the region?! Come off it. Take a week off work on go two counties in any direction. Or hell, to that other suburb where 30% of the metro population but none of the folks you hang out with live. Come back and tell me you still think I'm wildly out of touch.

badsock 10y ago

It's deserved: http://www.vox.com/2016/6/2/11833548/donald-trump-support-race-religion-economy http://www.vox.com/2016/6/2/11833548/donald-trump-support-ra...

komali2 10y ago

You being different than the majority of the Midwest doesn't change the fact that the majority of the Midwest is conservative.