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Started by Louisiana Night, July 24, 2004, 10:38:14 AM

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Louisiana Night

The Fonz... HEY!!!!

QuoteYou don't kill your own food.
That's not as accurate as you'd think...

QuoteThe train system, by contrast, isn't very good. Trains don't go any faster than cars; you're better off taking a plane.
I'd rather take a train, if it was inside the US.

QuoteBetween "black" and "white" there are no other races. Someone with one black and one white parent looks black to you.

Or the other way around...

Quoteyou think the schools should teach kids English.
Nope.

QuoteYou went over US history, and some European, in school, Not much Russian, Chinese, or Latin American. You couldn't name ten US interventions in Latin America.
Are they talking about, things like Panama's independence? If so, then I could name more than ten.

QuoteYou still measure things in feet, pounds, and gallons.

Didn't the English invent that system? I know they don't use it anymore, but didn't they invent it?

QuoteYou think of Canada as a pleasant, peaceful, but rather dull country, which has suddenly developed an inexplicable problem in Québec. You probably couldn't explain why the Canadians didn't join the other British colonies in rebelling against King George.

Wasn't Canada owned by the French, at the time?

QuoteOutside the Beltway

What does that mean? Is it referring to the Bible Belt?

QuoteAbout the only things you expect to bargain for are houses, cars, and antiques. Haggling is largely a matter of finding the hidden point that's the buyer's minimum.

Not around here. Anyone that knows what First Monday means, knows what I'm talking about.

Where's the part about Americans in a foreign country? Simple way to know if someone's an American, outside the US. They'll look around, and be thinking/saying, "look at all them foreigners". Despite the fact, that they're the foreigner.

Jeysie

I'm honestly not certain what "the Beltway" is supposed to be... I don't think it refers to the "Bible Belt". I will say that looking up the "beltway" article on Wikipedia gives a reference to the "Capital Beltway", which is around Washington D. C., and makes sense in some of the context of that given section in my link.

Trains are generally useless here in Western MA, at least in a passenger sense... in fact, the only train stop I know of is an Amtrak stop in an obscure part of Pittsfield, and I don't know if that is even used any more. They're more common on the Eastern side of the state, though, I think. (There is a Scenic Railway in Lee, however, as its name suggests, it's a novelty rather than a real way to get around. Plus I think it's been closed down now anyway. :( )

And yeah, the Imperial system used to be a British thing.

Peace & Luv, Liz

Louisiana Night

#2
The Louisiana site's down  :'(

QuoteYou don't care very much what family someone comes from.
Wrong.

QuoteYou'd be hard pressed to name the capitals or the leaders of all the nations of Europe.
I assume they mean, any, not all.I doubt even the Europian could name all of them. Feel free to correct me on that.

QuoteYou aren't familiar with Mafalda, Lucky Luke, Corto Maltese, Milo Manara, Guido Crepax, Gotlib, or Moebius.

*googles*

P.S. The US, Canadian, and Texas ones seem very accurate.

Jeysie

Quote from: Louisiana Night on July 24, 2004, 11:37:36 AM
QuoteYou don't care very much what family someone comes from.
Wrong.

IMHO, it depends on how rich/political the family. In matters among the *non*-uber-rich/politically powerful, it doesn't make a hoot of difference where I live.

Peace & Luv, Liz

Louisiana Night

QuoteIn matters among the *non*-uber-rich/politically powerful, it doesn't make a hoot of difference where I live.

It does here.

Jeysie

#5
Quote from: Louisiana Night on July 24, 2004, 11:59:30 AM
QuoteIn matters among the *non*-uber-rich/politically powerful, it doesn't make a hoot of difference where I live.
It does here.

Remind me not to move there, then. (No personal offense to you, Louisiana. Of course, considering the tales I've heard from my Texan pals, I wouldn't want to move there anyway.)

Peace & Luv, Liz

Louisiana Night

Quote from: Jeysie on July 24, 2004, 12:03:30 PM
Quote from: Louisiana Night on July 24, 2004, 11:59:30 AM
QuoteIn matters among the *non*-uber-rich/politically powerful, it doesn't make a hoot of difference where I live.
It does here.

Remind me not to move there, then. (No personal offense to you, Louisiana. Of course, considering the tales I've heard from my Texan pals, I wouldn't want to move there anyway.)

Peace & Luv, Liz

No offense taken.
Like I mentioned on another thread, descendents of the British live on one side, and descendents of the Spanish/French live on the other(the exception is where the two sides meet, and in large citys). We used to have 2 governments, even though we were one state. We're also probably the only state in the Union, that's more stubborn than the Texas.

That "Are you a Texan?" website noted what most Texans think of Louisiana. I won't disagree with the corruption.

If those dead people would just learn to vote right >:(

Jeysie

Oops, sorry, Louisiana. I thought I remembered you lived now in Texas, and that's where you were referring to... (and the place I heard about from my Texan friends). I didn't realize you meant the place you're originally from. (makes scorecard to keep things straight :-[ )

The only stuff I know about Louisiana comes from one of Harrison's friends. Sounds like an intriguing place, but again, not the sort of place a Massachusite would easily assimilate into (though not as much so as Texas). (Actually, the more I look, I'm beginning to think there's very few places where a Massachusite would feel at home... MA is a somewhat bizarre state to hail from.)

Peace & Luv, Liz

Louisiana Night

#8
*reads thru last 8 posts*

Sorry, I should have typed that differently. I don't even know what state I was talking about now, when I was referring to the website. Okay, I've got it figured out now.

Anything reffering to a certain state/area.
1st post(after you posted the website)=Texas
2nd post=Louisiana
3rd=Louisiana
4th=Louisiana

I still haven't gotten it through my head, that I'm living in Texas now.

P.S. That part about dead people voting, is because so many deceased people vote(in Louisiana). The fact that we have above-ground cemeteries, makes for some interesting jokes.

Jeysie

Quote from: Louisiana Night on July 24, 2004, 01:21:47 PMI still haven't gotten it through my head, that I'm living in Texas now.

Heh, that's OK. Even though I never liked Pittsfield, I still forget I live there sometimes. I'll likely be even worse when I finally escape MA altogether (if I ever do). It's probably even worse if you're fond of the place you left.

Peace & Luv, Liz

Louisiana Night

QuoteThe only stuff I know about Louisiana comes from one of Harrison's friends. Sounds like an intriguing place, but again, not the sort of place a Massachusite would easily assimilate into (though not as much so as Texas). (Actually, the more I look, I'm beginning to think there's very few places where a Massachusite would feel at home... MA is a somewhat bizarre state to hail from.)

If I had to name the 5 most unique states, Louisiana would be one of them. The only state where Cajuns are a majority, our laws would drive an out-of-state lawyer mad, we eat food that is uncommon outside of LA, more nations have "owned" LA than any other state(I think), we've had somewhere past 11 constitutions(I lost count), we might have the wettest(never tried spelling that word before) soil in the US, and we have languages that nobody else speaks.

*whew*

Your turn.

Louisiana Night

#11
Quote from: Jeysie on July 24, 2004, 01:27:07 PM
Quote from: Louisiana Night on July 24, 2004, 01:21:47 PMI still haven't gotten it through my head, that I'm living in Texas now.

Heh, that's OK. Even though I never liked Pittsfield, I still forget I live there sometimes. I'll likely be even worse when I finally escape MA altogether (if I ever do). It's probably even worse if you're fond of the place you left.

Peace & Luv, Liz

I'd like to move back to Louisiana, but I like it here in Texas too. A great thing about Texas, no mosquitoes!!! Compared to Louisiana anyways.

If you left MA, where would you move(assuming you had a choice)? Always good to have a destination.




*wonders what the new thread will be called*

If I had some weird links, I'd try to get this thread back on track, but I don't.

Jeysie

#12
I dunno if I'd call MA unique... just bizarre. We're probably bizarre in ways many other states are bizarre. It's just that we have an interesting combination of bizarrities.

At any rate... I actually can't speak for Eastern MA, so this will be a Western MA perspective. (With a slant mostly on the Berkshires.) I was going to post a whole essay... then I just decided to use a few joke letters I have hanging around, with some occasional commentary. (Er, sorry, this is sorta long...)

You really know you live in Western Mass when:

1. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor on the highway. (Seriously, traffic problems are pretty rare, except for Main Street in Springfield, which currently sucks.)

2. "Vacation" means going to Burlington, VT. for the weekend.

3. You measure distance in hours.

4. You know several people who have hit moose more than once.

5. You often switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.

6. You use a down comforter in the summer.

7. Your grandparents drive at 65 mph through 13 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching.

8. You see people wearing hunting clothes at social events.

9. You install security lights on your house and garage yet leave both unlocked. (Only true in the more rural parts of the area.)

10. You think of the major food groups as: deer meat, beer, fish, and berries.

11. You carry jumper cables & a battery charger in your car and everyone in your family knows how to use them.

12. There are 6 empty cars running in any parking lot at any given time. (Again, only true in the more rural parts of the area.)

13. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit.

14. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow.

15. You think sexy lingerie is tube socks and flannel pajamas.

16. You know all 4 seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction. (I love this one... it's so true!)

17. It takes you 3 hours to go to the store for one item even when you're in a rush because you have to stop and talk to everyone in town. (Greeting passer-by, bus drivers, clerks, etc. is pretty common... a custom which got me into a mildly embarrassing situation in NYC, but I digress. Door-passing is common too, and not limited by gender.)

You really know you live in the Berkshires when:

1. You actually know the proper places to yield at Park Square. (It's a rotary, for the sake of explanation. We have a LOT of rotaries here in MA. Not to mention mandatory double-lane changes and other oddities. Incidentally, as you might have guessed, Park Square is round.)

2. You can't look at a Norman Rockwell painting without feeling a sense of pride. (He wasn't born in the area, but he had a home in Stockbridge, and his official museum is there. We also can lay claim to Dr. Seuss being born in Springfield and Herman Melville's home Arrowhead in Pittsfield, among some others.)

5. You wouldn't jump in Silver Lake for a million dollars. (Also for the sake of explanation, Silver Lake is a lake in Pittsfield that was used as a toxic waste dumping ground by GE while the company had a base there. I happened to live a five minute walk away from it back then. Do you know how frustrating it is as a kid living five minutes away from a lake you can't play in?)

6. You have participated in the "Hometown America" parade. (One of the biggest 4th of July parades in the country, and probably the area's only claim to fame.)

7. You have at least 5 relatives that USED TO work for GE. (GE used to be Pittsfield's main employer. Now it's Lockheed Martin, IIRC. Yay.)

8. You know what PCB stands for, and know how many of them are in your backyard. (Again, thanks to GE's lousy waste-handling practices.)

9. You know that there is no logical explanation for the boat sticking out of the Allendale Shopping Center parking lot. (Another Pittsfield thing. Actually, the boat is now gone... now there's sheep statues all over downtown instead. Cheshire may have a statue of a cheese press in the middle of town, but at least they have a somewhat cool explanation for it.)

10. You curse the designers of the Berkshire Crossing parking lot. (Berkshire Crossing is a shopping complex in Pittsfield. Let's just say I think the parking lot designers were channeling M. C. Escher at the time.)

11. You talk like you're from Vermont. (I personally don't, but this is generally true. BTW, no, we don't talk like Bostonians.)

12. Most of the year you are surrounded by tourists.

13. You have had 3 or more consecutive snow days.

14. When someone asks, "Do you live near Boston?" you can't help but laugh. (I swear, everyone non-Western MA asks this. Either that, or they say they thought we were part of New York. Sigh.)

Other things not mentioned:

Collleges. Dunno if we're the state with the most colleges, but we have a crapload of them.

We are mostly religious. However, we are also mostly liberal. However, we still haven't repealed all our Blue Laws. Nobody really finds any of this odd, for the most part. (Our liberalness is the main reason why I'd have a hard time getting along anywhere else.)

I think this is a New England thing in general, but... we have a LOT of cities with Native American or British names. Also, many of them are not pronounced the way they're spelled. :P

There are several companies that either were founded, have their main headquarters, or both, here. Among them are Smith & Wesson, Staples, Big Y, and Friendly's.

Peace & Luv, Liz

Jeysie

Quote from: Louisiana Night on July 24, 2004, 01:49:09 PMI'd like to move back to Louisiana, but I like it here in Texas too. A great thing about Texas, no mosquitoes!!! Compared to Louisiana anyways.

If you left MA, where would you move(assuming you had a choice)? Always good to have a destination.

Blarg, took me so long to make the last post, that I didn't notice this. I don't usually double post, but since the other post is so long already, I will this once.

I honestly don't know. Pennsylvania looked interesting while I was there, but I'm not all that familiar with many states. I've really only gotten a serious look at Michigan and New York, and I wouldn't want to live in either. Of course, Harrison wants to move to a small town here in Western MA, and I have no money to live on my own, so this presents a small problem.

Peace & Luv, Liz

Louisiana Night

#14
MA sounds like an interesting place.

QuoteOf course, Harrison wants to move to a small town here in Western MA, and I have no money to live on my own, so this presents a small problem

Are you saying that you're not going to have a place to live soon ???

Jeysie

#15
Quote from: Louisiana Night on July 24, 2004, 06:57:28 PMMA sounds like an interesting place.

Western MA has always struck me as being an epitome of a literal interpretation of the phrase "Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there." It has a lot of charm which is very nice in small doses, but wears thin after too many years.

Quote from: Louisiana Night on July 24, 2004, 06:57:28 PM
QuoteOf course, Harrison wants to move to a small town here in Western MA, and I have no money to live on my own, so this presents a small problem

Are you saying that you're not going to have a place to live soon ???

No, no, I didn't mean that. (I hope not, anyway. I could always just move back in with my mother, but that thought is less than appealing.) Just that some compromising is going to be in order. :P At any rate, neither of us will have any money to move for quite some time anyway.

Peace & Luv, Liz

Yonkey

Quote from: Louisiana Night on July 24, 2004, 01:21:47 PM
P.S. That part about dead people voting, is because so many deceased people vote(in Louisiana). The fact that we have above-ground cemeterys, makes for some interesting jokes.

...how do deceased people vote?  :o
"A wish changes nothing. A decision changes everything."

Louisiana Night

#17
If you look at the votes(in Louisiana), you'll see many names of people that are deceased(almost always).

It makes any vote, that doesn't have an obvious winner, hard to count. Many of them go by unnoticed. So people that really win votes, don't always get the job.

Yonkey

But when you go to the polling stations, you have to give in your voting registration card and/or show your photo ID.  

Don't tell me people use deceased people's drivers licences to falsify votes over there.  :X
"A wish changes nothing. A decision changes everything."

Louisiana Night

QuoteDon't tell me people use deceased people's drivers licences to falsify votes over there. :X

Okay, I won't tell you.

Honestly, I don't know how they get there, I've never thought about it before.



I'm guessing you've decided never to enter the Louisiana borders, huh?