Canada-The Know it all Neighbour

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » 2004-05-12 08:06pm

0.1 wrote:For Canada, I recommend Vancouver. I really liked that city compared to say Ottawa or Toronto just for the weather. The winter seem to be much milder at Vancouver. And you can always find a decent place to ski not too far up north.

You'd be better off in Ontario, sure the winters are harsher. But Vancouver is very expensive.

0.1 · Post by **0.1** » 2004-05-12 08:13pm

I know it... Vancouver is about the most expensive part of Canada. But that's not too big a deal after you've lived in the most expensive place in the U.S. for a few years. Besides, to me, it's just another big city that I would avoid and move into the suburbs as quickly as possible.

P.S. Look up the dictionary for the word outrageously expensive, and you'll see the Silicon valley pictured there.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-05-12 09:19pm

0.1 wrote:Shep,

I didn't say there was anything wrong with what Mike said...

I'm just taking his entire message out of context.

Please provide evidence that you will ever contribute anything either intelligent or entertaining to the board.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-05-12 09:22pm

Lord Poe wrote:Mike, you've BEEN to a few cities; you haven't LIVED here. I live in California, and interracial dating hasn't been a blip on the "who gives a fuck" radar in more than two decades.

Not surprising; California is known by those who call themselves "real" Americans as the Left Coast for more reasons than one. But you also, oddly enough, have a fundie problem out there, judging by the number of creationist publishing houses which call it home. A very strange juxtaposition, given places like San Francisco.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2004-05-12 09:25pm

Darth Wong wrote: Not surprising; California is known by those who call themselves "real" Americans as the Left Coast for more reasons than one.

It's also a smog ridden hellhole to boot.

0.1 · Post by **0.1** » 2004-05-12 10:45pm

Silly Mike, whoever said anything about entertaining other people.

But please, write up a sob story about how you had to contend with persecution and bigotry in your life, always really good reads.

Come on... you know you want to. In this case, it's the big evil American bullying around poor helpless Canadian. Catchy theme isn't it? Fits right in with your mind set. Feel free to call me the "asshole" half.

Be indignant, it fits you well.

0.1 · Post by **0.1** » 2004-05-12 10:49pm

Shep,

I beg to differ, the smog ridden hellhole is only in part of California. It's not at all true for the parts in Eugene, Portland, Seattle, and so forth.

See, you can learn something new everyday... For example, CA has absorbed WA and OR as well since the last time I looked at the map. Totally news to me.

Thanks for the clarification, Mike. Always helpful to have the expert opinion on geography.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-05-12 11:07pm

0.1 wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:Please provide evidence that you will ever contribute anything either intelligent or entertaining to the board.
Silly Mike, whoever said anything about entertaining other people.

But please, write up a sob story about how you had to contend with persecution and bigotry in your life, always really good reads.

Come on... you know you want to. In this case, it's the big evil American bullying around poor helpless Canadian. Catchy theme isn't it? Fits right in with your mind set. Feel free to call me the "asshole" half.

Be indignant, it fits you well.

That was not an idle request. Provide evidence that you ever intend to contribute anything remotely useful to this board. Be aware that your oh-so-clever heckling campaign against me is a clear violation of the board's "no vendetta/no trailing people around" policy.

Illuminatus Primus · Post by **Illuminatus Primus** » 2004-05-12 11:37pm

Darth Wong wrote:If you compare the attitude to interracial dating here and in a typical US city (where people say it's OK but tend not to do it anyway), you'll see one of the reasons why I am happy living in Toronto.

Man, I'm so sick of the thinly-veiled racism here.

All this anti-interracial marriage bullshit dressed up in "cultural differences" dressing.

"Oh, the Indian parents simply want there daughter to marry within their cultural background." Right, cretin, which is why they shun or outright disallow their children to date outside their ethnicity. That is not cultural preference, that's fucking racism.

Falkenhayn · Post by **Falkenhayn** » 2004-05-13 12:14am

Illuminatus Primus wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:If you compare the attitude to interracial dating here and in a typical US city (where people say it's OK but tend not to do it anyway), you'll see one of the reasons why I am happy living in Toronto.
Man, I'm so sick of the thinly-veiled racism here.

All this anti-interracial marriage bullshit dressed up in "cultural differences" dressing.

"Oh, the Indian parents simply want there daughter to marry within their cultural background." Right, cretin, which is why they shun or outright disallow their children to date outside their ethnicity. That is not cultural preference, that's fucking racism.

Thank you. Seriously, this is grounds for a made for TV movie. Sure only FOX would show it, but you've got to start somewhere.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2004-05-13 02:14am

Robert Treder wrote:
Glocksman wrote:
The Northeast and California are typically progressive socially(at least, when compared to the rest of the country), while the middle of the country is sort of viewed as a throwback, slow to change
It's all in the perspective.

We here in 'flyover country' tend to see California as 'the land of fruits and nuts', to quote S.I Hayakawa, and have no desire to emulate it.

The same goes for the Northeast. While NYC may be an interesting place to visit, I have no desire to ever live there, though I've always said that Evansville is a great place to grow up and a great place to grow old without much for those in between.
What's wrong with California? Too much interracial dating? Or is it some other socially progressive trait that bothers you?

Frankly, I resent your insinuation of racism.

If 'socially progressive' means spending the state into near bankruptcy like Gray Davis and your legislature managed to do, I'll take 'regressive' every time. If nothing else, our electricity supply never failed.

Let's look at the negatives of living in CA.:

High cost of living
High Taxes
Population Density
Gridlock in the heavily urbanized areas
Crime in the heavily urbanized areas
Gun laws
Heavy regulations on just about everything.
Smog in SoCal.

The only things California has to recommend it are the climate and reputation for tolerance, and from the limited number of Californians I've met, the reputation is somewhat overblown.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-05-13 02:28am

Darth Wong wrote:
Lord Poe wrote:Mike, you've BEEN to a few cities; you haven't LIVED here. I live in California, and interracial dating hasn't been a blip on the "who gives a fuck" radar in more than two decades.
Not surprising; California is known by those who call themselves "real" Americans as the Left Coast for more reasons than one. But you also, oddly enough, have a fundie problem out there, judging by the number of creationist publishing houses which call it home. A very strange juxtaposition, given places like San Francisco.

California is bigger than most countries, both in population and in land mass. The fact that we have a decent sized fundie population is irrelevent, it would be hard for us NOT to given the number of people that live here. Still, I've lived in California, Colorado and Oregon and in NONE of those states has interracial dating been unusual. Heck, here in the Bay Area it's a joke because everyone has a significant other of the oppositte sex. You probably don't know about it because like Poe said, people stopped giving a shit a long time ago.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-05-13 02:29am

MKSheppard wrote:
Darth Wong wrote: Not surprising; California is known by those who call themselves "real" Americans as the Left Coast for more reasons than one.
It's also a smog ridden hellhole to boot.

LA is bad, but the rest is fine. Please go to Northern Cali and tell me that it is smog ridden with a straight face.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-05-13 02:34am

EDIT: Damn, the post two up from this one says everyone has a significant other of the oppositte sex. What I meant was that everyone has one of a different race.

Glocksman · Post by **Glocksman** » 2004-05-13 02:35am

The Kernel wrote:Still, I've lived in California, Colorado and Oregon and in NONE of those states has interracial dating been unusual

Hell it's not unusual here in the armpit of the Midwest, either.

You might draw some curious looks from the 50+ crowd here in town, but that's about it. The 'racist hick' parts of the state are in the counties surrounding Indianapolis, not down here.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-05-13 03:22am

Darth Wong wrote:
Lord Poe wrote:Mike, you've BEEN to a few cities; you haven't LIVED here. I live in California, and interracial dating hasn't been a blip on the "who gives a fuck" radar in more than two decades.
Not surprising; California is known by those who call themselves "real" Americans as the Left Coast for more reasons than one. But you also, oddly enough, have a fundie problem out there, judging by the number of creationist publishing houses which call it home. A very strange juxtaposition, given places like San Francisco.

There are two Californias, really. The California that is the Bay Area and SoCal, and the great wide open rural parts in Northern Cal. One is known for its extreme liberalism, but the other is pretty conservative.

Arthur_Tuxedo · Post by **Arthur_Tuxedo** » 2004-05-13 03:25am

Btw, I think everyone's been missing Mike's point, which is that in the U.S., no one really has a problem with interracial dating, but most still don't actually do it themselves. It may not be uncommon or unusual to see an interracial couple, but for every interracial couple you see, there are at least 10 or more that are not.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-05-13 03:52am

Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:Btw, I think everyone's been missing Mike's point, which is that in the U.S., no one really has a problem with interracial dating, but most still don't actually do it themselves. It may not be uncommon or unusual to see an interracial couple, but for every interracial couple you see, there are at least 10 or more that are not.

No, his point is that although people are free to interracial date, the act is frowned upon. Although this might be true in some areas, I would hesitate to paint so broad a brush to the United States as a whole.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-05-13 10:24am

The Kernel wrote:
Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:Btw, I think everyone's been missing Mike's point, which is that in the U.S., no one really has a problem with interracial dating, but most still don't actually do it themselves. It may not be uncommon or unusual to see an interracial couple, but for every interracial couple you see, there are at least 10 or more that are not.
No, his point is that although people are free to interracial date, the act is frowned upon.

*Ahem* I said "where people say it's OK, but they tend not to do it anyway." Do you understand what that sentence means?

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2004-05-13 10:41am

Darth Wong wrote:
The Kernel wrote:
Arthur_Tuxedo wrote:Btw, I think everyone's been missing Mike's point, which is that in the U.S., no one really has a problem with interracial dating, but most still don't actually do it themselves. It may not be uncommon or unusual to see an interracial couple, but for every interracial couple you see, there are at least 10 or more that are not.
No, his point is that although people are free to interracial date, the act is frowned upon.
*Ahem* I said "where people say it's OK, but they tend not to do it anyway." Do you understand what that sentence means?

lets put all this arguement aside and reflect upon those glorious single college days, when we could actively pursue an affirmative action agenda for adult activities. *sigh*

Post by **fgalkin** » 2004-05-13 10:53am

Illuminatus Primus wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:If you compare the attitude to interracial dating here and in a typical US city (where people say it's OK but tend not to do it anyway), you'll see one of the reasons why I am happy living in Toronto.
Man, I'm so sick of the thinly-veiled racism here.

All this anti-interracial marriage bullshit dressed up in "cultural differences" dressing.

"Oh, the Indian parents simply want there daughter to marry within their cultural background." Right, cretin, which is why they shun or outright disallow their children to date outside their ethnicity. That is not cultural preference, that's fucking racism.

Actually, it is somewhat based on cultural background. When people arrive to America, especially from some country where "traditional" values are in place, they experience a great deal of culture shock. Most of them shut themselves out of mainstream American life and live in little closed communites. Many of them don't even bother learning English because the only language they get to speak is their own. They have a strong "us vs. them" mentaility, and if someone doesn't have their "traditional" values, he is seen as the enemy. Thus, they frown on their children dating someone outside of their community. They don't necessarily believe that other races are inherently bad (although some do), so it's not quite racism, but its just as bad.

Have a very nice day.
-fgalkin

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-05-13 11:09am

Col. Crackpot wrote:lets put all this arguement aside and reflect upon those glorious single college days, when we could actively pursue an affirmative action agenda for adult activities. *sigh*

You're not seriously suggesting that a lack of racial "preferences" (remember the argument with Eleas in which he stormed off in a huff and in which numerous people actually agreed that racial preference is not racist?) is tantamount to affirmative action, are you?

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2004-05-13 12:18pm

Darth Wong wrote:
Col. Crackpot wrote:lets put all this arguement aside and reflect upon those glorious single college days, when we could actively pursue an affirmative action agenda for adult activities. *sigh*
You're not seriously suggesting that a lack of racial "preferences" (remember the argument with Eleas in which he stormed off in a huff and in which numerous people actually agreed that racial preference is not racist?) is tantamount to affirmative action, are you?

that was a tounge in cheek remark meant to diffuse a tense discussion. evidently it failed.

0.1 · Post by **0.1** » 2004-05-13 01:17pm

Heh heh, good job Mike, nice going on the indignation and trotting out the rules to hide behind.

Now, all we need is a 5 paragraph long diatribe in the most excruciating details possible on how I've persecuted you over the last few years. After all, you're always talking about providing evidence, and backing up you're saying.

But fear not, I've learned something else new from you today. The fact that a mere a dozen posts on you constituted a campaign. Wow. I clearly have to redefine the concept of campaign to something of an effort that takes slightly less than two days.

Mike, you're the man.

Post by **AdmiralKanos** » 2004-05-13 01:24pm

I see that two separate attempts to politely but firmly explain the situation to you have failed. You seem to think it's a big joke to flout the board's "no vendettas" policy, no doubt because you figure that you can accuse me of a political agenda if I use it against you. Well, too fucking bad; I don't care what you accuse me of, you broke the rules and you show no intention of changing your behaviour, so you're gone. Adios, asshole.