Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

If you had come to the US under proper planned circumstances, you probably would really like NC, just like most people do. You are under a lot of stress because you came over on holiday, leaving your small kids at home, and decided to get married on a whim. You got embroiled in immigration issues, and you suddenly realised the magnitude of your mistake, and began to regret it. The scapegoat is NC.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

ugh

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

I think you must have misunderstood my posts. I don't hate NC.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

We have found a lack of employment here in our part of NC and this is the main problem for both of us.

There is a good level of employment for the upper end of the pay scale (6 figures and over) and a huge "choice" of poorly paid and soul destroying jobs, like working at micky dees and equivalent, for around $5 a hour.

What there isn't much of is jobs in the middle income levels, say $15-25 PH.
This will become a serious problem if the capital city wants to grow, which it won't be able to if the job services that the middle income people provide aren't here.

It took me over 6 months to find a job and what I have now is not what I should be earning either.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

We can agree to disagree about the policies and attitudes; you feel they are BS, PC, and that's your opinion. Personally I'm extremely proud of most things that CA has done in the 25 years I've been here. When Bush banned stem-cell research, CA funded a multi-billion dollar project to support stem-cell research. CA has always had the highest auto-emissions standards in the nation, standards that have recently been adopted nationwide. Bush has refused to improve emissions standards for years, and the result has been that the Detroit automakers are way behind the curve now in terms of developing fuel efficient cars. We've pioneered standards for 'organic' foods, and for hormone-free dairy and meat products. If you don't appreciate or care for such things, so be it - it's a free country. Being a white, heterosexual male with good health and a great job, I have not personally benefited from the many liberal economic programs the state supports, but I do fully appreciate them. I'm proud that my state offers medical care and education to illegal immigrants, and I don't resent paying high state taxes for this.

As I stated above, CA is responsible for 13% of the GDP of the US, and would be the 8th largest economy in the world if it were a separate country. As a state, it's had the usual economic ups and downs along with the rest of the world but overall it remains financially solid and continues to be an engine for growth. So while you can disagree with their policies, I don't see how you can make the accusation that those policies are tied to economic destruction. You keep skirting that one major issue.

I will agree that rent control in SF and Berkeley has been economically destructive to the rental housing market, but I would not say that's a big deal in the scheme of things.

As for my comment on being able to buy property in North Carolina - my point is ... I came here with nothing 25 years ago, and just worked hard - like all other Californians I know. I bought a condo in SF for $110,000 in 1984. Through simple trade-ups, I've now got a house valued at $1.2m and a mortgage of about $100,000. I cold sell that house and move almost anywhere else in the country and have enough left over to live off for the rest of my life. I would say that is a very strong plus for California and its economy, personally.

There is a perception out there, amongst people who don't actually spend much time here (and who may watch Fox News) of CA that is so far from the truth it's laughable. I started out in Illinois when I came to US. When I told the people there that I was going to CA to look for a job, they all looked at me as if I were mad. They told me jokes about how CA was formed when all the loose nuts and flakes fell to the side when the earth moved. They assumed I must be gay. They told me to watch out for AIDS, as if it were floating in the air. When I got here, I found almost perpetual sunshine, no humidity, an abundance of jobs, an incredibly diverse group of interesting people, fantastic food (thanks to the diversity), and drop-dead gorgeous scenery. Their loss, my gain, I concluded!

Anyway - feel free to disagree with any and all of CA's policies, but do try to tell me how they are 'economically destructive'.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

If this is the Michael Savage who in the past has called Arabs both "non-humans" and "racist, fascist bigots", then you'll have to excuse me from believing this kind of thinking equates to what needs to be "put right" on the west coast.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

BEWARE! In good faith and in the interest of open dialog, I figured I'd follow this link and listen to some of the stuff. After seeing amusing links to 'American Military Firepower', and 'What you don't know about Obama' (Probably that he's a muslim terrorist who will unleash terror cells upon us the minute he's elected!), I clicked on an innocent link about CFLs (energy efficient lights). After listening to an anti-environmentalist ranting about how dangerous CFLs are (due to their mercury content), I could not close the browser and my whole machine locked up. Upon restart, firefox tried to do a session restore, and I was again listening to this nutcase rant about CFLs ... then a lockup ... and so the pattern went until I put my IT hat on and cleared out the Firefox sessions. Took me about 20 minutes to deal with this nonsense!

So if you want to listen to Fox-News style rants, and don't mind crashing your browser, follow the link above!

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

Doesn't crash mine -- FF3 running over GNU/Linux. But there's no stream there, either.

If you want to listen to Savage he spews his hate most weekday evenings on the Nazi neocon AM talk stations. He's Limbagh with more intelligence but less bubble. I assume he was probably buggered by a family member in his early years and hasn't yet got the right help.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

I think the Triangle will grow perfectly without you living here. I think you haven't live in NC/USA for long enough to appreciate/understand the job market and how to get hired in the US.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

I knew if we waited a little longer, we would get some more meaningless buzz words out of you.

This is liberalism at its finest - the idea that competing cultures can all get along in harmony, ala all hands together as we dance in a circle.
Its just so barmy and hasn't worked in over 50 years (and never will) and in addition, its only practiced and followed by mentally challenged "white westerners" who think they "know" about the "plights" of others less rich and lucky like themselves and by those who really need to please others and show how "accommodating" and "understanding" and "open" they are to all cultures/races/creeds/religions blah blah blah, when at the same time, the "disadvantaged world" says "OH...OK...we'll take this, take this, then its "give us this give us that", then "demand this, demand that", and finally "we'll destroy you if you don't do this or that".

..and people wonder why muslims are bombing the west.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

If you listen properly, you will discover that this refers to some of them not all of them.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

And that's okay with you? Puh-leez. It's just like me saying not all black people are niggers, just some.:sneaky:

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

Have been listening to Michael Savage for a while now on my computer and I haven't experienced a single problem or hint of one. The website I gave the link for belongs to a radio station that carries MS's shows - its not his website.

...but perhaps also, the site you went on realized that you needed saving and fixing from your delusional beliefs and tried to erase all the PC & west coast nonsense and BS that is no doubt swimming around your computer...?

Just a thought.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

Yes it is if you find out what they do and how they behave.
MS may rant and rave, but he's an intelligent person and no-one is saying the things he does and that need to be said. Many people have lost their spines but not everyone is willing to lose theirs.

Your black people analogy is not a good one, unfortunately.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

Wow, you just don't stop, do you!

Actually, what I was referring to was the fact that San Francisco is approx. 40% white, 30% Asian, etc (from Wikipedia: "As of 2006, the Census Bureau estimated that 44.6 percent of the population was non-Hispanic white.[109] Asian Americans, principally Chinese, make up about a third of the population. Hispanics of any race make up about 14 percent of the population. San Francisco's African American population has declined in recent decades, from 13.4 percent of the city in 1970 to 7.2 percent of the population in 2006"). This results in a fabulous range of dining choices.

My own girlfriend is Asian American. Are you suggesting that there is something wrong with that?

Your neck just gets redder and redder !! :)

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

Now you make it sound like they are some kind of species being studied for some National Geographic....

(in a whisper)
Notice as the Arab wraps his head with the cloth. This is quite unique to this species. Ah look at that bigoted Arab sort his garb. Quite interesting to watch from this Caucasian's point a view...

This whole thing is what got this country in the shit hole it's in to begin with. Paranoia and ignorance.

BTW, my analogy does hold up. You're just too closed minded to see what I'm getting at for fear of realizing just how much an asshole you are already.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

...and I think you are an abrasive, highly judgmental, presumption-ridden and strangely-opinionated person of limited understanding and experience.

I don't know where you get all your presumptions and ideas about other people and their lives from. Maybe you think everyone else is like you.

Happily for the rest of us, we are not.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

:lol: Very good

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

At first, I thought our man Anthony was worthy of intelligent debate but he's now revealing himself as a bigoted racist who listens to right wing talk radio, so I think I'm going to move to more interesting threads. I did do a bit of thinking on the 'economically destructive' topic, though, since he seems totally incapable of substantiating that assertion.

So ... what policies has CA pioneered that "are quite laughable but ... sadly, also economically destructive" - as asserted by Anthony919.

Stem Cell research - It has done wonders for the local bio-tech firms (of which there are MANY, with Genentech HQ just south of SF).

CA was the first state to ban smoking in bars/restaurants/etc. Probably bad for ... where do they grow tobacco - the Carolina's :) - but good for everyone's health and thus, overall, a positive.

Gay Marriage - the right-wing "US views and world distort" had this article which suggests it's good for the economy. Here's another.

Emissions standards. Definitely had a short-term cost impact on car manufacturers, who had to work on new technologies/etc (catalytic converters, etc), which was passed onto consumers. But 20 or so years later, we are now seeing the value of those early efforts. Bush refused to raise standards when he had the chance, and now wants to open up the CA coastline to offshore drilling; anything but the obvious solutions of conservation and investment in new technology. I read an article recently that the Japanese government strongly supported the development of hybrid technology by Toyota, and now Toyota is selling hybrid cars faster than ice-cream on a summer's day in England. By the way - I think it will be a cold day in hell before offshore drilling happens - I'll join the protest lines myself if they do!

Decriminalization of marijuana. Complex topic, but can't see how this is bad for the economy, unless you wish to assert that everyone is stoned and productivity is shot because of frequent trips to the refrigerator for munchies!

Fair treatment of Illegal Immigrants. Complex topic, but everyone in CA pretty much agrees (even Arnold) that our economy would collapse without them (CA has a massive agriculture economy). I can't get contractors to work on my house, I can't get people to cut my grass, and that's WITH a bunch of illegal immigrants in the state.

Gun Control. Agree or disagree, but ... economic impact ... do they make guns in North Carolina too? Guns and Tobacco ... that's a fun economy!

I can list many more 'liberal' policies but can't honestly think of one that is practically 'economically destructive'. But I'll keep thinking!

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

Now we know what you're really all about - the previously friendly, cordial appearing-to-be-helpful girl has shown her true pretentious nature and has hit the bottom of the barrel. You mum would be so cross with you, ala "Wash you mouth out with soap & water!"

Don't think we'll bothering to waste our time again with you, ma'am.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

Arsehole.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

Actually I hear her applauding from 300 miles away. I think you have bigger fish to fry than me saying ASSHOLE! NEXT!

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

Do I need to move this to TIO? ;)

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

I'm done but I have a better idea where you can move this too;)

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

so I guess from all that, as per the thread title, "NC - a place to live?", the answer is probably not. There seem to be some underlying issues with some of its inhabitants...

perhaps South Carolina then?

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

well I like it here...

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

So - you criticize California for it's liberal, laughable and economically destructive policies, yet your own rather conservative state (made famous by Jessie Helms, the most conservative of all Republicans!) does not provide for you. Do you feel that somehow, that evil, nasty, liberal stuff going on on the west coast is somehow responsible for your troubles? Maybe the swastika tattooed on your red neck is a bit of a giveaway in the interview process!

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

I do too. It is an acquired taste and it certainly took me quite a while to acclimatise, but now I think of myself as an honourary North Carolinian.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

I agree....we've been up and down the East coast and this is where we are staying..not too hot and not too cold and lovely greenery..:thumbsup:

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

Dear Anthony919 ... You started it! To quote your earlier post: "This is exactly what I mean about west coast people being so out of touch with reality. They really are up they own a**es"

I think you are exhibiting double standards ...

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

You failed to do a quick search before you started. He's always been decidedly odd, even when not on a political rant.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

OK, so ... San Francisco was originally part of Mexico (along with the rest of California) and was thus, full of Spanish/Native Americans/South Americans/etc. Then the Caucasians came across from the east, and outnumbered these other folk. In order to build the railways, and later to prospect for gold, they imported Chinese laborers. These Chinese laborers stayed on and form the basis of the huge Chinese population today. Last time I looked, there was no great street violence going on amongst the mexicans, asians, and whites in this town. I'm not quite sure where "hasn't worked in over 50 years" comes from! Should we be repatriating the Asians now their work is done? Do you have a view of America where all the whites stick together in some form of apartheid paradise?

This article from Wikipedia provides the background for the figures: "As of 2006, the Census Bureau estimated that 44.6 percent of the population was non-Hispanic white. Asian Americans, principally Chinese, make up about a third of the population. Hispanics of any race make up about 14 percent of the population... "

Is my enjoyment of Asian food, of Mexican food, of Japanese food, (and of these cultures in general) somehow an exhibition of being a "mentally challenged white westerner"?

Is my living with an Asian American woman (actually of Chinese, Filipino, Spanish ancestry) a demonstration of me being mentally retarded? Should I ditch her and find me a "good white woman" so I can give up on this nonsense that different races/cultures can live together?

Speaking of such things - I need to go out to my favorite Vietnamese restaurant in town and enjoy a fantastic meal. I guess in your book, I'm just a living, breathing example of mental retardation!

It's sad to see that true racism is alive and well.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

..and you, ginge minge, can join ugly crew.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

1) I think I'm seeing evidence of why Anthony919 took six months to find a job....:lol:

2) Open-minded North Carolinians, both native-born and naturalized, would like Anthony919 should leave NC ASAP. It would be the best for all parties.

3) I guess Anthony919 won't be going to Drag Bingo in Raleigh this Saturday...:p

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

you're quite the disgrace.

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

... but he revels in it. I think BE is one place where he can feel "big".:)

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

An army of one!

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

He's not even worth that accolade.:D More like Dickhead, party of one.;)

Re: North Carolina - A place to live?
 

Sorry for offending military sensibilities. I think your term is more appropriate, though we have had a contender from Scotland today who might make it two.