Hope for the future

"Jay Honeck" wrote in
ps.com:

Chuckle. I used to think that way, too. As I've grown older, and my
travels have expanded, I've found that each state is a country in
itself, offering different treasures -- and they are all wonderful, and
more than worth the effort to see and explore.

I have been to about 35 different states, as well as two Canadian provinces
and Puerto Rico.

Most of my travels have been work-related. And I am always surprised at
just how similar different towns are when it comes to their residential and
mall areas - you know the Walmarts, Home Depots, and Friday's... But I do
that outside of the resorts areas and tourist traps, it can be hard to tell
one city from the next...

Even the local attraction racks in the hotels are frequently very similar.
A six flags, some golf courses, the biggest area shopping malls, and
restaurants...

There are certain exceptions, of course... Texas. Texas is it's own
country, with it's own culture that is substantially different from the
rest of the US. Admittedly, I don't seem to get along too well with those
little doggies.

But there are certain regions that do have wondrous treasures - I like the
History that you find in the DC area and in much of the Northeast. The
mountains of Colorado are spectacular. My whole family loves DisneyWorld no
matter how old we get. And how can anyone not have a great time in Vegas!

Of course, travelling for work generally prevents me from getting the
opportunity to hunt for local treasures. I suspect if I were travelling for
vacation and spent time planning around tourist areas instead of newspaper
plants, I might feel differently.

Coming from New York City area, where I can experience some very diverse
cultures all within a very short distance, might cause me to take this all
for granted...

Jay Honeck schrieb:

Well, duh. After a country has been successfully attacked by foreign
nationals using airliners as weapons, did you expect to be welcomed

You'd be surprized to learn that some other countries have been attacked
in the past, too, and have managed to remain friendly nevertheless. I
find it interesting that you speak of the "famously less-than-welcoming
attitude of many Europeans" but in turn think such an attitude is a
pretty normal thing when practiced by the USA. Correction, I don't find
this interesting, I rather find it extremely boring.

But all that's beside the point. In a country where most of our states
are larger than France -- and there are 50 of them -- there is more to
see and do here than any one person can accomplish in a lifetime.

Depends on how much you want to broaden your mind. But then, I suspect
that you're happier when you're not forced to broaden it too much.

Stefan

You'd be surprized to learn that some other countries have been attacked
in the past, too, and have managed to remain friendly nevertheless. I
find it interesting that you speak of the "famously less-than-welcoming
attitude of many Europeans" but in turn think such an attitude is a
pretty normal thing when practiced by the USA.

You're confusing procedures with attitudes. Procedurally, it can be
annoying going through airport security -- but I've never found US
airport personnel to be anything but respectful and neutral, if not
downright pleasant.

This is far from the reputation of most European functionaries, rightly
or wrongly. I've not had the privilege of experiencing it myself, but
tales of rude treatment by everyone from taxi drivers to police
authorities abound amongst my peers who have traveled abroad.

In fairness, tales of good treatment and wonderful acts of kindness
abound, too -- but almost every person I talk to about traveling to
Europe tells at least one story about being treated poorly by someone.


That just doesn't happen in America, in my experience, and I've spent
40+ years exploring this great land of ours.

But all that's beside the point. In a country where most of our states
are larger than France -- and there are 50 of them -- there is more to
see and do here than any one person can accomplish in a lifetime.

Depends on how much you want to broaden your mind. But then, I suspect
that you're happier when you're not forced to broaden it too much.

And that response is the perfect example of why many Americans look
down their noses at Europeans. You're crass, rude, and almost
universally whiny.

Perhaps that explains why your ancestors stayed behind, while the cream
of the crop was coming to America? ducking!

:-)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

but almost every person I talk to about traveling to
Europe tells at least one story about being treated poorly by someone.


That just doesn't happen in America, in my experience

I'm laughing so hard I can't type any more.

Jose
--
"Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where
it keeps its brain." (chapter 10 of book 3 - Harry Potter).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Jay,

while the cream
of the crop was coming to America?


You must be joking. Your country was founded in large part by religious
extremists and convicts, and it started it's history with a horrific
(and largely religously justified) genocide.


--
Thomas Borchert (EDDH)

In article .com,
"Jay Honeck" wrote:

but I've never found US
airport personnel to be anything but respectful and neutral, if not
downright pleasant.

Have you flown any airline out of LAX? I'd rather have a connection out
of LGB than any flight out of LAX. Orlando isn't any joy either.


[snip]
Perhaps that explains why your ancestors stayed behind, while the cream
of the crop was coming to America? ducking!

Does Australia have the same attitude? :-)

--
Bob Noel
Looking for a sig the
lawyers will hate

In article .com,
says...



That just doesn't happen in America, in my experience, and I've spent
40+ years exploring this great land of ours.



Jay, you take something that's basically true, and exaggerate it and
generalize it to the point that it loses all meaning.

I believe it's fair to say there can be some problems with unwelcoming
attitudes in Europe, particularly in France and Belgium, where a "service"
ethic has simply not become very developed (French taxi drivers are the worst
representatives of our species this side of Pol Pot). But it's nothing any
adult can't get over and still have a perfectly enjoyable time discovering
the vast wealth of European culture, history and life-style.

In the US there are 4-way stop signs at intersections, and motorists wait
their turn and pass in order. In Europe they don't have them, because they
would all meet in a tangled mess in the middle, due to their "me first"
attitude! But to say that nasty things simply "do not happen" in America...

New York City is safer than it used to be, but it's still a pretty 'every man
for himself" experience ...

On 21 Nov 2006 04:36:43 -0800, "Jay Honeck" wrote
in .com:

It's actually rather unusual that foreign tourists are being allowed in
the country at all.

The US government's ineffectual border enforcement performance admits,
not only foreign tourists, but undocumented resident immigrants by the
tens of thousands annually. Our government is incapable of denying
people the ability to enter our country during the time of war or any
other time.

The whole TSA is a bad joke created by an arrogant former drug and
alcohol abusing, ignorant, pipit for those who are raiding our nations
wealth through corporate subsidies and non-competitive contracts with
Halliburton, The Carlisle Group, Bechtel, ..., at the expense of the
education, environment, and health care.

I am deeply ashamed of my country's choice of leadership, military
actions, both covert and overt, both past (post WW-II) and present,
and have lost faith in my fellow Americans' ability to vote wisely,
make rational decisions based on objective criteria instead of
emotional hysteria, and in our nation's corrupt Congressional
leadership. If radical reform isn't instituted soon, the entire
government is doomed to failure and collapse.

Corporations are not persons, and do not have the right to influence
governmental policies that negatively affect the people of this
nation. Ours is a government by, and for the people, not for the tax
evading, parasitic, exploitive, immoral, and often criminal large
corporations.

The emotional role religion played in Congress' action as a result of
the Terri Schivo matter underscores organized religion's inappropriate
influence on logic, rational judgment, and common sense. It is the
shamans who have for decades victimized the children of those with
whom they are entrusted to advise on moral and ethical matters. It is
the hypocrisy of the religious right who deny's homosexual couples the
right to a legal union, so that their adopted children will have the
benefits of a legitimate family, all the while engaging in same-sex
prostitution and drug trafficking, that reveal the irrationality of
the people of this nation in their continued support of irrational
belief.

If rational, logical, thoughtful leadership is not restored to our
nation soon, we are destined to see a lot more than general aviation
destroyed.

/rant

A nation can survive its fools, and even the
ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from
within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable,
for he is known and carries his banner openly.
But the traitor moves amongst those within
the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through
all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government
itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he
speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and
he wears their face and their arguments, he
appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the
hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation,
he works secretly and unknown in the night
to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects
the body politic so that it can no longer resist.
A murderer is less to fear. -- Marcus Tullius Cicero

The US government's ineffectual border enforcement performance admits,
not only foreign tourists, but undocumented resident immigrants by the
tens of thousands annually.

The 911 terrorists were =documented=. They had visas. We need to keep
the =documented= people out. Undocumented people have never crashed
jetliners into buildings.

The emotional role religion played in Congress' action...

.... merely reflects the huge role such superstition plays in the lives
of Americans.

Jose
--
"Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can't see where
it keeps its brain." (chapter 10 of book 3 - Harry Potter).
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Jay Honeck wrote
... In a country where most of our states are larger than France ...

It looks to me that only alaska and Texas are larger then France.