Where are you from and why is it awesome? Does it suck?

[IamYou]

Hey everyone I'm interested to know if any of you like or dislike where you live and why. I live in Philadelphia right on the outskirts. I've always loved this area because I'm 10 minutes from downtown of one of the 5 biggest cities in America. The ocean and the mountains are just a little over an hour away. There are rivers, lakes and beautiful farmland just minutes away. There is Amish country an hour away. They drive in horse and buggy on the street and you're not allowed to pass them. that can be annoying but their food makes up for it I've never taken where I live for granted and I've traveled fairly extensively, but I think people should be willing to explore where they're from and not just dream about going to Jamaica (which is AWESOME by the way!). Philly gets a bad rap for crime, and there is that aspect believe me, but it has it's upside. If you get pulled over by Philly cops with weed and most likely ANYTHING else, and the cops don't think you're a dealer they will almost without exception just send you on your way...with your drugs!!! They have murderers and rapists to deal with so people like us are small fish. All in all, I LOOOOVE my city. Would love to hear about your hometown.

 

[IJesusChrist]

I live in minnesota. It sucks. Winter is too long and suburbs are gray. Graffiti is nowhere, so the cities are brown, white and tan and makes me want to puke. There is no snow on the ground and hasn't been all season so the majority of the state is just a dull dead brown. Hate it.

My friend is going to court right now for "interferring with a police officer" . He was basically the subject of police brutality and they turned the tides in court. I guess it happens a lot here.

I'm moving in august. No idea where.

 

[IamYou]

OMG man! Sorry to hear that! Philly has more than 3000 morals all over the city. They are done by professional artists and they are f'n amazing. I'm not trying to rub it in...I really feel bad that you don't like your town! Take shrooms and do the Philly mural tour. Mindblowing. I posted a few below. The regular graffiti is awesome too. Some of the normal people don't like it but i love it. So many talented artists that are so poor they have to steal the paint from the store.

 

[ophiuchus]

k3nn3s4w police have nothing better to do than to arrest people for miniscule amounts of weed and ticket for not wearing a seatbelt...

i wish to live in a similar scenario to you iam, that is, have a good track of pristine land, and be fairly close to a large enough town or city. i admire the lucidity that nature brings, yet i do enjoy the bustle from time to time as well. there is much to be had from a well developed area, so long as the "right" minds were behind it, but i wouldn't wish to stay in a city, to much stimuli.

 

[IamYou]

I hear you op. There is undoubtedly stimuli galore even here though I'm not directly downtown. Sometimes I just go to a state park near me and walk around before the humans drive me insane

 

[ophiuchus]

sounds like you've got a pretty good spot.

 

[Crimzen]

I like it here in western australia
i live pretty close to the beach, 45mins to the city
theres heaps of nature dotted around everywhere but i think that pretty typical of australia

 

[IamYou]

Crimzen, I've always wanted to visit Australia. What city are you near?

 

[spice]

I am from the state in the USA with the highest per capita incarceration rate in the entire world

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009 ... _rate.html

every other category it is 49 or 50


I'd like to escape but so far have not been able to.


Haven't given up yet.

 

[IamYou]

Holy shit! 1 out of 55 are incarcerated and 1 out of 26 are on parole? Is it just the NOLA statistics that make the numbers so high??

 

[spice]

NO.



Most of the ppl in jail here are for drugs....and petty property crimes. These people are housed beside rapists and murderers and the cops treat a guy who was selling pot just like a serial killer. This is also a state where you are sentenced to hard labor.
(not just violent criminals, ANY criminal convicted)

I did 4 years side by side with rapists and serial killers for a first offense drug crime. They worked me in 110 degree corn fields in August, among other things....(and people wonder why I hate them so much.)

I knew a guy inside who was 32 years old, first offender, he got 40 years for a first-offense manufacture of methamphetamine charge. (PS he couldnt even fully explain the process to me either, what a drug kingpin he was) His wife got 40 years for not co-operating with the investigation. You have never seen ANYTHING like it.

This is a petro-chemical fueled police state, dominated by the Catholic religion and Napoleonic Code of law, which is the basis of an 'inquisitional system'.

They privatized the prison system long ago here, it is one of the leading industries in the state, next to petro and farming, which are both the domain of rednecks, so the prison system isn't ran by law enforcement, it is private companies (typically owned by politicians and their friends)


You have NEVER EVER seen anywhere as full of pro-military, pro-police. And snitches.


number 1 in the world

 

[spice]

some other relevant stats-


'LA 49th in children well-being'
http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20110 ... /110819551

here is the rundown;




The South > Louisiana > Bottom Rankings




Dead Last

Economy > Personal income (per capita)
Health > Health Index
Health > Prevalence of Poor Mental Health
Industry > Beverage & tobacco product manufacturing > Annual payroll
Industry > Beverage & tobacco product manufacturing > Production workers wages
Industry > Beverage & tobacco product manufacturing > Production workers wages (per $ GDP)
People > Estimated number of Illegal Immigrants (per capita)
Presidential Elections > 1996 > Popular Votes for Ralph Nader (% of total)
Presidential Elections > 2004 > Popular Votes for Michael Peroutka (per capita)
Trade > Exports to Indonesia > Percent Change 2004-2005

2nd last
Economy > Nest Egg Index
Education > High school diploma or higher, by percentage
Immigration > Refugees from Kuwait
Immigration > Refugees from Kuwait (per capita)
Immigration > Refugees from Rwanda (per capita)
Immigration > Refugees from Saudi Arabia
Immigration > Refugees from Saudi Arabia (per capita)
Lifestyle > Best States to Live
Lifestyle > Children Ages 0-5 Who Are Read To Every Day, Percentage
Trade > Exports to China > Percent Change 2004-2005

3rd last
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Advanced > Grade 4 Reading
Health > Colonoscopy testing
Health > Fruits and vegetables consumption
Immigration > Refugees from Congo
Immigration > Refugees from Dem.rep Congo
Immigration > Refugees from Rwanda
Labor > Employment Ratio
People > Estimated number of Illegal Immigrants
People > Sex Ratio
Trade > Exports to Spain > Percent Change 2004-2005

4th last
Economy > Median Household Income
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Advanced > Grade 8 Reading
Health > Physical exercise
Immigration > Refugees from Congo (per capita)
Immigration > Refugees from Ethiopia (per capita)
Presidential Elections > 1968 > Popular Votes for Richard Nixon (% of total)
Presidential Elections > 1976 > Popular Votes for Eugene McCarthy
Presidential Elections > 1980 > Popular Votes for Edward Clark (% of total)
Trade > Exports to Costa Rica > Percent Change 2004-2005
Transportation > Number of toll ferries (per capita)

5th last
Crime > Homicide > Victims by Weapon > Other Weapons
Economy > Median Family Income
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Advanced > Grade 4 Math
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Proficient > Grade 8 Math
Education > Assessments > % of Students Above Proficient > Grade 8 Writing
Education > Public Libraries > Library Visits per Capita
Energy > Ethanol Consumption
Lifestyle > Percent of Households That are Married-Couple Families
Lifestyle > Percent of Married-Couple Families With Both Husband and Wife in the Labor Force
Presidential Elections > 2004 > Popular Votes for Ralph Nader (per capita)

http://www.statemaster.com/state/LA/Bottom-Rankings



(sigh)

 

[spice]

' Does it SUCK ?'

IMO, yes.

 

[spice]

Do they have seat-belt checkpoints in Philly?

What about 'Insurance checkpoints''?


They do here....stormtroopers block off entire boulevards to 'check your insurance' (and sniff the air in your car, look you up and down, etc)

They allow everyone to drive around at 80 mph, no consequences. (good for the gas and insurance industry, y'know)...you can get 64 ounce margaritas at drive thru windows.....one j you are going to meet some real criminals, my friend

I'm serious. You have no idea.


(edit- this will probably be a final comment from me in this thread, I also met a guy w2hen I was inside who had gotten FOURTEEN DWI convictions and never served more than 12 months. He got a burglary charge and got 8 years. He got out before I did, and he was back before I got out. This is a very depressing place, all around.)

oh well. Onward.

 

[IamYou]

Definitely no seat belt or insurance checkpoints in Philly. I have seen seat belt check points in Delaware which is only a few minutes from Philly. The statistics you posted about LA are insane!! Never thought of the petro angle. Privatization of the prison system is downright frightening. They make money to lock people up! There is a private prison in Philly although the details are very hush hush.

 

[EewDefining]

I'm in Alabama. I travel back and form from Tuscaloosa and Huntsville. Huntsville is nice they got a pretty cool drug scene. I'm in more of the acid heads crowd. Tuscaloosa kinda sucks it's filled with frat boys (and sorority girls) and hard working blue collar people. The blue collar workers are typically segregated by race, not by law, just by a stubborn attitude. Most people are at least fake nice to each other regardless of race.

The sorority girls wont even talk to you if your not in a frat. Frat guys have bigger egos then well frat guys.

There are a few cool people, but they seem hard to find.

 

[Crimzen]

Crimzen, I've always wanted to visit Australia. What city are you near?

I live near perth city in western australia
the most isolated city in the hole world! no joke

 

[darkwolfunseen]

I live in California and I have to say it's pretty peaceful over here. The cops aren't perfect, but definitely no LA material, organic food is everywhere, and the weed is superb. All in all, can't complain.

 

[IamYou]

I live in California and I have to say it's pretty peaceful over here. The cops aren't perfect, but definitely no LA material, organic food is everywhere, and the weed is superb. All in all, can't complain.

Sounds like a good spot!

I just signed a lease to move to downtown Philly (court ordered!). Here are some pics of my building and some of the new hood

The building I'm in...

The rest of the photos are within a minute walk. I love the architecture in older cities.

 

[Brugmansia]

I live in the Netherlands which is a small country with a dense population and a mild climate during all seasons. Since there's no isolation it may explain why I literally could obtain any psychoactive up to some point. Even bought rare ones such as bromo dragonfly, liquid lsd or synthetic dmt and mescaline (very hard to find, but eventually found them in cities close to mine). Weed, cacti, pre-made grow boxes for psilocybine mushrooms and all DMT plants are obtainable in coffeeshops/headshops. And each home may cultivate up to 5 cannabis plants. There's a market for illegal psychoactives such as LSD, MDMA crystals, GHB/GBL, 2cb, ketamine if one does a search (caught these all as well). Although widely available and illegal, cocaine is always cut with an average purity of 50%.

As for cops, if caught with small amounts of an illegal substance there's no penalty but they are allowed to take it from you. And the use of any illegal drugs is not illegal over here. So medical attention can always be sought without worries.

I generally like our welfare, our healthcare, our administration of justice, human rights, sea climate, quality of life. My neighbourhood is quiet, safe, ecological with low rates of crime.