Top Gear US challenge (where they visited Florida and were nearly shot) Dexter (set in Miami and seems to be the crime capital of the world) 48 Hours (crime show on the CI channel, also largely set in Miami and ditto).
Okay, I concede. Maybe we should just put our ban on Florida :)
To me, it's a bit like the people who say, "Ooh, visiting Australia would be scary--they have so many of the world's most venomous and dangerous critters!" It's true, but not especially relevant to the everyday lives of most people living there. The fact the we had an incompetent, idiotic bully as president for the past eight years didn't make Denver an unfriendly place to have a WorldCon or Seattle a horrible place to visit or to live. Having Obama in the White House won't make LA any less smoggy or New Yorkers more polite, either, unfortunately.
I'm ecstatic that we voted Obama in; it makes me proud that we are not as small-minded as some predicted. And I do hope that the enthusiasm and "Yes we can" attitude doesn't turn to cynicism too quickly.
But it looks like California is going to overturn the legalization of same-sex marriages, and at least one other state has passed a law defining marriage as only being between one man and one woman. So, we've got a ways to go
Also, something to keep in mind is that the US is not particularly homogeneous; attitudes and cultural climates vary widely between different regions and between cities and rural areas. I live in an area where, in general, people are well-educated, tolerant, and liberal; in other parts of the country, my transgendered friends, Muslim neighbors, and lesbian cousins might not be as accepted--or they might.
I expect some bloody awesome cons, since there's so many!
The war on terror stuff just made America hit my too-hard basket.
I know that there's huge variance on a lot of attitudes and stuff, and there's heaps of people I would love to meet if I ever go. Which is now looking more likely. :-)
On my most recent visit to the US, I went to a con in Tucson, at the end of which someone asked me to please come back next year "if you can get over the wall we're building around the country". Certainly US airports have become even more nightmarish since 9/11.
That said, I've been to many wonderful places in the US. Perhaps coincidentally, nearly all of them have been in the blue states, and most people I've met have denied voting for Dubya.
There are many awesome places that are worth a visit. If I was going to visit the US again, I'd like to spend a while in various National Parks in the Rocky Mountains.
That would be awesome! You can show me all the yummy places and take me to the local supermarket and I can tell you oddities about aussie food and supermarkets. :-)
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chiming
no subject
Date: 2008-11-05 05:46 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2008-11-05 05:53 am (UTC)From:Sure, I expect the Big O will probably end up the same, but there's years for him to prove that, by which time maybe I'll have made it to Wiscon
:-)
It's not a real ban, just that the list of places I want to go is rather long, and America wasn't high on it.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-05 06:00 am (UTC)From:Top Gear US challenge (where they visited Florida and were nearly shot)
Dexter (set in Miami and seems to be the crime capital of the world)
48 Hours (crime show on the CI channel, also largely set in Miami and ditto).
Okay, I concede. Maybe we should just put our ban on Florida :)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-05 06:55 am (UTC)From:To me, it's a bit like the people who say, "Ooh, visiting Australia would be scary--they have so many of the world's most venomous and dangerous critters!" It's true, but not especially relevant to the everyday lives of most people living there. The fact the we had an incompetent, idiotic bully as president for the past eight years didn't make Denver an unfriendly place to have a WorldCon or Seattle a horrible place to visit or to live. Having Obama in the White House won't make LA any less smoggy or New Yorkers more polite, either, unfortunately.
I'm ecstatic that we voted Obama in; it makes me proud that we are not as small-minded as some predicted. And I do hope that the enthusiasm and "Yes we can" attitude doesn't turn to cynicism too quickly.
But it looks like California is going to overturn the legalization of same-sex marriages, and at least one other state has passed a law defining marriage as only being between one man and one woman. So, we've got a ways to go
Also, something to keep in mind is that the US is not particularly homogeneous; attitudes and cultural climates vary widely between different regions and between cities and rural areas. I live in an area where, in general, people are well-educated, tolerant, and liberal; in other parts of the country, my transgendered friends, Muslim neighbors, and lesbian cousins might not be as accepted--or they might.
I do know we host some pretty good cons, tho :-)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-05 07:05 am (UTC)From:The war on terror stuff just made America hit my too-hard basket.
I know that there's huge variance on a lot of attitudes and stuff, and there's heaps of people I would love to meet if I ever go. Which is now looking more likely.
:-)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-06 07:15 am (UTC)From:That said, I've been to many wonderful places in the US. Perhaps coincidentally, nearly all of them have been in the blue states, and most people I've met have denied voting for Dubya.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-05 06:32 am (UTC)From:If I was going to visit the US again, I'd like to spend a while in various National Parks in the Rocky Mountains.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-07 04:04 am (UTC)From:Zion National Park is my favourite.
no subject
Date: 2008-11-05 07:56 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2008-11-05 08:08 am (UTC)From::-)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-05 05:50 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2008-11-05 05:53 am (UTC)From:You can show me all the yummy places and take me to the local supermarket and I can tell you oddities about aussie food and supermarkets.
:-)
no subject
Date: 2008-11-05 08:19 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2008-11-05 07:49 pm (UTC)From: