The "THINK" topic

[Raptor]

This is an offshoot from the "Philadelphia (school) Experiment" I mentioned in the School thread.

QUESTION: What's a "big issue" facing you or your community?

Simply post it and give your interpretations of the problem, conflict or whatever. Everyone else, mull it over and get to discussing it. Cite precedents, references, personal experiences or whatever could be used to improve the situation.

It's "make a difference" time and YOUR turn.

[EternalMothra]

Well, there is a big issue in my town about allowing any more fast food restauraunts in or not. And we already have like 30 of them. (this is a small town by the way)

Well, anyway, I don't think there should be, true there would be a better economy in the town, but citizens are attracted by variety, not everybody wants to work at a fast food restaurant.

[Cookson]

So you have 30 restaraunts in your town and they want more?.....Now that's just silly. It doesnt help the "health issue" the media has been talking about.

[EternalMothra]

I agree. But that is my town for you......they are high on fast food.

[Raptor]

I can't for the life of me think of 30 varieties of fast food... What is the population of your town, EM? That is usually a good indicator of how many might could be supported. For our town of about 15,000, we have two McDonald's, one off each Interstate exit. Subway also has both exits covered while others are one-offs.
I gather by "fast food", we're talking about feeding spots with drive-thru service and not reaching in an on-site fridge or brown bag? ;) That's about the "quickest" way to get some grub I can think of.
Who is it that is not wanting more such places opening? Our Mayor who is up for re-election (against some stiff competition, thank goodness!) made a statement that "The proposed drag strip and 'gentleman's club' are the biggest issues in the mayoral race" so it helps to know where people are coming from up front.
It doesnt help the "health issue" the media has been talking about.Has the media really ever helped with ANY issue, even "non-issues"? You got a weight problem, quit stuffing so much chow in your pie hole. Simple as that. While we're at it, how come we keep hearing about so many senior citizens not having ENOUGH to eat, especially from groups running food pantries and such? We have another incidence of "turf wars" where a church group or such isn't going to try and get someone qualified for Food Stamps because it would make THEIR efforts redundant? Kind of like having 3 Chinese restaurants on the East End. Open the next feeding spot of whatever kind down Division for where the West Enders live. And don't forget all the commuters heading south to the jobs that ended up in Osceola.
Around an industrial park, downtown offices, etc. there is a MARKET for a change of pace from what you can pick up out of a vending machine or at the gas-n-go truck stops, even if some of them have some great specialties like fried chicken and such. Burger King got a great spot right next to the Wally World but isn't open 24/7. Skinny's Dinner (don't ask!) is but it isn't Denny's by a long shot. BTW, the guys at the Highway Dep't. and mills don't go ANYWHERE for "rabbit food"... :laugh: At the same time, not many of us care to eat at a certain local "big wig's" Perkins. That Skinny's would have been on the town side of the Interstate if not for him. That's a situation where "competition" might be a concern, not "health problems".

[Shin lvl2 Goji]

My town has had a debate going for years about expansion and building new roads with people continually opposing it because they want to keep it as their small hometown. Yeah, that'd be nice and all, but the reality is that it's become so overcrowded and there's only one main road in or out, so we need to expand. If we had a disaster, it would be murder to get out of town. Also the same group has been crusading against businesses like Walmart or Home Depot coming into town. We've always had to travel 10 miles north or south out of town just to get to any major stores. To top it off, we do have space to build on that doesn't destroy the natural habitat.

The town meetings are broadcasted on tv, so even if you don't go to them, you can stay up to date with what's going on. It's pretty funny sometimes when you get to hear the mayor say "If you don't like it, may I suggest you move to Wyoming to commune with the buffalo". Very slowly they're moving ahead anyway, but it's still being made difficult.

[Raptor]

You mentioned a key word here: REALITY. "They" want to keep "their small hometown"? Maybe they need to look at other places that have NOT kept up with things.
That is a very good point about needing better access. Logistics has many uses, from getting everyday necessities to getting out of the way of disasters. What do fire fighters and ambulance drivers think of the road system? Say a tornado hit out there. Quite possible, depending on what part of Texas you're in.
As I asked in another situation, what is the population there? And its make-up? I gather it attracted Home Depot's and Wal-Mart's attention. We got our Lowe's because of the good ol' "50 mile radius" way of figuring where the customers might be. At the same time, if you're caught between two such locations, how does it impact the people living there, especially those who might not drive? Have public transportation of any sort?
Getting "overcrowded"? What is it that ATTRACTS more people to the area? Places with serious outflight might need to look at your town and realize it's time to (finally) stop the bleeding. It's pretty funny sometimes when you get to hear the mayor say "If you don't like it, may I suggest you move to Wyoming to commune with the buffalo". Very slowly they're moving ahead anyway, but it's still being made difficult.And THAT sounds like a MAJOR part of the problem. Is this an election year, by any chance? ;)

[godofPH]

My smalltown is really Homophobic, what should I do about this?

Here is a small rundown of whats going down. A few kids came out of the closet, and are suddenly being treated like leppers and are being harassed about their sexuality.

[Raptor]

My smalltown is really Homophobic, what should I do about this?What would you LIKE to do about it?

A few kids came out of the closet, and are suddenly being treated like leppers and are being harassed about their sexuality.You say "kids". Don't forget that "sexuality" doesn't kick into play until a certain age is attained. How did they determine they were of a certain persausion to begin with?
I also find it strange that in light of what you said about the area, they still let their "status" be known. Several days ago, a local wrote a letter to the editor about Wal-Mart's policy regarding same-sex relationships, advocating boycotting the place because it apparently doesn't jive with HIS views on the subject. And how, may I ask, does other people's relationships impact his or anyone else's life, other than maybe get his Underoos in a bunch?
It's like a recent discussion two of us had (smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt) about not embracing the Christian religion as the "ONLY" faith, answer or whatever. Not the principles so much as a particular church. Pretty much: If you're not a Baptist, you're gonna burn (or whatever). Sound familiar?
Beliefs are one thing but you mention harassment. It's against the law to various degrees. If it's at the level of a hate crime, someone could be messing with the Feds. Rather convenient that I mentioned religious persecution, I think. There was a recent case where I believe a Muslim had a rough go with his neighbors and guess what? They stepped over the line BIG TIME.

[yargh]

This is a great topic Raptor:thumbs:. You are very smart and wise to bring this to our attention.

[Raptor]

I'm not presenting anything new or unique here. On a daily basis, we have to make a LOT of decisions. The more informed they are, the better your chances of a positive outcome. Even what sounds like a trip down the yellow brick road at first can quickly become a major wash-out - with no U-turns possible!
All too often, there is a wilful lack of information provided, like the city claiming there's "a computer problem" when one requests a MANDATED financial/budget statement. Maybe they don't want the citizens to know that some pet project is losing money? Or there are line items for stuff that doesn't exist? ;)
I believe we're far better off getting TOO MUCH information rather than not enough. Here's a key to presenting ANY really usable piece of information. Look for it in any newspaper article: WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY and HOW. Now we can easily see why a statement such as, "That sucks!" doesn't really say anything at all.

[Raptor]

Here's a little something I found on ABC.com while checking out their coverage of the Montreal incident. Although titled, "Stay Safe in a School Shooting (http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2432104&page=1)", it can be applied about anywhere, especially frequently visited places. It's the old "What are you gonna do if there's an earthquake/tornado or other emergency" deal.
Think of it this way: What do the profiles of these type wackos look like? Who or what are they likely to target? Copy cats? Good possibility because they don't seem to be very creative in other problem solving situations.
How about those who might be on their hit list, especially after checking out that link? ;)

[Raptor]

Full circle (http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=2449483&page=1). If you're into Prussian Blue and its twin teen separatists, you might find this interesting. Same goes with advocates of other stuff from religion on down.

[Raptor]

Identity theft (http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0130/p13s01-wmgn.html?s=widep). The possibility of it is very real, as the recent illegal aliens raids showed. Ever lost your wallet or ID material? Recall voting scandals where the deceased somehow manage to cast ballots? You don't even have to be 18 to get hit by fraud.
As suggested, EVERYONE might want to get a FREE ANNUALcredit check. As I'm seeing it, that can be a citizen's most useful preventative measure until the government gets its act together technology and legal wise.

[Raptor]

A "solution (http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070331/LOCAL/703310352)" to homelessness? The SHORT (http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=6313602) version you'll probably get on your local TV news. Notice the more extensive report mentions "It works for 'Frisco (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/30/BAGKDOUM4H1.DTL&feed=rss.bayarea)..." From there, check some further info from HERE (http://www.endhomelessness.org/).
This appears to be another of those "cure" approaches rather than PREVENTION.
One facet that bugs me is "street kids", JUVENILES if you will, for which about every state has very precise oversight, yet here you get these appeals from various shelters seeking support for their "mission" to serve these kids.
Another large population is military veterans. Again, isn't the "government" falling short? Who knows more about ex-military members than the VA?
As for issuing bus tickets in this case, I'm hoping those caseworkers are asking WHY all these "support systems" weren't available when their client first hit the road. Of course, that comes under the preventative approach to problem solving...
As we did with the first topic posted, what do you all think contributes to homelessness and how to deal with those situations?

ADDITIONAL: I knew this (http://www.worldmag.com/articles/12790) is how several well known cities approach it, what I call the "Ivory Tower View". Those annual population counts? Same problem: The volunteers aren't told where/what to look for when it comes to the smaller towns so the tally can be falsely low if it's temperate weather out.

WHOA (http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070327/LOCAL/703270351/-1/rss)! DESPITE what the Mayor said, there's no denying that this little stunt looks a lot more like Dallas than Frisco (and I don't mean the TEXAS town by that name)! :angry:

Being homeless can actually be "ILLEGAL" (http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/crimreport2004/meanestcities.html) in a lot of instances.

[Raptor]

Anyone listen to Don Imus on the radio? Seems he made a MAJOR boo-boo (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17997908/site/newsweek/) running his mouth. What I don't get is this "we" in his apology when HE was the one who messed up.

[Gorjirus]

^I don't see what was wrong with what he said.

What happened to free speech when you could say what you thought? What happened to opinions?

[Raptor]

"PC" for one thing. Thin skins also comes to mind. ;)

[Neo-Crucifer]

And how the hell is his opinion "racist?"


Genuinely curious.

[Morgoth]

My state needs to stop allowing Californians into it. Many more idiotic laws and it'll be just like the People's Republic of California only without a beach. Case in point, a new bombastic anti-smoking law that requires you to be 15 feet away from the entrance to a building. Here's where the PC Californian crap really kicks in - as part of the law they hire 500 more peace officers whose only job is to drive around with a football-ref measuring chain and try to catch smokers! Wow, so much more important than border enforcement or busting up meth labs!

[Gorjirus]

Hm. Some Ky cities and counties have anti-smoking laws (thank you councils), but we don't have any "peace officers" who patrol.

[Raptor]

I had initially thought of posting this article about artifical tanning (http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Health/story?id=3144868&page=1) in the Science & Technology forum but its also about Stupid Human Tricks.
First off, everyone is admonished to travel, get out and exercise but stay out of the sun. Then some insecure Barbie doll type discovered it's not "attractive" to appear au naturel or however you spell it. Turns out these contraptions aren't as safe as you're led to believe but you can find them about everywhere. One gal has them at a LAUNDROMAT! :eh: Yes, it's a small one-stop light (flashing yellow) REDUCE SPEED ZONE but still...
I'm surprised the Chicken Little types haven't bugged everyone who works outside to "Get out of the sun! It can kill you!" Maybe they got their brains fried laying in these toasters, judging from the looks of some of them.
When you think of it, reconstructive surgery is one of those modern marvels that can do some wonderful things for people. Thing is, many of those places also have a handy "Aesthetician" on staff. Remember The New You in LOGAN'S RUN? THAT was a lot more easy to accept than some of the promotional pics and models of over-inflated lips (and other body parts) these pseudo-docs display. Anyone in the Halloween business, the nearest clinic should have some great "inspiration" if a certain one in Jonesboro is any indication! :p
Bottom line seems to be they're all in cahoots in yet another vicious circle of our misguided modern society... "To die for" can take on a whole new meaning if you're not careful.

[Raptor]

Maybe a little mundane for a sci fi/fantasy forum but we still have to deal with the real world, eh? ;)
It is my belief that the sooner one gets started on some things, the better. There is no "road map" or check list they issue you when you get out of school or reach a certain age but there are aspects of life you can't ignore. SHELTER is one of them. I would say getting a home is one of the biggest goals on anyone's list once you've decided where you want to live. Our sense of COMMUNITY also comes into play.
There is a lot of good information in this (http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=6714077) article. Sam also can "demystify" about any of life's many challenges because he is familiar with the TOOLS that are available to work with. The EOC has MONTHLY sessions to let folks know how they can get on course to getting a home of their own but it takes COMMITMENT, maybe two YEARS before you sign all the paperwork but you can bet it was a truly joyous celebration on Circle Drive. This is actually a 3-sided street down 61 past the community college with fields behind it. It also has one of the most active Neighborhood Watch groups (formed just a year ago). One of our long-serving Aldermen lives there. It's quiet.
On a related note, Arkansas (http://www.kait8.com/Global/story.asp?S=6721827) census figures. Big city (http://www.infozine.com/news/stories/op/storiesView/sid/23822/) decline. This is dated but many latched onto the idea of a better quality of life and we see these (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,287074,00.html) figures.
You can bet about EVERY town and city is looking at this but at some point, everyone needs to figure out where they might want to settle down. It is nice not having someone walking over your ceiling!
Got "qualms" about talking to an EOC or Community Action Agency? Forget the ego USE the resources out there. It might not be as glitzy as an "infomercial"/get-rich-quick scheme or a hand-out but it WORKS. WE support these programs with our taxes so at least check them out.

[Raptor]

A tragedy in Arizona (http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/03/arizona.mine.ap/index.html). Further (http://www.kpho.com/news/14032022/detail.html?cnn=yes). I iimmediately cued on the riding at night thing and when you consider the potential hazards of the area, it only got worse.
Off-roading in various forms is a great actiivity but know what's out there.
A 3-wheeler? Isn't this a particularly hard to control version for about anyone, much less young kids? I forget the lay of the land around Kingman but am guessing it's not Moon Valley.

[Raptor]

Nebraska State Senator Sues God (http://www.topix.net/content/ap/2007/09/nebraska-state-senator-sues-god-2)


Look this over not so much as a frivilous lawsuit but what merits such a suit might stand on, "proving" or disproving the accusations, etc.

YOU BE THE JURY. :laugh:

[Goji Son]

Well, he does have a point...

[Raptor]

This reaffirms why I make very clear distinction that I am only Left in ideas of economics and foreign policy, but still Conservative on social issues...What does that have to do with the suit? Let's stay focused for a change.
For a minute there, I thought it was one of Doc's posts. :p

[Raptor]

God apparently now has a lawyer (http://www.topix.net/content/ap/2007/09/god-apparently-responds-to-lawsuit-2).

[Goji Son]

"'I created man and woman with free will and next to the promise of immortal life, free will is my greatest gift to you,' according to the response, as read by Friend"

But given our free will we should still have a right to sue God. I want to sue someone so I can sue God.

[Godzilla]

God apparently now has a lawyer (http://www.topix.net/content/ap/2007/09/god-apparently-responds-to-lawsuit-2).

I like how the guy in the picture has the fan positioned right behind his head, like he is a saint or holy or somethin'. I wonder if they did that on purpose....or maybe God gave it as a sign o.O

[Gorjirus]

"'I created man and woman with free will and next to the promise of immortal life, free will is my greatest gift to you,' according to the response, as read by Friend"

But given our free will we should still have a right to sue God. I want to sue someone so I can sue God.

Why sue God?

Everyone knows Bill Gates has more money than God.

[Hybrid Gojira]

Because God is "responsible for man's suffering." Oops, so is Bill Gates - he made microsoft.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Why sue God?

Everyone knows Bill Gates has more money than God.
Bull. The Catholic Church alone has atleast double the money that Gates does.

[Raptor]

Anyone listen to Don Imus on the radio? Seems he made a MAJOR boo-boo (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17997908/site/newsweek/) running his mouth.And he could be back on the air (http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=490075). Be sure to read this side bar (http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=491130) also. BOYCOTT sounds good for any prospective sponsors. :darklord: