This happens quite often. We aren't face to face and the typed word is taken the wrong way. You have stated couple of times now that it doesn't matter how many times I deny it, I have insulted you. Please allow me validate your stand.

Frank, kiss my ***.

(There, I'm done now too.)

 

America

Isn't freedom of speech beautiful!

 

BrotherDave....

Thanks for the compliment and the reprimand !

Yes I was aware of the last few lines and debated whether to include them.
However the last contentious thread I participated in, I found that what I have leaned through life and my profession held very true.

People often do not read accurately....they skim through a post, especially the longer ones, and think they have assimilated the main points.
This was the case previously and I got a little fed up being sidetracked with an issue that was not really in question.

PS Different subject !

My Dear King Ranch is stored in Houston while I am in Europe....trouble is it is in a locked compound outside but under a top quality breathable cover.
However over a time the cover gets torn and if I try to repair tears with duct tape etc. the adhesive starts to creep onto the paint in all that hot summer weather you have.

Any suggestions for good storage facilities?
We always fly into George Bush then drive out on the South West freeway. At the moment the truck is near Westheimer towards the downtown end.

 

One thing that has been overlooked in the previous posts (including mine) is the fact that Americans get the fewest number of vacation days in the industrial world.

As I stated before, I have traveled abroad and plan to again soon; however to do a European trip justice you need at least two weeks-the average ammount a US worker gets after a few years on the job. Most people just find it easier to load up the kids for a long weekend at Disney instead of blowing a years worth of vacation in one shot.

 

Lenticular,

You are free to store your "King's Ranch" in my driveway.
I will even drive it for you on a daily basis to keep it limbered up.

(I always get a chuckle when people call them King's Ranch)

Habibi

 

Nope....sorry....you lost me !

Please explain "King's Ranch"....please elucidate.

 

Wow
Two to English Adam for starting this thread so we can see everybodygetting pissy

AND Raoul getting serious

 

Whoohoo. This has been interesting.
Obviously, I never meant to start any arguments but it has been fun reading the posts.
I was just trying to get a rough idea of your general thoughts on travel.
To be honest, the majority of Americans that I know personally are quite well travelled because I have met them through the oil industry.
However, the few that I also know who are outside the industry probably couldn't point to where they live on a map of the US. It seems like they only see their local weather map and that's it.
If I happen to mention a place or event outside the US, they seem a bit lost and I have to backtrack and explain where Brunei is or suchlike.
Of course, the answer could be that I have dumb friends
Anyway, like someone clever once said, everyone is entitled to their opinions.
If you want to travel, that's great - if you don't want to, that's great too.
So, if anyone comes to England, look me up. I can show you the good parts. We could even day trip to France just to insult them together.

 

You know, my wife laughs at me and accuses me of being addicted to this website. Oh, I argue with her and tell her it's the best place I've found to keep up with the f-150's. BUT, I may have to agree, I am addicted for more than the trucks. Every now and then I trip across a thread like this one. It starts off interesting, some great thoughts. All of a sudden, out of the blue, a word or two that semantics takes on a crazy ride in our minds. Everyone thinks something different, replys fly back and forth. I love it, even if I'm insulted at times, I love it. It gives me a chance to reflect on just how many intelligent, articulate and opinionated people there are out there. I hope none of you every gets so provoked that you leave the site. Each and every one of you would be missed. (Dennis too!)

Oh, by the way, E.A. I don't carry a passport and have only been out of North America for governmental reasons. (Drafted, shipped to 'Nam, with stops in Japan both ways.) My wife and I have toured the US. When we got married we took sabbaticals from our jobs, drained the bank accounts and spent two months traveling the U.S. from north to south and east to west. Best two months of my life, ever. Sometimes I kick myself for this self-imposed isolationism, and other times I break my arm trying to pat myself on the back over staying "home". My wife has traveled Europe extensively and assures me that Public television gives me just as good a view as she had. The only thing missing is the fragrance, personality and interaction with the populus.
Thanks for starting the thread and the enjoyment it has brought all the participants both vocal and silent.

 

I too have enjoyed this topic as well as several other similar ones the last three weeks here in the Gen Dis section. Also am catching heck from the wife.

This enjoyment, though, is also tinged with a bit of sadness and maybe even concern about some of the side issues that have come up here and on the other similar threads.

With respect to travel outside the US, I fully support all of those who prefer to travel here or perhaps not at all out of their local region. This is truly a country of great proportions, great beauty and of course, great wealth and productivity.

That I personally chose a different path and deliberately looked for positions that would allow extensive overseas travel or longer term postings doesn't really make me that much different from the other posters. None of my siblings care to travel at all, once I got done dragging my own kids around the world, they have all settled in one place and do not care to do what I did.

It did make me a better person for myself and enrichened my life far beyond what I had expected. Note here, I say a better person for myself, not better than any single person on this thread or forum. I drink, smoke, swear and occasionally go to the trucker video store I mentioned earlier for a little "education". I got just as many warts and bumps as anybody here.

One thing that I do treasure out of the life of travel I chose is that I have perhaps a little better insight on how great this country really is than some of you who do not seem to want to know what lies outside our borders. Part of that learning experience was a very healthy dose of reality when comparing this country to others in the world. We do not have the highest level of education, the longest life expectancy, the highest per capita income and so on. We also do not have the best medical care system, the best Social Security System and to knock off this bit we also do not have the best state mandated system for vacations as someone else mentioned earlier. Had a mandatory 7 weeks in Sweden and used every day of it.

Now, don't start shooting just yet. All of that costs money and requires individuals to give up a lot of control as regards how the Government is going to plan their lives. Small examples, when we moved to both Sweden and Canada, we all had to go through extensive physical exams and in essence, they fixed everything that we had let go due to the cost to us in the US and Peru. Teeth were fixed, glasses obtained and I spent a week in hospital in Toronto getting a cyst removed from my face. Cost us next to nothing but we had no control over where to go or who was going to do the stuff. Good and bad, I guess.

Sweden and Peru had National Identity cards. No big deal really and they let you access every social facility those countries offered just by showing your card. Those two countries also registered firearms and in Sweden you had to have a lockable cabinet acceptable to the local Police before you could obtain a weapon. And, they inspected those cabinets in your house from time to time. While not so in Peru, in Sweden I never locked the door to my house or my car and I felt safe on the streets of any town or city any hour of the night.

Now, would those items I just mentioned fly in the US. Probably not but they worked for those folks and it was something I could live with from a "cost/benefit" standpoint. It just made me think that with a little work we could adapt perhaps some of those concepts here in our unique "American" way and benefit from it.

My other point is that there have been so many posts from folks here who are obviously not just playing around on the Web but who have a real deep feeling that we should just go it alone in the world. To heck with anyone who does not agree with us, close the borders, stop the trade and so on. That really saddens me. Doesn't make me mad or anything like that, really, just saddens me. We have come so far in trying to make the best life we can here in the States and have expended so many lives and so much energy and money to not only keep all that is good for us but to help any number of other countries have a better life or at least the chance for one. Were we to turn our back on all of that history would to me be a big mistake.

But if we are to continue to try to help both ourselves and the rest of the world (Let us not forget we do have some selfish motives in a lot of this) we have to engage the rest of the world, not isolate ourselves from it. Just to put a fine point on the issue of trade, if, as someone on another thread suggested, we should cut off imports from China my store would close (80% of all toy and hobby items now come from China) all the Targets would close, all the Michael's, all the Hobby Lobbys as well. The tool departments at most of the mass merchandisers would be out of business. All that stuff comes from China now, check the boxes.

Out of gas, out of ideas. Please understand I respect everyone's right to their opinions as always. It is just that I think we have come too far to ignore the rest of the world even if we don't care to travel to it.
Bill

 

Bill....
Nice to see such a well reasoned thoughtful post from you !
Thanks.

English Adam....
Did you take note of the book I mentioned in my longer previous post?
I think you would really enjoy it. You only made a general reply whereas I thought you might be specific to my post.

Also although he is an American author who spent much time in Europe Bill Bryson is a name that has been at the top of the English Best Seller lists for years....many books but firstly "The Lost Continent".
Bill's reaction to returning to the US after many years abroad.
Hilarious but thought provoking.
If any of you have not come across him PLEASE try to read this one book if non of his others !

You won't regret it!!

 

Some of the ideas that Bill has floated sound great on paper, until you get into financing those services. Imagine the amount of tax dollars it would take to implement a better Social Security system, big brother checking on your "papers" and "firearms" periodically, a national ID card, socialized medicine, extended vacations (really sabatticals), and thats just for starters. I personally am one of those people that does not believe in Social Security of any kind. Lower our taxes as a whole and there would be no need for SS of any kind, same with socialized medicine. After 6 days in Europe, I was ready to come back home. God, I could spend the rest of my days just tooling around in Texas or Montana, big sky country. No flame intended.

 

Bravo Bill Murray!

There's a house for sale in the neighborhood, interested?

john

 

If someone wants to live in a Socialist country with all their high tech medical etc for very cheap of free you have many countries to choose from, France comes to mind as does Canada.

Kind of funny how people from all around the world come to America for the serious and major surgery (if they can afford it), funny how many people come to America to start their own business. America does have the highest average per capital income then any other country.

You have to compare it fairly (kind of a liberal term) If Joe makes say $100,000 in France but pays out $60,000 in taxes compared to Pete in America making say $90,000 yet only paying out say $30,000 in taxes is a big difference.

There is NO richer country in the world then America, there is NO other high tech, as America anywhere in the world. The facts suck sometimes, but they remain the facts.

Nothing against anyone who wishes for social programs, but if you want it that bad and think they are so great move to one of many countries that currently have it. There is no reason to have social programs in America it will ONLY bring America down, and personally I do NOT want my money paying for some lazy @ss in America to get something for free which they are quite capable of getting on their own if they actually work.

You want cheaper medical insurance, then there is one solution to help reduce cost get rid of trail lawyers, or limit settlements. If a doctor screws up bad, then after the first time take his/her license away FOREVER. There are ways to make it VERY affordable instead of completely destroying like Hillary wanted to and making it another FAILURE social program.

Look at another great social program failure right here in America, it is called welfare. It gives America the right to say we have the RICHEST poor people in the world. These lazy bastards get to sit on their @ss all day and get a TON of cash, a TON of food for free, not to mention they get free medical and free dental, yep that’s a winner social program if I ever seen it.

I have a great paying job, with good medical benefits yet if I go to the emergency room and its not actually an emergency I pay at least half the cost, and possible all the cost. Not so for the lazy bastards sitting at home watching Ophra they can go every day if they wish to an emergency room and NOT pay a dime. The reason that is possible is because all of us that work PAY FOR IT.

If you want socialist programs that “look” great on the surface yet are the foundation for destroying a country and making advances then go live in a social country like France, or Germany. You will soon learn why socialism in “reality” does not work. They ALL depend on America to bail them out when they run into problems. Why? Because since America does not have as many social programs like theirs we are able to be the wealthiest country, and the most advanced country in the world. Facts are facts and undisputable.

EDIT:

I forgot to add that those who are on welfare should NOT be allowed to have TV at all, no cars etc. They should either have to ride the bus, or ride a bicycle. Make it tough enough and maybe they will get off their lazy @ss and actually work for once...

 

Man if you could get parts from the Tuner Community thru that program, I'd sign up in a heartbeat