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Topic: Travels and Impressions

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betarhoalphadelta

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #896 on: February 23, 2024, 04:02:43 PM »
Ha @Cincydawg !

Actually, the only thing that would be a dealbreaker there would be the FICO score. Although per my original point, if she put nearly any of those into a public dating profile, it would be... weird. 

SuperMario

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #897 on: February 23, 2024, 04:41:22 PM »
Ha @Cincydawg !

Actually, the only thing that would be a dealbreaker there would be the FICO score. Although per my original point, if she put nearly any of those into a public dating profile, it would be... weird.
hahah.. 8-10 might be deal breakers.. but FICO i would have more questions first. Need to see a credit report first to determine it's below 500. Medical collections.. co-sign on a bad debt... now tons of store cards and credit cards with high balances, lates and charge offs, see ya.

FearlessF

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #898 on: February 23, 2024, 05:03:17 PM »
"Courage; Generosity; Fairness; Honor; In these are the true awards of manly sport."

CatsbyAZ

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #899 on: February 24, 2024, 05:07:52 AM »
My experience in continental Europe differs from Catsby and is more akin to CD's.  Working class families only have one car, even in small cities/towns and suburbs that aren't walkable for everything you need, as you'd find in the large cities.

Crime is crazy-- my rental car in Catania, Sicily was stolen right out from in front of the hotel where I'd parked it normally and legally.  When I went to the agency and told them, they just issued me another one.  They warned me if it happened again then I might need to fill out some paperwork.


On the subject of Crime—
America’s underlying ‘drug despair’ causes and reinforces a different reality of crime not readily seen in Europe. America’s drug culture is more deeply rooted. Not only are ‘street drugs’ (heroin, meth) and ‘party drugs’ (cocaine, ecstasy) more prevalent, but Americans are uniquely conditioned into a runaway drug culture through several generations of addictive prescriptions. Benzos, Ambien, Percocet, Adderall, Lexapro – all of which (except Lexapro) are substituted for and cut into street drugs, widening the road to heroin or crack addiction that much more for a decreasingly religious, decreasingly family-strong population. 

America’s drug culture is a primary driver behind the enthused state level legalization of marijuana, something for which there is almost no demand for in Europe.

To those who might counter with Amsterdam’s cannabis bars, the Netherlands has spent decades deemphasizing their cannabis tourism by not granting any new cannabis bar licenses since the 80s. What’s left of Amsterdam’s cannabis tourism is dependent on bars retaining their licenses. By the 90s their cannabis tourists were almost exclusively American or British; the French, Germans, and Russians were more interested in the prostitutes. And by the 2010s much of the American ‘pot tourists’ dropped off once Colorado and others legalized their own cannabis sales.

Nowhere in Europe does city center reek of lingering pot fumes that’s overtaken the downtowns of our Western cities. And outside of a few slums, nowhere in Europe is drug abuse as visible as on street-level America with its increasing overdoses and homelessness.

Take for example my recent morning commute to work. I called an ambulance because of a body in the street. Thankfully he was alive, still in his hospital gown and just discharged from the hospital for an overdose that he was still coming down from.



Cincydawg

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #900 on: February 24, 2024, 06:04:32 AM »
How are things in Portugal vis a vis drugs?

847badgerfan

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #901 on: February 24, 2024, 08:31:49 AM »

On the subject of Crime—
America’s underlying ‘drug despair’ causes and reinforces a different reality of crime not readily seen in Europe. America’s drug culture is more deeply rooted. Not only are ‘street drugs’ (heroin, meth) and ‘party drugs’ (cocaine, ecstasy) more prevalent, but Americans are uniquely conditioned into a runaway drug culture through several generations of addictive prescriptions. Benzos, Ambien, Percocet, Adderall, Lexapro – all of which (except Lexapro) are substituted for and cut into street drugs, widening the road to heroin or crack addiction that much more for a decreasingly religious, decreasingly family-strong population. 

America’s drug culture is a primary driver behind the enthused state level legalization of marijuana, something for which there is almost no demand for in Europe.

To those who might counter with Amsterdam’s cannabis bars, the Netherlands has spent decades deemphasizing their cannabis tourism by not granting any new cannabis bar licenses since the 80s. What’s left of Amsterdam’s cannabis tourism is dependent on bars retaining their licenses. By the 90s their cannabis tourists were almost exclusively American or British; the French, Germans, and Russians were more interested in the prostitutes. And by the 2010s much of the American ‘pot tourists’ dropped off once Colorado and others legalized their own cannabis sales.

Nowhere in Europe does city center reek of lingering pot fumes that’s overtaken the downtowns of our Western cities. And outside of a few slums, nowhere in Europe is drug abuse as visible as on street-level America with its increasing overdoses and homelessness.

Take for example my recent morning commute to work. I called an ambulance because of a body in the street. Thankfully he was alive, still in his hospital gown and just discharged from the hospital for an overdose that he was still coming down from.



Amsterdam's coffee shops. ;)

Great healthcare system.:67:
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CatsbyAZ

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #902 on: February 25, 2024, 02:49:10 AM »
To Generalize the Mindsets—
There’s a subdued yet pervasive pessimism among Europeans that contrasts with the more open optimism of Americans. It’s an optimism that though might fade for an American eventually resigning to their life with similar pessimism, it’s a life more of their own educational and career making, and the same lost optimism can be rediscovered for their children.

From day one Europeans seem more resigned to what they’re born into, be it stagnate economies, unaffordable housing markets, and less upward mobility.

America’s is a religious optimism, a creative optimism, an economic optimism that widens youthful expectations into all sorts of vain pursuits for unrealistic fame and fortunes.

Our vast educational opportunities reinforce this, as do our home grown entertainments that the rest of the world likewise follows – Hollywood, Instagram, NBA; Americans are born into a belief that everybody has a chance at their fifteen minutes of fame.

So where there’s fatalistic resignation in Europe, there’s more of a slowed down awareness and practice to appreciate the smaller things – meeting for coffee, walking the dog, cigars – that’s easily lost in the rush-rush of America.


Cincydawg

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #903 on: February 25, 2024, 08:12:56 AM »
To Generalize the Mindsets—
There’s a subdued yet pervasive pessimism among Europeans that contrasts with the more open optimism of Americans.
I had never quite articulated that as well as this, but I agree.

Cincydawg

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #904 on: February 25, 2024, 08:39:30 AM »
My wife and I chat often about "where we want to go next", beyond driving trips that is.  She is saying a cruise to the Greek isles, which is "OK" with me, wouldn't be my top choice, but fine.  Our friend says South Africa is really worth seeing and we have a direct flight there, I worry about security (duh), he says it's fine.  I have another friend who is from SA and he says it's mostly OK also, and really interesting, he would arrange to meet us there.

India is somewhere on my list, my kids have been (to a wedding).  I hear neat things about Iceland, which would be pretty easy to do.  I've never been to eastern Canada.  My wife lived in Montreal for 6 months way back.  Then there is Australia/NZ, and SE Asia in general.  I hear Norway is pretty neat.  

The Greek cruise leaves from Rome, so if we did that, I'd probably arrange a week or so in Rome.  Our next big trip is probably Istanbul in September, I have not booked that yet.


847badgerfan

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #905 on: February 25, 2024, 08:57:25 AM »
You don't need a week in Rome, honestly. 3 days would be fine.

Spend some time on the train and hit Florence. Need two weeks for that place.

Oh, and Civitavecchia is a pretty neat place itself.

We stay at this place when we go.

The house by the sea - B&B Civitavecchia (lacasasulmare.net)
The house by the sea - B&B Civitavecchia (lacasasulmare.net)
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Cincydawg

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #906 on: February 25, 2024, 09:13:31 AM »
Yeah, I think we'd do Florence also, as part of said week or so.  Our crazy Turk friend goes there once a year and knows Rome well and has two close friends who live there, we'd want to link up with them to see "Rome".

He'll be in Turkey and meet us in Istanbul.  I'm musing about a flight to Rome, then Athens, then Istanbul, then back to Rome.  Living here, we have a lot of flight choices that are direct, which was a factor in moving here.  I think there are five daily flights to Paris direct from here.


betarhoalphadelta

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #907 on: February 25, 2024, 10:10:11 AM »
To Generalize the Mindsets—
There’s a subdued yet pervasive pessimism among Europeans that contrasts with the more open optimism of Americans. It’s an optimism that though might fade for an American eventually resigning to their life with similar pessimism, it’s a life more of their own educational and career making, and the same lost optimism can be rediscovered for their children.

From day one Europeans seem more resigned to what they’re born into, be it stagnate economies, unaffordable housing markets, and less upward mobility.

America’s is a religious optimism, a creative optimism, an economic optimism that widens youthful expectations into all sorts of vain pursuits for unrealistic fame and fortunes.
Tommy Tiernan, an Irish comedian, has a great bit on this. Starts at the 0:52 mark.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOlE6tLvXgU

Cincydawg

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #908 on: February 25, 2024, 10:15:47 AM »
Europeans, at least the French and Italians, are often very sensitive about style in clothing, shoes, hair, appearances.  I wonder if that focus is related to this generalization.  My best efforts to "look European" fall short.

They spend a lot of effort on this, not just the women.  My wife gets a bit annoyed with me when I wear sweats around the house, and out.  She's sorta learned it's part of the deal.

I'm wearing sweats now FYI.

847badgerfan

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Re: Travels and Impressions
« Reply #909 on: February 25, 2024, 10:20:24 AM »
Europeans, at least the French and Italians, are often very sensitive about style in clothing, shoes, hair, appearances.  I wonder if that focus is related to this generalization.  My best efforts to "look European" fall short.

They spend a lot of effort on this, not just the women.  My wife gets a bit annoyed with me when I wear sweats around the house, and out.  She's sorta learned it's part of the deal.

I'm wearing sweats now FYI.
Can't speak to the French, but yeah, Italians go all out in most places. Ironically, Florence is not of those places. Actually, none of Tuscany is. Now, go to Venice, Milan, Rome, Genoa, Naples, etc. and yes. I think they spend more money on clothing than anything else.
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