Lew Hodgett said:

"Greg G." wrote:

As do I. Mostly because of where I live, though.

Many years ago, an associate had to spend a week in Gainesville, GA,
then the "Chickin Pickin Capitol" of the world.

Upon his return, he mused, "If the world needs an enema, I know where
the good lord will put the hose"

Somehow, that thought seems still current when referring to the SE
area of the US.

As someone recently commented on the possibility of Pete Carroll, USC
football coach, going to the Atlanta Falcons to become head coach,
"Why would he go to Atlanta?"

Seems like a valid question.

Boy, I'll tell you - it's a hell of a situation to be in. I grew up
here, born of transplanted parents. Atlanta used to be quite the
exception to the rule for the south - very progressive. The current
political climate combined with the influx of profiteers has damaged
much of that. Engineers from MIT and Chicago had more of an influence
over my youth than your average southerner.

Most of my contacts and girlfriends were northern transplants due to
the growing regional influence of "Terminus". My customers were
mostly well educated, well-oiled CEO's and professors from the north
and Europe. One of my friends from childhood is a microbiology prof
at a TN college, another used to be the head of the nuclear physics
department in Florida. Add a German/Canadian garage owner, a French
shopkeeper, an Iranian mechanic, a fireman and an electronics tech
from Afghanistan, and a couple of Indian programmers. Yet the first
time I ventured out of the metro Atlanta area, I was appalled at the
thinking, or lack thereof, that I found. It isn't that the people are
evil, but they are fearful of the unknown, and not well educated.
Being a white dude from GA, however, they would invite you to dinner,
and take you fishing. Generally, they go to work and are honest. But
inevitably, the classic stereotypes would rear their ugly heads.

I know smart people and utter asshats of every color and nationality.
If I could be considered a bigot about anything, it is arrogant,
baseless xenophobia - and there is certainly a lot of that left here.
It is still 1865 in many parts of the south, and these maggot southern
politicos stoke and feed off of it. They used to call Atlanta the LA
of the south, but it's seeming more like Lower Alabama these days...

So, Lew, to (finally) answer your query, "For the money".
(Or perhaps to participte in dog fights?)


Greg G.