I see zombies.
bump
We have 4.5 % unemployment, mainly because of the oil industry and the Bakken/Three Forks activity in the region. We don't have enough housing to go around, and it is too cold to be homeless or live in a vehicle here.
There are lots of 'for sale' signs in front of houses, but the prices are the highest they have ever been; these are not foreclosures but people 'cashing in' on a very tight market.
I have heard a lot of people complain bitterly about the Congress, the Federal Government's spending, and "healthcare". I have heard the 'n' word more times in the past year than in all the time I lived in North Dakota, although it isn't aimed at the black people who are here working, rather a very few specific individuals who have by their infamous activities (especially of late) arguably earned the vitriol which is spat in their direction.
No threats of violence, but disgust and concern over the direction these idiots in D.C. are taking us all, the economy and the value of the hard-earned dollars people are trying to put away.
The same things they’ve always talked about just more heatedly. I was at a cocktail party tonight, and of course the health care bill came up. As could be expected, it was divided almost equally, if not equally, except this time it got a little out of hand, and folks (on both sides) started behaving rudely, loudly, and were otherwise obnoxiously disagreeing. Skipping to the conclusion, it ended early and no one’s mind was changed.
Start with your “About” page.
In my San Francisco neighborhood:
-2 empty storefronts for lease on every block
-someone’s trying to get another pot dispensary ok’d by the Planning commission
-public transit prices have doubled
-gas is way up over $3 a gallon
-bridge tolls keep rising
-the roadways are 3rd world status
-a poor 83 year old Chinese man was kicked to death by 6 black youths, no provocation (he was going to visit his wife in a nursing home, took the bus) i.e., there is definitely racial tension to the point of murder in some neighborhoods
-we have a “health tax” added to our restaurant bills
-parking tickets are like $75 and there is no shortage of meter maids, if you can find a spot
-property values have gone down about 30%
-they’ve started charging for rec and park kids’ classes that used to be free
-”big box” stores like Home Depot are being refused by city planning folks (I guess we just get too many taxes. . .)
-there are derelicts and homeless and crazy pretty consistently out in public
On the positive side, there is very little Obama propaganda out any more (it used to be everywhere), Chinese food is still cheap, the weather is mild, many neighbors are decent, you can find anything you could want in the stores (shopping is fantastic here), there are some solid if small churches that are even actually truly inter-racial, Sen. Boxer has a poor outlook for her upcoming re-coronation, there are wonderful music and performance venues and acts, and ROTC is back in public schools, although only 70% of the kids go to public schools any more.