140 characters from losing my American citizenship

Burning Petard · Post by **Burning Petard** » Sun Oct 01, 2017 10:38 pm

Well yes, the headline is click bait. Posted here because it is from the travel section of the NY Times today. About a naturalized citizen, Muslim, who decided to tour the parts of American that are said to be less than friendly to her type.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/trav ... ctionfront

Made me want to visit Minneapolis-St. Paul, even if Garrison Kellor is no longer hanging out there on Saturday night. Love the closing: "there's alot about America that's already pretty darn great."

snailgate

Bicycle Bill · Post by **Bicycle Bill** » Sun Oct 01, 2017 11:39 pm

Being from that same general geographic area (I'm actually from Wisconsin, which is what Minnesota wishes it could be) I can vouch for the fact that, even without Mr. Keillor still performing weekly at the Fitzgerald Theater, the Midwest is still a great place to visit.

-"BB"-

dales · Post by **dales** » Mon Oct 02, 2017 1:40 am

the Midwest is still a great place to visit...

Not to live, so much.

RayThom · Post by **RayThom** » Mon Oct 02, 2017 4:07 am

Garrison Kellor? My parents thought he was the cat's pajamas.

Kellor's dull monotonous tone was sooo distracting. However, since Chris Thile began hosting PHC I've started listening with more often. I like the "Mountain Stage" (NPR) feel it now has rather than that tired "Woebegan" one.

Econoline · Post by **Econoline** » Mon Oct 02, 2017 11:49 am

dales wrote:
the Midwest is still a great place to visit...
Not to live, so much.

As a native midwesterner, I feel pretty much the same way about California.

Burning Petard · Post by **Burning Petard** » Mon Oct 02, 2017 3:38 pm

But the linked essay establishes that Minn/St Paul is NOT midWest--and just as cosmopolitan as San Francisco.

snailgate.

Econoline · Post by **Econoline** » Mon Oct 02, 2017 7:15 pm

Actually quite a few sources do make a distinction between "The Midwest" and "The Great Lakes". And even if you allow an expansive definition of "midwest" that includes both, it's obvious that Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, plus northern Illinois, northern Indiana, and northern Ohio constitute a distinct sub-region. And the "cosmopolitan" aspect has much more to do with the city/suburb/rural divide than any regional characteristics.

rubato · Post by **rubato** » Mon Oct 02, 2017 11:19 pm

Econoline wrote:
dales wrote:
the Midwest is still a great place to visit...
Not to live, so much.

As a native midwesterner, I feel pretty much the same way about California.

You're right. The idyllic weather; year round. The beautiful, athletic, slender women. Sun, surf, alpine skiing, rock climbing. (after Oregon) the best beer in America. No, I take it back, North Coast Brewry in Ft Bragg is better than Oregon. It makes us all soft, lazy and remarkably happy. You need the pain, hardship, desperate struggle for life that you get in the Midwest to appreciate the little things like recovering from tick borne diseases and the itch of mosquito bites and saving that last toe from frostbite.

Yrs,
Rubato

dales · Post by **dales** » Tue Oct 03, 2017 12:35 am

My mom and dad moved from the Midwest and settled in SF in 1948 and NEVER LOOKED BACK.

I recall visiting relatives in Wisconsin back in the day. Cold in the winter and humid mosquito filled nights in the summer. No thanks.

The forward-thinking people headed west.

Long Run · Post by **Long Run** » Tue Oct 03, 2017 12:40 am

California is awesome, but I have enjoyed my visits to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

I know different people have different ideas of what is the Midwest, but:

The Census Bureau's definition consists of 12 states in the north central United States: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

As noted, the big differences are based on the urban/rural distinction.

dales · Post by **dales** » Tue Oct 03, 2017 1:14 am

The key word being VISITS.

I enjoyed visiting my relatives in Wisconsin (but was so glad I didn't have to live there).

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