Can I JUST live in a normal place, please????

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

I've been re-watching one of my favorite comedies ever, a British comedy called "Absolutely Fabulous."

The jokes in that show are meant to be over the top, to be sure, but I'm constantly struck by how many differences there are between British and American culture.

In general, a lot less being hung up about things is the biggest differences, but there are others, too.

It makes me really sad, and wishing I could live in a place where people were freer to just live their lives and where people could live BETTER lives.

Disclaimer: I know no country is perfect, but I do think ours has slipped considerably in the last who knows how many years. And we seemed to have hit an icy patch and are traveling downwards quite rapidly now.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

1. I agree completely.

I just keep praying things will get better.
Duckie

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

11. I just look at other countries

and I want to yell to everyone:

"LOOK!!! They don't FREAK out over gays or abortion! They don't FREAK out over guns! They don't cram religion down everyone's throat! They aren't so puckered up they can't even sit right! And they're OKAY!!!! They haven't destroyed themselves, civilization has NOT collapsed, in fact, they are on the whole HAPPIER than we are!"

Ug.

[candy]

2. I feel more comfortable in London than I do in some parts of-------

this country. I live in the Boston area so that may explain it.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

9. Yep

Sad fact: I've never been out of the US. I am 34 years old.

[candy]

13. I was never out of the country(except for Canada)until I was-------

in my fifties----Five kids to raise and educate and then I was free at last!

You have plenty of time.

[Lady Effingbroke]

17. I have never been outside of the country either, and I am also 34.

If I do travel outside the US, I ain't buying a round-trip ticket!

[GOPisEvil]

18. I was born overseas, but I've been in the US since I was 4.

If I ever make plans to go abroad, I'll BUY a round trip ticket, so I don't arouse suspicions, but I might not USE the return trip. :D

[Lady Effingbroke]

22. Exactly!

One way tickets are looked upon suspiciously these days, aren't they? I haven't flown since August 2001. Things have changed since then.:-( (My mother has flown many times since 9/11, and I've heard plenty of stories).

[GOPisEvil]

25. Especially if you are going to some commie country, like France.

;-)

[bigwillq]

3. Ab Fab is awesome!

Those girls are just crazy, crazy.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

7. Sweetie Darling

Sweetie Darling Sweetie Darling Sweetie Darling

[bigwillq]

10. LOL!

Did you see that episode of "Roseanne" when the Ab Fab girls were on?

It was I think during the last season when the Connors won the lotto.

It was a riot that episode.

[DeepGreen]

4. Have you ever lived in the forest ?

That thought has crossed my mind. I am mostly recluse anyway.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

5. I'm so not a recluse

I could live in a huge city, no problem. I love being surrounded by humanity. Though I DO love getting away from it all and soaking up the beauty of nature, on a day to day basis, I need to live near a load of people.

I could live in NYC or London in a heartbeat, no problem. And I'd frigging love it.

[cali]

6. I don't know where you live,

but much as I love England, I'd still rather live in Vermont. In fact, I can't really imagine living anywhere else, even Canada or New Zealand.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

8. I'd take Vermont

I live in Texas.

[Lady Effingbroke]

19. I've lived in Texas since 1977.

I am so ready to blaze a trail outta this state, at least for a while, (maybe a long while, maybe forever.)

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

21. I've lived in Texas since 1970

with a few years in my 20s in (get this) Georgia and Alabama. Then it was straight back to Texas.

Yeah.

Sigh.

[Lady Effingbroke]

24. You poor thing!

Sigh. doesn't begin to cover it! :hug:s to everyone living in this humidity-drenched bass-ackards mosquito-infested swamp! Texas - bleh! (and if I wasn't so effin' broke, I'd be gone YESTERDAY)!

I whine and complain, but it is cheap to live here.

[GOPisEvil]

26. I've only been here since 1980.

I am an amateur. :D

[Sabriel]

12. Same with Canadian TV

It's nice to be treated like a thinking adult. Very refreshing.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

14. Yes!

That's exactly what I'm talking about! It's like republicans don't TRUST other adults to make decisions for themselves and I'm tired of being treated like a freaking BABY by the government, who imagines themselves to be our "daddy" or something.

They used to make fun of the notion of the "nanny state" but heck we've got the "daddy state" going on right now and it completely sucks.

[nytemare]

15. Jennifer Saunders who plays "Edina"

was the voice for the Fairy Godmother in Shreck 2. The animated character looked like her in the face too. Very funny.

AbFab is great, I love British comedy. Rowan Atkinson "MrBean" and Monty Python are the best!!

[GOPisEvil]

16. God, wouldn't that be nice?

I've lived in Texas FAR too long.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

20. Let's fantasize for a moment, shall we?

Imagine it: a place where people care about the air and water.

A place where no one cares what you do in your bedroom, as long as both (or all?) parties are consenting adults.

A place where people realize sex is just a natural part of being human, and as such, they educate their children well, aren't hung up on it and no adult acts like an uptight 11 year old about it.

A place where you really DO feel free to say whatever you want.

A place where you can declare yourself a liberal, a socialist, a communist, a Martian, a Druid, WHATEVER, and no one bats an eye.

A place where no one cares what religion you are, or if you "are" any religion at all.

A place where every parent can take their sick child to the doctor.

A place where there is no death penalty.

A place where corporations don't rule and run society.

A place where everyone doesn't worhip the one True God--the Dollar.

A place where public schools are actually fully funded and supported.

A place where the press really is free and is still a watchdog.

Does that place exist?

[GOPisEvil]

23. Utopia is just a town in Texas.

:7

A lot of Western Europe is like that to a larger degree than here in the US.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

27. Exactly

and a place like that certainly wouldn't be perfect. But I don't expect perfection, I just want to breathe a bit easier.

(PS My peeps have been in TX for SIX generations. It's time to go, I think. My cousins are still here to carry on.)

[Lady Effingbroke]

28. OK, that's it!

Me and M_S and GOPisEvil are running away to somewhere at least halfway sane. Anyone have any suggestions for countries? :shrug:

[GOPisEvil]

29. When we get there, I can claim dual citizenship (US and Greece)...

...I can settle anywhere in the EU, I think. I need to consult an immigration attorney to make sure.

[Lady Effingbroke]

30. OK, let's go!

Seriously, I could leave this town in my rearview mirror and never look back!

[GOPisEvil]

33. I like this town...but I can be persuaded to leave Texas in a heartbeat.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

32. Hell

I'd settle for a blue part of the US at this point. It's GOT to be better. To all you fellow Texan DUers out there, I don't mean to bash our state. I think we've been here so long, it's genetically encoded in my DNA. But I've watched things go from bad to worse, and I'm finally waking up to the fact that not everywhere is like this. And I want some of that.

Long may I dream, I can't afford to move. So I'm going to just start making myself happier here for now. Speaking out and working for change, every way and any way I can. Like someone said on DU once, working on my little corner of the world.

I make no gaurantees about staying here for the long-haul, though. In fact, I can say with confidence Mr. Moonbeam and I aren't staying here once our daughter graduates from high school or college. So there is an end I can look forward to. Then it'll be Portland, Oregon, here we come!

[Lady Effingbroke]

35. My best friend from high school lives in Portland,

and she says she ain't coming back to Texas!

I'm afraid if I go visit her, I won't either. Oh, well.

[Misunderestimator]

31. I've been thinking that myself... all my life I've believed the US to be

the best country on earth in which to live. (On edit... and I've visited and lived in several countries.) There are pros and cons of course, but adding them all up equalled this country being the best.

Since Bush came to power, we have swiftly been robbed one by one of all the pros so that the cons now begin to outweigh the pros. And not only that, we can already see even more pros (freedoms/rights) at risk of being demolished as well. Now there are MANY countries that add up to a much better life than the US. I never thought I would ever think that... but there it is. Thanks, Dubya.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

34. Me, either.

:cry:

I just finished reading "Hoax: How the American People Buy White House Lies" by Nicholas Von Hoffman and it is freaking EYE-OPENING.

I've been pretty ashamed of my country ever since March 19, 2003. And I HATE that his actions have caused me to feel that way about this place. Hate it.

[The Backlash Cometh]

36. That's my dream too.