Rotting in Paradise

Hello I love ATS i have been around this site for years. Havent had the time to really sit down and make an account and join in on the discussions. Just check out the headlines and so forth. So i guess since we're in introductions. I will explain not who I am. Who I am is just another person like others. But Why I am is the key question. Not why am I alive. But why am I the person I am. My thoughts and theologies. The answer is simple. I am from Southeastern Kentucky, USA. My whole life I hae seen 3rd world status among my neighbors and friends. Now dont get me wrong we're not primative cave men. Of course we're not I own a computer which gives me the means to access this website. And for owning a computer I must be fortunate enough. But my expression of "3rd world status" guessing to the best of my knowledge. only about 10% of the population here has healthcare worth half a damn. The workforce is made up of 50% Fast Food, 20% educated jobs (college degree or vocational courses) 5% Owned and 25% odd jobs and Wal-Mart. There are no jobs most the unemployment rate here is staggering. If you dont know someone your not getting a job. I myself I am in fast food. 2 years in making people dinners. damn thing is, it took 3 years to get the job. and most of my co-workers are 40+ Thats because there are little to no job options. I would go to college but arent books for burning? haha, no no. Its took this long to be able to afford even think about going to college. I live so far out that it costs me darn near 8 dollars a day in gas. Which I am not getting into at this time. For it makes me too angry, haha. But m point to this is. America a good country, yeah. The idea behind it. Its beautfiul. I love this country just as much as your average patriotic bastard. But what have we become? huh? I bet many of you reading this are thinking I am selfish and ignorant. Fine thats your opinions. But look at your home town. Is it much better? how many of your people, have to raise farm animals, heat with wood, and live with barely anything to their name until they die? Maybe for some of you nobody lives like that around you. But looks deeper. Their are others who have to live like that to just scrape by. Its shameful that the richest country has some of the poorest. Its a disgrace to our country that people must live like rats, here, there or anywhere in this golden country. So thats why I am. Thats why I get so disguisted everyday.

Hey there, welcome to the forum

Thank You Lysergic!

Welcome to the fun world of ATS.

Just enjoy it.

Not really sure what i can say in response to your first post though.

Thanks,

There isnt much that can be said about it. But yet so mnay things can be discussed. But Thats Why i posted it as my introduction rather than a thread in another area. Its more of an opening statement. Rather than a debate igniter.

Hey rotting_in_paradise and welcome

I hope you have a long stay here and find what you are looking for

Welcome to ATS! Its a great place to get your ideas "out there"


As for your post... I know it'd be difficult considering the cost involved...but move...

I know that you'd have to scrape by for the 1st year or so, but its better than your current existence. I for one live in Nashville TN and I must tell you that if you are unemployed in this city...it is your own fault. It may not be the job you want, but there are jobs for those willing to work. And most pay a decent salary if you are willing to accept that you aren't worth 40-50k a year as an uneducated worker.


But thats just my thoughts...and if you'll look around, I have tons that are disagreed with =)

Hey there rotting_in_paradise. Welcome to Above Top Secret.

Dallas

There's no getting around the fact that certains areas of the US are not what they once were and the fact that what most of us consider a modest existence has moved forward at a pace often faster than real wages (cell phone, internet access, cable or sat tv, etc...). Couple that with many areas that depended on say a local coal mine have found their sales dropping and the trickle down kills many small towns.

That said, I can tell you with certainty that if you move to Las Vegas or Phoenix, you will get a job the next day for vastly more you are making now. Face facts, many areas of the US are BOOMING - the reason, weather. Places with great climates are in demand by both employers and people. They chase each other in a viscious circle. Buying a home may not be an option because of the cost but the wages are there for a pretty decent life....

Go west young man, go west....

Heck, if your backgound is clean you could bag a job as a security guard in one of the defense places making 15-25 bucks an hour. General Dynamics is right in Phoenix and there are more.... If you look good and are a great waiter you can clear 50k easy in Vegas at one of the better restaurants....

Two words for you, rotting: Education and Relocation.

The world has changed since the 1950s, when finding a good company and sticking with it was the key to success.

Now, it's all about flexibility, both in training and location.

Don't give up your efforts to better your lot.

I work in a restaurant, too, but I'm loving it.

The ATS Freshman's Forum is a great place to discuss the complexities of the ATS universe and to get advice from rookies and veterans alike.

Asala has a new member thread here: Hey new members!! Come here if you need advice

There are lots of handy tips available in the Handbook of ATS Links.

Here are some Important Website-Related Threads.

Configuring your MyATS page is the easiest way to put the ATS universe at your fingertips.

Be sure to check out Social Issues on PTS. I'm sure you will find the atmosphere to be friendly, enlightening, and rewarding.

Here's an excellent little, unobtrusive spell checker, in case you need one: IESpell 2.1.1 build 325

A convenient text editor also comes in handy when composing those epic posts: EditPad Lite.

Sooner or later you will find a use for TinyURL!™

Oh, and vote for the Automotive Forum.

Grady


[edit on 2006/11/21 by GradyPhilpott]

Hello, and welcome to ATS.

thanks for all the advice.
I appreciate it. But thats part of the problem. everyone moves somewhere else. like were being herded. just moving isnt going to take care of the problem. this or any post will take care of the problem. moving will take care of my personal problems. which if i did have any sense i would. but i dont. haha. 50k as a waiter. damn my co-workers would cry. and btw UofCinLA, i do have a good background, i am a upstanding law abiding citizen. in part for several reason, mostly being moral, but others being i would make a lousy thief or lawbreaker. but i will stay i have a family here. and i will continue to b*tch about the economy here.

i like you all.

Been traveling but wanted to get back to this.

I've seen the city I grew up in, in Michigan, rot pretty well as the auto biz has continued to leave. There is no easy solution if you wish to stay in a place like that or where you are. My parents house (modest but nice) in a decent hood, would have to compete with 10 others for sale in the area if they wanted to sell and there are no buyers. There are hundreds of homes for sale, many in 2's and 3's on the same block - problem is there are no buyers. The population has changed (gotten older) and now there is basically healthcare and the Walmart/Home Depot, etc. in the area driving the economy.

The only way to change things is to get together with other folks in your same boat and find a way to capitalize on something in the area and sell it to the rest of the country or world for that matter. Think - Jack Daniels, or race horse stables for something closer to home. Tourism..?? Hokey, near highway attractions..?? Local crafts..??

The most money (profit) is made selling something people think they need but don't really have to have - Red Bull anyone..?? For something more downhome, a high quality machine shop (with latest computerized machines) can easily carve out a nice niche and supply products on a global basis - it costs to get going but like I said - this is not something that can be done alone. It would take the whole community to make a push. Clean springs = bottled water. I know there's Sassafrass down there - make up a drink with it and call it healthy. You need to search long and hard thru industry trade data (feds have it online) to see what is growing and what may be local that you can supply into that world.... Ben and Jerry's ice cream was a great example of this, so are Vermont Teddy Bears. Give something a local twist and it just might fly and give the whole area a boost.... I know this is just a bunch of thoughts/brain dump but if any of this can help, I've done my job and maybe I will get some good karma points....

Best of luck....

There will be a time when people would rather live a simple life than the one with a broadband connection because the governments will get so up your nose and so 1984- Pre Tribulation anti-Christ like that they will say enough of this crap lets get out of this sell everything and wait for the lord. Because there will be a point where you have to decide when the facist Satanic prison planet ends up so bad people will start to rebel or even get executed just for saying no to it.

The time is near the tea is brewing.., The storm is in the tea cup...

Originally posted by rotting_in_paradise
everyone moves somewhere else. like were being herded. just moving isnt going to take care of the problem.

The government needs you to move off of the land so that they can build the new 10 lane super highway that will connect Canada to Mexico.

The new highway project will generate lots of jobs, unfortunatly those jobs will be so low paying that no American will want to do them, so they will be hiring foriegn national laborers to build and maintain the super highway. Sorry.



www.nascocorridor.com...

[edit on 23-11-2006 by In nothing we trust]

Originally posted by In nothing we trust

Originally posted by rotting_in_paradise
everyone moves somewhere else. like were being herded. just moving isnt going to take care of the problem.

The government needs you to move off of the land so that they can build the new 10 lane super highway that will connect Canada to Mexico.

The new highway project will generate lots of jobs, unfortunatly those jobs will be so low paying that no American will want to do them, so they will be hiring foriegn national laborers to build and maintain the super highway. Sorry.

Well if that solves the problem... I see no reason to discredit a war between our two countrys... Or better yet, sending the Americans back to Europe.

Welcome to ATS.

Having been in areas where avaiable jobs are a problem I sympathise.

I like that brain dump idea. What can I convince people that they need?
iPods are already taken .......

Have Fun.

MP3 players were around long before iPods came along - they just made the content part easier and more legal.... Point is, you do not need a home run - the Teddy Bear thing probably pumps a few million in outside dollars into Vermont and employs a few hundred with a trickle down into the whole community. There are many small town crafts and goods that do the same thing.

Remember, volume and demographics (and the net) are on your side - there's 300 million of us in the US alone, and the net reaches most of them in some way. If you get just 1% of them to spend $10 bucks on something that's a $30 million dollar business....

Remember Lands End - small clothing guy started with shirts and bags for local sailors in Wisconsin - that thing grew to be a MAJOR retailer. It was not in a major city, nor was it anywhere near a fashion production center. Decent products at a fair price with excellent customer service. Same for Eddy Bauer, Orvis, the orignal Banana Republic.... When they started it was mail order to get reach, now it's all online...

very good. it would take a lot of work in this community. but it would be possible. if people would work together then we could make a difference. down here we're semi-famous in the state for our honey festival which sells a decent amount of honey. that would be a comunity business that would catch others eyes and harshly said trick them into bettering this place. i really appreciate everyones input. and the info about how these companies started was very good. i never stopped into thinking how they was created. always figured some corporation just branched out.

i like some states like h.i. hwi if you do not like america you can leave it simple as that.