I think all areas of the U.S. have something to offer.

As my in-laws live in Ohio, I often have to frequent that state. It must be the dullest place in the nation, filled with doddering fiftiesh men who find it a wild time to wash and wax their cars (pronounced cairs), talk about the new line of automobiles, complain about another foundry moving South or to Mexico, and yammer for hours about the local high school football team. All Ohio women over forty are about forty pounds overweight and crop their hair as short as Oliver North's marine cut. Akron is one of the ugliest towns in the USA; Canton isn't far behind. As a Southerner living in the way upper South, I love it though I must admit to being perplexed with the white Southerner's hysteria over stock car racing. Looks like a pretty dumb sport to me. Have visited southern California--it is as the author David Rieff said, the capital of the Third World. Hated it.

Oh for God's sake, Hank. You just had to, eh? Remember...your wife evidently came from that stock. You all must have a delightful relationship.

Although I'm not from Ohio, my Mother was. She was never 40 lbs overweight, but she did have short hair, and I think if you look around, you'll find most women in this country much over 40 do. Her Dad did not work in a foundry, he was an MD. She did not yearn to cheer on her old high school team. She did have an MA from Wellesley and heck, they didn't even have a football team.

I've lived in the south for the past 35 years and love it, but will smile as you get your due when the southern bashers get on here, as I'm sure they will, with their unfair characterizations of the Southerner!

Perhaps this is exactly what Bob was looking for, however, stereotyped misconceptions. Congrats on being the first to take the bait. Heck...I'd have thought you'd have been smarter than that though...understanding bottom fishing as you must, considering your Southern roots.

I have coined what I consider "East Coast Mentality." This is a belief that culture can't be found outside of any area more than 3 hours from the east coast.

Most of these attitudes come from midwest transplants who cry boo-hoo because they didn't have the cultural museums or finer restaurants when growing up. They blame their parents, who probably had to go where the jobs were available, to give their kids a better life than they did. Gratitude? Not what I've seen from these boomers. They like to overuse and misrepresent the term "dysfunctional families" to explain to their coastal friends their "uncivilized" background growing up with Dairy Queens.

West Coast Mentality grows, too! Good thing they'll be knocked down a peg or two with the dotcom layoffs. Ha!

Yes, I live in "flyover country," in a pretty large city, thankyouverymuch. You wonder what we do out here with all this land? We OWN it and enjoy it. You can look out on your oceanview all you want, probably do a vacation to some overcrowded and polluted beach a couple times a year, but you don't OWN the body of water.

Midwesternly yours,
Dr. Killjoy

Ummmm.......Looks like the latest production run of Prozak is missing an ingredient or two. Chill out, Spring is in the air.

I was born and raised in the South. My husband was born and raised in the Pittsburgh, PA area.

It's sorta funny to see the misconceptions that everyone has about each region of the country. Prejudice attitudes? I've seen more up north than I've ever seen in the south. But I was accosted by a Yankee telling me she'd never live down south because of all the racial prejudices. Pittsburgh as a nasty dirty steel city? Not hardly! The "South" as illiterate and red-neck? Not hardly! Yes, you will find your personification of a stereotype anywhere. But does that mean everyone is like that? Only in your own mind!

Hey, embrace the differences. Enjoy them. That's one of the reasons we travel! And be glad you get to live with your own peculiarities!

Hank,

If you've never been to a NASCAR race then all I can say is don't knock it until you've tried it. On second thought, just don't knock it. On third thought, jus't dont try it either as it is already way to difficult to get tickets. And by the way you must be right and millions of race fans are wrong thanks for setting us straight. As a long time southerner I have traveled this great land from coast to coast and found that its the diversity of the many regions that make it interesting. Ive enjoyed visiting "almost" every place I've been (Sorry Texas.) Thats just my two cents, flame away as you will....

I won't flame away, nascar. I just don't get it though I used to occasionally watch the stock cars when I was a young teen and remember Petty, the Allisons, Yarborough and Buddy Baker etc.. My next door neighbor is big into it and he's an alright guy. I do think some aspects of stock car hysteria shows the growth of a lack of manners in this country. Many Nascar fans like to stencil on their trucks a man urinating on the number of their most hated driver. I think it's a sign of a lack of Southern manners and lack of gentlemanly behavior. On another note, let me back up S on southern culture. American literature in the 20th Century would be missing quite a bit without the works of William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, Eudora Welty, Thomas Wolfe, Walker Percy, Shelby Foote, Tennessee Williams etc., etc. The South has "outwrit" New England in the 20th Century, that's fo' damned sho'.

Love this particular subject, hope we can stay honest.

In college, my World Geography prof showed us a regional map that showed 1) everybody likes where they live the best and 2) dislike areas they don't live in. Non- NY/East coasters didn't like the east. Deep South (called at the time) liked their areas best. Etc. Class purpose was to point out migration/move patterns and reasons. Regional prejudicies are a factor for ones choice of moving.

I laughed at Hanks reply, not because it was harsh, but because my spouse thought similar thoughts when we were at our Midwestern University, and she was from the East. I used to think everyone in NJ/NY were Archie and Edith. Why would anyone want to live there; they must be dumb. Well, time fixes prejudices, and I am now proud to be an Easterer, greatful for my provincial midwestern / University town upbringing, and pleased my kids have outstanding access to cities, culture, beach, lakes, mountains, airports and also rural settings and country, all within 3-4 hours. Not surprisingly, when I've had this discussion with co-workers in Utah, Dallas and Florida, they cite similar reasons why they like where they live. Hmm. You like where you are was proven again.

If I relaxed my Political Correctness a little, I'd make the following statements:

1. Michiganders / Michiganians are desperate for media attention and have a low sense of 'regional worth'

2. New Yorkers donate to and care much more about the environment than other areas. I find it amazing that there are so many environment and outdoor groups in such a congested area of the earth.

3. Women in Utah have a tendency to be like the Stepford Wives.

People in New Jersey can't drive in the snow.

Nothing happens fast in Florida, especially road construction

Vermonters are very hard to get to know, by design

Texas: You either think it is the best and only place to live, and you have an attitude, or you can't wait to leave. [Same for Alaska]

Let me get a little regional self-criticism in. I am from the Upper South but work in Washington, DC. Nobody drives worse in the snow than Washingtonians, anon. Flurries can cause anarchy and great angst in Washington. As for another note about regional differences, I think regional accents hurt politicians in areas which have much different accents. Though Bush wouldn't have won New York or Massachusetts had his accent been more like his dad's, I think he lost 10 % of the vote in both states because of his accent. Same with Cuomo or Teddy Kennedy in almost anywhere other than their home bases. If either had ever been the Democratic candidate for President, it would have ben useless for them to campaign in the South and Mountains. for what its worth.

Hey "S"...that was a great bit of irony/sarcasm you threw in your note there: southerners are illiterate? "Not hardly".
(Not hardly would be a virtual double negative...hardly meaning minimal and not meaning not...thus your comment, translated literally would be: southerners are very illiterate. Great bit of wit there...you definitely made your point).

Undeniable truths learned during a lifetime of travelling the USA:
New Yorkers: rude, uptight, always looking to climb over someone else to get where they're going, have difficulty making complex judgments (they elected Hillary? Carpetbagger, simply 'using' the state to position herself for future endeavors?)

Arkansans: lots of inbreeding going on there...no telling how someone will react under pressure when there's so little gene diversity in the family that you've practically been cloned; who do you appeal to for advice when your mom is your sister?

Iowans: IOWA is actually an acronym meaning: Idiots Out Wandering Around. 'Nuff said.

I could go on and on, but...

Hank:

I must respond to your inane comments regarding Ohio. I was born here, and currently live here (by choice) after having lived in many different parts of the country. As OliveOyl said, obviously we Ohioans are good enough for you to marry one of them....

Funny, my parents aren't overweight, My father has a PhD., I'm in my early thirties, and I grew up in a nice home on one of the best golf courtses in the world. . . Perhaps you grew up in one of the numerous weatherbeaten, dilapidated homes I saw on the Eastern Shore? You're right . . . you have crabs . . . and the sea . . . and that's about it.

Perhaps you despise your in-laws, and are therefore loathe to ever say anything positive (or constructive, for that matter) about my state? While I don't live in northeastern Ohio, I have spent much time up there and have always enjoyed visiting there. And remember, your precious southerners would probably be sitting around in wooden, 1-story structures and walking to work if it weren't for the steel that northeastern Ohio produced. . . As I recall, the complete lack of industry was one of the main reasons why the south lost the war.

For someone who seems to try to blatantly flaunt their "education," have you even bothered to try and find some of the things that interest you when you were in Ohio? Did you try to go to the Maisonette in Cincinnati, which just happens to be a 5-star dining establishment (and one of the best in the country)? Did you try to tour some of the glass museums, which showcase some of the most beautiful glassware items ever made (which, by the way, often go at auction for thousands)? I suspect that you moped around your in-laws (I'm sure that a visit from you is akin to a feeling of being incarcerated), and looked for excuses to badmouth Ohio. And just as I wouldn't expect to go to Akron for the Chinese cuisine, neither would I go to Salisbury, Maryland for their thick, juicy steaks. Funny, but I keep seeing how the "coastal cultural elite" are totally enamored with midwestern cooking (which they term "comfort food") -- perhaps YOU are the one who is out of touch?

And sorry, but while I think that the south has much to offer, and I think that the people are (fortunately) more friendly and open-minded than you, most of the food leaves a lot to be desired. I stayed in a nice home on Hilton Head a few years back, and the best meal of the entire week I was was when I went to where the crab boats came in, got a bushel of crabs, and steamed them myself. Most of the food tastes stale, and is almost always extremely greasy.

Yes, your beautiful south has given our nation some very good authors. It's also given us the bloody Civil War, Jim Crow, and politicians that are so corrupt, they seem almost cartoon-like. My point? EVERY region has its good and bad. If you deliberately choose to remain ignorant and only look at the bad, you'll be missing out on all of the many positives an area has.

In conclusion, please -- IF YOU DON'T LIKE OHIO, DON'T COME HERE!!!! Maryland's loss will be our gain. . .

Anyone remember the author / name of the book that described the regional and state wars, phrases, etc... I remember hearing the author on NPR or CSPAN or one of 'those' tell a few funny stories. Such as why NJ hates NY; a fued between N & S Dakota, etc..

Loved the IOWA acronym.

Phrase in my rural county: "xxx county, where the men are men and so are the women." or "The county border closes at 9pm."

Enjoyed your post, Rich, but I've got a very short history lesson to teach you. The War of Southern Seccession (aka the Civil War to you Yanks) was started by Abraham Lincoln, the greatest dictator in American history, much worse than either Woodrow Wilson or FDR. Lincoln suspended habeus corpus, jailed hundreds of critics, raised an army without the approval of Congress, walked all over the concept of secession (the states were independent before a union was formed thus they all had the right to leave), threatened Chief Justice Taney and the Democratic politician of Ohio Clement Vanlandingham with prison, arrested Maryland legislators who were for the secession of Maryland and thus kept Maryland in the union, forced Maryland election officials to allow union soldiers to vote in Maryland elections even though they weren't Maryland citizens, and closed scores of critical newspapers. The infamous Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe isn't any worse than this bearded freak when it comes to running a dictatorship. Your high school history teacher didn't tell you this; I will. On top of this, Lincoln conducted a campaign of barbarism throughout the South that Hitler and Stalin would have been proud of. Cowards all, Lincoln, Grant, Sherman and all the rest of the garbage that ran the Yankee army were the American originators of scorched earth and war against civilians. Over 600,000 men died in the War of Southern Secession. Their deaths can be laid at the feet of the most evil American to ever live--Abraham Lincoln.

Fascinated by Rich's discussion of corrupt politicians and his inference that southern pols are more corrupt than any others in the country. Wasn't Dan Rostenkowski from Chicago? Of the Abscam bunch caught in about 1980, almost all were from Philadelphia and New Jersey, including the haughty New Jersey Senator Harrison Williams. Wasn't it an Arizona governor named Symington who spent time in prison? Weren't the senators who were part of the Keating Five mostly Yanks, including so-called heroes John Glenn and John "Straight Talk, But I'm a fraud" McCain? Have you ever heard of the corrupt Daley machine of Chicago, the corrupt Republican machine of Nassau county, New York or the corrupt Tammany Hall of New York? Does Jimmy Walker, mayor of New York, ring a bell? Or Mayor Curley, elected mayor of Boston while in jail, the darling of whiskey swilling welfarites in south and east Boston? Today,there is a corrupt politician up in Massachusetts who got drunk, drove off a bridge with a girl in his car, didn't call fire and rescue, spent most of the night of the accident covering up the accident, got caught, hired great lawyers to get him off, used political muscle, got off with a slap on the wrists, and was recently reelected with 75% of the vote in the most degenerate state in the union. Edward Moore Kennedy is his name. There is also another political icon named Jesse Jackson of Chicago-Washington who just recently got caught using tax-free dollars to take care of one of his concubine and one of his bastards. And even Bill Clinton, born in the south but a rejector of the south, has decided to live in New York at present with his equally corrupt wife, Hillary Rodham.

Geez Hank-Take a damn laxative!

What a hoot this thread is. I've sat in Atlanta and sucked down brews while being schooled on the "War of Northern Aggression"; listened to Norwegians tell jokes about the Finlanders in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; enjoyed the rants of Saskatchewan bar patrons talking about Quebec; listened to Quebeccers talk about everyone elsewhere in Canada; learned from a native Parisian who would never eat Chinese food the reason why: ("People die in Chinatown, but they are never buried..." More of that stuff that tastes like chicken anyone...?). We have a special name for people in Illinois here in Wisconsin (where we have had such notable residents as both Frank Lloyd Wright and Jeffrey Dahmer). And many religions and demoninations want you to believe that anyone who doesn't believe pretty much what you do is going to hell. Funny thing is that no matter how we generalize, we can always seem to have a nice time with just about anyone from anywhere when it comes to one-on-one. These people are invariably exceptions to the so-called rules -- "A nice guy for a (whatever)" or "A good gal for (enter label here)". Funny how that happens, isn't it? Romeo & Juliet find out they don't share their family feud. We meet a typical Russian who doesn't necessarily think a big nuclear arsenal is such a great thing. We are pleasantly surprised when a friend or family member shows us that a place and its people that we have always thought about in an inaccurate way is really kind of nice. A stranger points us in the right direction or helps out and won't take money for it. Now go eat your green eggs and ham and wipe those stars off your bellies, all you Sneetches.

I blame organized sports for this division among regional classes. Doesn't it just fuel the fires of division between our states, causing regional pride and regional feuds? (Baltimore will always hate Indianapolis for that football 'thang, even though their new Ravens won Superbowl, and UHauled Indy Colts never made a dent, but that's another story and I digress...)

"People... can't we ALL get along?"
--Rodney King

There are definite economic and cultural reasons why these regional differences occur. Sports actually may let off the steam, that is why the Olympics was first played. People who live in industrial or highly urban settings often have different agendas about where and what government "should" do. The rich, powerful, and more highly educated have always had more access and connections to manipulate society's rules to get what they want. It is the human condition. Economics- the study of the distribution of limited, finite resources. Few things are "fair." We can "all get along" by forgiving the perceived unfairness, and also sometimes the actual brutalities. We can not "all get along" by pretending that we are all identical- that we all want the same things, or even that we are all willing to contribute equally. Not so. The trouble is not the stereotypes as much as the negativity and judgement. You need to recognize a lion by it's fangs and fur and shape in order to not get bit. There is a stereotype "lion" in your brain- so that the next time you meet one, you don't go up and pet it. The simplistic answer of "can't we all just get along" doesn't begin to mean anything when what YOU need to get along, is what I hold dearest and what YOU seem to be taking from me. The major religions seem to find the answer as forgiving the trespasses against you, enough so that you are able to perceive your trespassers' viewpoints. This is done with much practice and means eventually having to pet a whole lot of lions.

Just two thoughts: you folks must be nuts to p*** off (that's piss off, for those of you lacking in imagination) Ms. Oyl ... she's the best, and also can put out the word and keep you out of Fla. And be very careful what you say about southerners ... my cats will take offense and they have contacts throughout the rest of the USA. What a wonderful thread. YOL

Hey GOL

Maybe your

>>>Phrase in my rural county: "xxx county, where the men are men and so are the women."

should meet the people at the college I went to. The phrase there was: "Uxxx where the women are women and the men are too."

What an interested group of people we could create if we could get them to just date.

There is no feud between North and South Dakota. I think we sort of look out for each other.

When an animal (sheep, I think) was molested at the zoo in Bismarck -- the cops arrested a guy from Montana. Does this mean those Montana jokes are true??