Dispelling Myths About Where You Live.

[Levee]

I'm from Kentucky in the United States:

The Kentucky Derby is not a statewide holiday, we usually go to our jobs, we don't sit on the front porch and drink mint juleps all day.

We have everything you need, Bourbon, Tobacco, gambling on horses and coal.

We're nicknamed the "Bluegrass state", there is no such thing, it's green ,I looked.

We actually own the Ohio River.Yes we are that stupid.

Our State Motto is "United we stand, divided we fall", during the Civil war it was "Let's see how this all plays out"

We have Mammoth Cave National Park, featuring the world's longest known cave system and the death toll to prove it.

It's rude to look down when talking to us...we know your checking to see if we're wearing shoes.

Kentucky has 90,000 miles (140,000 km) of streams providing one of the most expansive and complex stream systems in the nation second only to the State of Alaska, which really just means the mosquitos are the size of birds.

We are technically a "Commonwealth" along with Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. It used to be a big deal back in the day when they were forming states, now it just a secrete private Internet clique that has forums to talk about the other states.

We believe Kentucky born Abraham Lincoln was assisnated in a major conspired cover up funded by the Actors Guild of America.

Yes it's true, the states Official Wild Animal Game is the Gray Squirrel, prepared correctly they are a delicacy. Bigfoot vacations here.

Our state song is "My Old Kentucky Home" it was going to be"The French Mistake" but it was deemed "too bouncy"

Soooo....What's it like where you live?

[Ned_Devine]

Let's see..................

I have lived in many states in my life, but presently reside in the state of California. Or should I say, Yo vivo en el estado de California.

It is true, there are major differences in the people from Northern California and Southern California. Everyone is not a bleeding heart liberal here.

It is not true gay people kidnap straight people and turn them gay, as one Alabaman once asked me. Nor is there something in the water that makes this happen.

The Bay Bridge is not the world's longest bridge. It does not really go from San Francisco to Africa.

We do not pay extra for our weather, however, we are really not sure what our money goes to since this state's economy is a mess.

We do not really steal water from other parts of the country, it is a privilege for them to keep the most beautiful state hydrated.

Silicon Valley is not located near San Jose. It can be found in most bars and clubs any night, and hopefully accompanied by its friend - miniskirt.

It is true we love our cars and don't like to walk.

We really do not like earthquakes.

Most of the people here like ice, but not ICE. In fact, the quickest way to move people along is to cruise around in a avacado green suburban.

California will not fall into the ocean in the event of a major earthquake. Just part of it, maybe.

[LEDCPA]

Apparently some people, mostly non Americans think Al Capone still is living and runs Chicago and like to say " Bang Bang" and make a gun with one of their hands if someone is from Chicago. I assure you he's not and whatever is left of the mob isn't running around the city shooting people daily.

However, I would warn visitors of Chicago weather, where in the spring and fall it can be 90 degrees one day and 2 days later the high not hit 50 degrees like today. And if you visit Wrigley Field it can be in the 60's outside, but if you're in the shade in the stadium you might freeze your butt off.

[Electrophile]

I live in North Carolina, and there's a lot of misconceptions about the South. I'm not Southern by birth, I'm from Chicago, but I would say that a vast majority of the people I encounter in my day-to-day life here are the exact opposite of whatever stereotypes people have about Southerners or people who live here. I would preface that by that saying the stereotypes exist for a reason. My family and I drove out to Asheville last fall to see Biltmore house and all the great foliage in the mountains, and when you head that far west into the state......you're going to encounter clusters of communities who think the Civil War is still being fought a few miles outside town. When we stopped at a local diner to grab a bite to eat, the waitress who took our order had a pin on her shirt that had a KKK insignia on it. My dad told the woman we still needed a few minutes to decide what to order and when she walked away from the table, we got up and left. I'd rather go hungry than patronize a place that would hire someone like that.

Like I said though, that's not the majority of people you're going to find around here. There's a lot of people, both natives and transplants alike, who look at that woman as an example of why the South needs to radically reshape its image.

[MrZoSo]

I grew up in the Bronx NY. We are NOT all Yankee fans...Most everything else is accurate lol...

[SuperDave]

Interesting, Electrophile. I can't believe whoever owns an establishment as such would allow one of their employees to display a KKK insignia on them. I doubt it was just overlooked. They probably support this. You would never see this in the Northeast. It wouldn't be condoned. Although, I'm a bit surprised about it in NC. But perhaps I don't know enough about where you will find more of this than other areas in the south. Give me details if you can, since you live there and are probably more familiar on this subject than myself.. Thanks!

[Electrophile]

Interesting, Electrophile. I can't believe whoever owns an establishment as such would allow one of their employees to display a KKK insignia on them. I doubt it was just overlooked. They probably support this. You would never see this in the Northeast. It wouldn't be condoned. Although, I'm a bit surprised about it in NC. But perhaps I don't know enough about where you will find more of this than other areas in the south. Give me details if you can, since you live there and are probably more familiar on this subject than myself.. Thanks!

Well, there's racists everywhere (not just here in the South), but not all of them are "out" about it, at least not like it used to be 60 years ago. You're likely to see more passive racism anymore than anything else. I live in a smaller town between Winston-Salem and Greensboro, but because it's sandwiched between two big cities, it's not as "small town" as places a bit more rural further west and south in the state. Also, there's a lot of transplanted northerners here, especially from the Midwest and Northeast, so these areas are influenced by that. I've been to Alabama, I've been to Mississippi, I've been to South Carolina......you wanna talk about racism. Holy sh!t. I've seen more blatant and obvious racism in those states than I ever have anywhere else, and I've lived in Georgia besides.

However, just so that it doesn't appear that I am bagging on the South and making it sound like the only people who live here wear hoods, one of the most passively racist cities I've ever been in is my own hometown of Chicago. The kind of racism that existed up north was de facto, rather than de jure. Meaning, it wasn't legislated, people just chose to live in communities with people from their own neck of the woods, and the city still is very, very segregated. The North side of the city is predominately white and rather well-off, like middle to upper-middle class, whereas the South and Southwest sides of the city are predominately minorities and poor. Part of that is because back in the day, the heavy industry of Chicago was in that area, and the wealthier people (read: white) could afford to move into areas that didn't have the stink of steel mills and the Union Stock Yards. The people who couldn't afford to move were the blacks and Irish who then settled in and lived in those communities. Our outgoing mayor is from Bridgeport, which is on the Southwest side, and is almost 100% Irish, even to this day. And yes, the Irish were considered minorities just like the African-Americans who came up from the South. In the early 20th century, you did not want to be Irish and immigrate to the United States.

That's not something I'm proud of, it's my hometown, but it demonstrates how racism is still very predominant in American society, even in parts of the country where you wouldn't outwardly think it exists.

[Ned_Devine]

Well, there's racists everywhere (not just here in the South), but not all of them are "out" about it, at least not like it used to be 60 years ago. You're likely to see more passive racism anymore than anything else. I live in a smaller town between Winston-Salem and Greensboro, but because it's sandwiched between two big cities, it's not as "small town" as places a bit more rural further west and south in the state. Also, there's a lot of transplanted northerners here, especially from the Midwest and Northeast, so these areas are influenced by that. I've been to Alabama, I've been to Mississippi, I've been to South Carolina......you wanna talk about racism. Holy sh!t. I've seen more blatant and obvious racism in those states than I ever have anywhere else, and I've lived in Georgia besides.

However, just so that it doesn't appear that I am bagging on the South and making it sound like the only people who live here wear hoods, one of the most passively racist cities I've ever been in is my own hometown of Chicago. The kind of racism that existed up north was de facto, rather than de jure. Meaning, it wasn't legislated, people just chose to live in communities with people from their own neck of the woods, and the city still is very, very segregated. The North side of the city is predominately white and rather well-off, like middle to upper-middle class, whereas the South and Southwest sides of the city are predominately minorities and poor. Part of that is because back in the day, the heavy industry of Chicago was in that area, and the wealthier people (read: white) could afford to move into areas that didn't have the stink of steel mills and the Union Stock Yards. The people who couldn't afford to move were the blacks and Irish who then settled in and lived in those communities. Our outgoing mayor is from Bridgeport, which is on the Southwest side, and is almost 100% Irish, even to this day. And yes, the Irish were considered minorities just like the African-Americans who came up from the South. In the early 20th century, you did not want to be Irish and immigrate to the United States.

That's not something I'm proud of, it's my hometown, but it demonstrates how racism is still very predominant in American society, even in parts of the country where you wouldn't outwardly think it exists.

Hardly de facto. It was very much legislated. You need to brush up on your Richard J Daley history with his work to keep blacks segregated in the city, as well as the work of school superintendent Benjamin C. Willis to keep blacks out of white schools. MLK had little success with his civil rights movement in the city.

And yes, I am a South Side Irish native.

[ZoSoJo]

I live in central Vermont.

Native Vermonters generally do not ski. If we go outside in the winter its to shovel or bring in wood, not to play sports.

We all do not tap tree's for sap

Syrup does NOT come out of trees. Syrup is what happens when you BOIL sap

Ben and Jerry are not native Vermonters. Vermonters are generally too poor to buy gourmet ice creams.

We do not all live on farms and hug trees and play with cows...

We are not all smelly hippies living in geodesic domes.

We ARE quiet and thrifty by nature.

Many of us like our music loud. Name our cars and generally have 2 per person (1 for winter, 1 for the other 2 months)

We have more Atheist per capita than any other state.

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) ranks Vermont #1 in public education

2 US presidents were native Vermonters...can you name them?

A real Vermont home has some Tyvek showing somewhere.

Couldn't tell you if we are racist, since we have so few minorities. (less than 03 percent)

Lots of famous people have their second homes here. Because we are still very quaint in many areas. We all know who there are, where they live and run into them at the general store. But we don't talk about it on forums.

Rudyard Kipling wrote the Jungle book here.

We LOVE our John Deere tractors (yes, stereotype confirmed) John himself was born here! (sometimes I mow, when I don't have too, just rid the tractor!)

[Mattmc1973]

I live in the metro Detroit area, and yes, not only is Detroit every bit as bad as people think it is, it's worse. You can't comprehend the dilapidation, the hopelessness, the utter despair that it's so far beyond ever fixing. I believe it is beyond fixing, the suburbs are OK, but Detroit city proper should just be forgotten. Move everyone out of there, stop having the local governments try to figure out what to do with it. It's SO BAD and beyond repair.

[lzzoso]

I live in the metro Detroit area, and yes, not only is Detroit every bit as bad as people think it is, it's worse. You can't comprehend the dilapidation, the hopelessness, the utter despair that it's so far beyond ever fixing. I believe it is beyond fixing, the suburbs are OK, but Detroit city proper should just be forgotten. Move everyone out of there, stop having the local governments try to figure out what to do with it. It's SO BAD and beyond repair.

I have never been to Detroit (or the state of Michigan), however, I have read that the city is in pretty bad shape and has been for quite a long time. I read the past and current census statistics and Detroit (proper) has been losing residents for at least 20 - 30 years. You seemed to have confirmed what I have read. Not good.

Plus, it does not help the city of Detroit and its image at all when the former mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, is in federal prison after pleading guilty to a number of assorted charges and probation violations.

Move to Texas. The greatest state in the Union. I can tell you one thing. The weather is way better in Texas than it is in Michigan.

[Walesdad]

The user name probably gives it away,but I'm from Wales,Swansea to be exact.Myths to be dispelled about Wales in general ? All Welsh men are not called Dai (that's the Welsh abbreviation of David and it's pronounced "Die").I know at least three men who are not,so I think that puts that one to bed finally.All Welsh people do not have the surname Jones.I know at least three men who.............................It does not rain all the time in Wales,at least not in the north.There it probably runs to eighty % of the time.South Wales is a whole different kettle of fish,it's probably nearer 95 %.Where I live,if it's not raining,it's just about to.All Welsh people do not like rugby.I only like it when Wales are winning games,therefore I haven't been too keen for a number of years now.Football (soccer to most of you) is much more popular.All Welsh men are not coal miners."The mines",as they were known down here,are virtually all shut now (thank Christ) so that avenue of gainfull employment is gone forever.All roadsigns and placenames are bilingual,that is posted in Welsh and English.We do not do this to confuse English holiday makers,even though that's what most of them think.No,it's just a small recognition of the fact that Wales is different to England and now and again we like to show the fact off a bit.It could be worse,just wait for the uproar when we start charging them for all the water they get from us.The first things a Welsh baby learns to say are not,"....you English b*****d".That would be to confuse us with Scotland.Three Welsh men in a room together does not constitute a male voice choir.Forty Welsh people on a coach going to a rugby/football match however,will tear the roof off the vehicle.Finally,and most importantly,people from Wales do NOT interfere with sheep.This is an urban myth that has been allowed to fester away for decades and is simply not true.There are more sheep than people in Wales however,so if we did want to bother them,we would be spoilt for choice.

[Knebby]

I'm from Kentucky in the United States:

The Kentucky Derby is not a statewide holiday, we usually go to our jobs, we don't sit on the front porch and drink mint juleps all day.

We have everything you need, Bourbon, Tobacco, gambling on horses and coal.

We're nicknamed the "Bluegrass state", there is no such thing, it's green ,I looked.

We actually own the Ohio River.Yes we are that stupid.

Our State Motto is "United we stand, divided we fall", during the Civil war it was "Let's see how this all plays out"

We have Mammoth Cave National Park, featuring the world's longest known cave system and the death toll to prove it.

It's rude to look down when talking to us...we know your checking to see if we're wearing shoes.

Kentucky has 90,000 miles (140,000 km) of streams providing one of the most expansive and complex stream systems in the nation second only to the State of Alaska, which really just means the mosquitos are the size of birds.

We are technically a "Commonwealth" along with Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. It used to be a big deal back in the day when they were forming states, now it just a secrete private Internet clique that has forums to talk about the other states.

We believe Kentucky born Abraham Lincoln was assisnated in a major conspired cover up funded by the Actors Guild of America.

Yes it's true, the states Official Wild Animal Game is the Gray Squirrel, prepared correctly they are a delicacy. Bigfoot vacations here.

Our state song is "My Old Kentucky Home" it was going to be"The French Mistake" but it was deemed "too bouncy"

:lol: :lol:

[SuperDave]

Despite the myth, not everyone in the United States is a fan of McDonalds hamburgers.

Very true and I'm one of the. You need to go to a good diner to find one!

[SuperDave]

Funny! Just a typo. Not intentional.

[slave to zep]

i don't have a koala as a pet, and there aren't any kangaroos bounding down the street in sydney

[Virginia]

I'm not sure what stereotypes exist about Virginians in particular, so I'll just say that Virginians are hard working, intelligent, friendly, helpful, extremely welcoming and polite/kind. We have mountains, beaches, horse farms, beautiful countrysides, arguably the most beautiful fall foliage anywhere , and plenty of art, culture, business, top notch education and more. And an incredibly rich history.

And on a lighter note, for those of you who watched The Waltons, we don't do the goodnight thing, we don't wear overalls and we don't all name our children double names (John Boy, Jim Bob etc).

[jabe]

All you've heard and read about Alabama is true X 10.875. The drive by media knows us better than we know ourself. Stay the fuck away if you're content in your present location.

[Levee]

And on a lighter note, for those of you who watched The Waltons, we don't do the goodnight thing, we don't wear overalls and we don't all name our children double names (John Boy, Jim Bob etc).

Yeah right......."Goodnight Virginia Sue"

[PerpetualMotion]

Only the gullible and weak believe in myths. And those who the myths enshrine, are the stronger and perceiverant, like Greek Gods.

The gullible and weak are everywhere, the Greek Gods are fewer and farther between.

[redrum]

Born in San Francisco, now live in Enumclaw, WA (The Place Of The Evil Spirit)

[redrum]

I live in the metro Detroit area, and yes, not only is Detroit every bit as bad as people think it is, it's worse. You can't comprehend the dilapidation, the hopelessness, the utter despair that it's so far beyond ever fixing. I believe it is beyond fixing, the suburbs are OK, but Detroit city proper should just be forgotten. Move everyone out of there, stop having the local governments try to figure out what to do with it. It's SO BAD and beyond repair.

It sounds like it should all be razed, recycled and started over.

[Virginia]

Yeah right......."Goodnight Virginia Sue"

Goodnight .. um... Levee-Bob

[Virginia]

You know, I almost included that we don't all call each other honey, darlin', sweetie etc., and then this morning the guy at the store called me sweetheart ... twice! (done correctly, it's a form of politeness and not meant to offend).

[~Bonnie~]

I don't have any myths to dispell, because when I tell people I'm from South Dakota, the response is always "Huh? Where's that?"