Welcome to General Chat - GAW Community Area
This General Chat area started off as a place for people to talk about things that are off topic, however it has quickly evolved into a community and has become an integral part of the GAW experience for many of us.
Based on its evolving needs and plenty of user feedback, we are trying to bring some order and institute some rules. Please make sure you read these rules and participate in the spirit of this community.
Rules for General Chat
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Be respectful to each other. This is of utmost importance, and comments may be removed if deemed not respectful.
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Avoid long drawn out arguments. This should be a place to relax, not to waste your time needlessly.
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Personal anecdotes, puzzles, cute pics/clips - everything welcome
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Please do not spam at the top level. If you have a lot to post each day, try and post them all together in one top level comment
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Try keep things light. If you are bringing in deep stuff, try not to go overboard.
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Things that are clearly on-topic for this board should be posted as a separate post and not here (except if you are new and still getting the feel of this place)
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If you find people violating these rules, deport them rather than start a argument here.
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Feel free to give feedback as these rules are expected to keep evoloving
In short, imagine this thread to be a local community hall where we all gather and chat daily. Please be respectful to others in the same way
One of the very first memories I have of America is me telling my friends that "I dont feel America" (I had just moved and we were in some suburbs) and that weekend my friends took me to NY. We took a subway and got out at the WTC station. As we got out and entered the street, the two towers were looming up to the sky - the breathtaking sight finally made me say "Oh, this IS America of my dreams".
America was the most beautiful country ever and I fell in love with it. The people welcomed me with open arms. The countryside welcomed me with greenery. The industry welcomed me with technology I could only dream about until now. I came to the country alone and with just $200, and when I left it a few years later I had met my wife, I had made so many friends and had a successful career that propelled me to true freedom whereever in the world I chose to live.
Those were the heydays of America. The last memory of the towers was on Sep 10th 2001, driving back from NY, I was on the Turnpike, heading back home after the US Open finished and I could see the towers far away standing as majestically as ever, but the strange play of the sun light made it look like it was on fire. We still have the street art painting I got done for my wife (gf at that time) the day before.
After the Towers fell instead of seeing hatred towards non-Americans I just saw people come together even more. The feeling of comradarie, and that we are all in this together - even today those memories are what tells me that, contrary to a hundred apocalypse movies we are shown, in times of trouble people always come to each others' aid. That humanity is fundamentally good and worth saving.
After I left America to my new home in Australia, I would visit back regularly on work, and every time I travel there, I would feel more heartbroken. Especially after 2008. I could see the familiar beautiful sights slowly deteriorate. Slums, Graffitti, muggings etc in the same places I used to hang out.
At that time I had no idea why or how this was happening. Chalked it down to the GFC. But knowing all that was artificial - part of destroying Humanity - now I cant wait to visit again after the precipice, perhaps for the 250th anniversary that Trump has promised would be magnificent!
wow man, thanks for putting this up.
all i got for you in return is cheese. but it's from the heart. my cheesy heart.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_QSJyJaeD4
Well, good mornin' m8
You should have seen it in the 70's, it was just as bad if not worse, and this was before crack and fentanyl. The only good thing was that it was affordable to rent an apartment in Manhattan for a working class person, but it was filthy, crime ridden, and just as corrupt. They managed to put a coat of paint on it for a few years, but the rot crept through.