Comments for DailySkewIn today’s economy where families are reexamining their budgets, an Orlando vacation still ranks very high for bang for your buck and enjoyment for the whole family. Indeed, Orlando has fun for all ages. Heck, I live in Florida and every single one of my co-workers have made multiple trips to Orlando theme parks without losing their wallets, and each time they make the trip they discover new things.
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Moving from New York to Florida? I moved from Brooklyn, New York to South Florida in 1991. I was around 13-14. Here are just some of the differences between New York and South Florida to help better prepare you:
1) There are no boroughs in Florida, just a bunch of little cities or towns with their own police forces and city halls. Generally speaking you can pass right through each of them in 5-10 minutes in a car on the streets, and around 1-2 minutes on the highway.
2) Cars. You need one to get around in Florida. This is not an option; the public transportation is vastly inferior to New York’s ’round the clock system. Even the bus stops are inferior. There’s no subway, and the MetroRail has become the Houston Astrodome of follies. Even taxis and car services are different- much more expensive and hard to find.
3) Cost of living. Florida has a skewed cost of living, making it nigh impossible to live comfortably because the salaries are so low, but housing, rent, cars, food, and merchandise are all priced the same as New York. $70,000 a year jobs up north get converted to $30,000 jobs down here. $30,000 a year jobs get downgraded to part-time temporary assignments here. If you don’t have a real contract job lined up and you move to Florida, you are dead-meat.
4) Lack of unions. Florida is a work-for-hire state. Florida always seems trendy when it comes to lay-offs and lack of steady work. The trend has always been for companies to hire temps. Part-time work takes advantage of not paying over-time or being an “employee”. Independent contracting allows employers to forget about health insurance and other “fees”. Vacation time is optional. It’s like Florida retains a year round seasonal workforce.
5) Transients. From the cultural standpoint (which leads to mental health and levels of happiness) a huge difference is that South Floridians don’t have a shared culture or pride. At best you have “Gator fans”, “Heat fans”, or shared complaining about the Miami Dolphins. Your neighbors will switch every few months. You don’t even say “there goes the neighborhood” anymore. This lack of community spirit is a big deal; coupled with the growth of internet socializing, you can really see the shift towards people entering the Matrix.
6) Christian freaks. In New York, Jehovah’s Witnesses were very common and known to knock on your door once a month or place a copy of Watchtower in your door. In Florida, many local Christian congregations (are they even churches?) are a bit more pushy. Speaking of religion, there were more Jewish temples in New York and the other religions were much more represented up north. The closest Buddhist temple for me is in Lake Worth.
7) Newsflash: Florida is the Deep South. Although the hip-hop and ghetto trends are wanna-be New York, they are generally more like Hot-Lanta. I was called a “cracker” on my first day of school. I had to ask around for a definition. Part of being in the South is being more skewed toward agricultural economies and lifestyles than high-tech industries in NY. Being in the South also means that things aren’t as “fast paced” as in New York. There’s no sense of urgency here.
South Florida counties. In New York, the only way I knew I lived in Kings County was because of Kings Plaza and Kings County Hospital. In Florida, the counties actually rule and are the authorities when it comes to almost everything.
9) Marginalized people- in South Florida, Haitians were the group that everyone in school and bars make fun of, especially from “Black Americans” and Jamaicans. On the rare occasion you see an Asian, they generally won’t give any eye contact, so we have no idea what’s going on in their heads- probably CULTURE SHOCK. Based on water cooler talk, most people have very disturbing views towards Jews and Muslims.
10) The Latino superpowers. Cubans are the most influential Hispanic group in Dade County. Their influence spreads to politics, religion, food, and Spanish being the unofficial language in Miami-Dade. In New York, the Puerto Ricans and Dominicans rule their neighborhoods but the Cubans made Miami a New Cuba. In Broward County (cities near Fort Lauderdale), the rising Latino stars are the Venezuelans and Colombians. Generally speaking, they don’t assimilate or want to convert anything to build a satellite nation here. They simply want to send money back to their homelands and frequently travel back and forth to set up businesses and buy and rent real estate in both countries.
11) State benefits: what? Florida has been consistently low on unemployment benefits, food stamps, and disability payments.
12) Palmettos- If you are a New Yorker, you are used to your kitchen being overrun by armies of German cockroaches. If you move to Florida, I present to you the palmetto bug. These are giant-sized American cockroaches and I’ve seen some fly.
13) Gangs. New York street gangs had more structure and organization, not to mention weapons.
14) Baseball. Florida is not a baseball state.
15) Comic books. In New York, young people read comic books. When I was a Freshman down here, I met no more than 5 students in my class who shared that hobby. Same with Dungeons & Dragons and pro wrestling. Video games and PC games seem to be the only consistent hobby.
16) Hurricanes. Worse than any natural disaster NY can dish out.
17) Traffic and roads. Buy a map and practice A LOT because Florida doesn’t have the Avenue A, B, C grid layout. The streets and roads don’t have uniform names, and sometimes have two names.
18) Don’t say “Junior High School” in Florida. What planet do you come from? It’s “Middle School”. Also: it’s “Grade School” not “Elementary School”.
Okay, okay…I listed a bunch of differences and some sound bad. But I had already said that New York is overrated and New York sucks. So what are some good things about moving to Florida from New York?
You do the math.
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So I just found out on Wikipedia that the famous Samsonite luggage commercials from the 1970’s with the gorilla unsuccessfully breaking the orange brief case was actually for the company American Tourister, which was acquired by Samsonsite in 1993. Also read that the gorilla was really a chimpanzee. Oh you didn’t know? It never fails to amaze me how detailed Wikipedia is when it comes to minor misconceptions.
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Yes, it is fashionable for manly men (or wanna be manly men) to drive pickups trucks. But every man needs truck accessories as well. From those giant metal tool boxes to truck air horns, the true man needs all of these truck accessories to show his dominance on the road, doesn’t he? Let us not forget bug shields, bull bars, or running boards.
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Is the weather cold enough for you yet? Maybe it is time for an Outer Banks vacation rental to get away from a harsh winter, or more importantly, a nice change of pace for the sorid year 2009 has become due to the stress of the recession. Check out the beaches; enjoy the tourist attractions. Turn off your cell phone. It’s time for a vacation.
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Well, even though the unemployment rate is still rising an economics expert said that the recession is just about over, and it is very possible that you should be clear to enjoy yourself in 2010. Therefore it is time to plan some nice orlando vacations. Think of all the different theme parks in Orlando and how great you and your family will enjoy Disney, SeaWorld, and Universal Studios.
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You have to be real careful when reading the fine print for your rv warranty. For example, the waranty coverage for parts and labor varies and the duration of coverage is not controlled by you (only the manufacturer can offer to extend your rv warranty). Another rv warranty aspect to be aware of: the insurance industry does not regulate rv warranties and extended rv warranties regulation varies by state.
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USA Today Readers voted Destin, FL the #1 Beach in America and Southern Living Magazine Readers voted Destin the Top Family Desitination. So if you are looking to get away from it all, you should look into getting a condo rental in destin florida for a nice vacation. There are some pretty awesome promotional vacation packages for Destin, like kids eat free and free golf, so be sure to check it out.
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After 10 years of trying to make it in South Florida, Mim Tartin, 32, has called it quits.
“I’m done, bro. Florida $^&^ beat me. Florida kicked my a$$. I’m out,” Mim said via his parent’s telephone.
Mim came to Broward County in 1999 from St. Louis, Missouri, after living with his parents for all of his life. Why Florida, of all places?
“I don’t know,” he chuckled. “The weather? Missouri gets real cold, gets covered with snow.”
When Mim first arrived, he had problems finding work until he went on an interview at a microfilm scanning company. Although his only previous experience was managing a small pizza parlor, the company have him a chance.
“Damian Hospital hired me. For that I am eternally grateful to him for giving me the opportunity to make it. Granted I eventually dropped the ball, but I had a good run, and no one can take that away from me,” Mim said.
“Looking back, working there was probably the best time of my life, but I squandered it…it’s the one major thing I regret in my life there. Just wanted a second chance to prove myself again. I know I was a f__-up, and that I backstabbed the company to go to their competitor- who turned out to be a liar and sucked @$$- and came to work high when I was under a sh!t load of f__ stress because of money and my wife at the time. But I totally blew it man. And I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.
Mim eventually met his future wife at that workplace, although that ended in a painful and bitter divorce.
“Would rather not talk about it,” he said.
After leaving the company, Mim bounced around other microfilm scanning companies, tried going back to school, worked as a shoe-salesman, a well known Florida call center, ran up debt, and moved from town to town- Pompano Beach, Coral Springs, Coconut Creek, Margate, North Lauderdale, and even up to Port St. Lucie. He even set up an online dollar store, but didn’t even get one sale. He has had numerous roommates to help pay rent, and most of his money went to fixing his car, school loans, and just existing from week-to-week.
“Life sucks, man,” he mused. “I mean I am good with computers, I’ve had pretty important jobs and responsibilities…I learn pretty fast…but I just had no luck down there, man.”
What does the future hold for Mim Tartin?
“Just trying to survive, brother. I’m gonna get my sh!t together and maybe come visit Florida some day. My parents are helping me out, and I have a girlfriend who is awesome, but I’m just trying to survive, man. Florida sucks, bro. Anyone who is reading this- DO NOT MOVE TO FLORIDA.”
And thus ends the tale of Mim Tartin. Or is it the beginning?
Good luck, old friend.
Posted in tashman, travel | 4 Comments »
Seriously. I live in a town house community in Coral Springs where no one is ever home…the parking lot is always empty except during the Super Bowl. Holidays? They travel. No one is is ever home…they are in Atlanta during the week, they stop by Friday evening, and then they are off to Gainsville. Others go “up north”. Yet every parking space is full this Saturday.
WHY?
What? It’s the weekend AFTER Memorial Day? Big freakin’ deal.
What? It’s RAINING EVERYWHERE IN AMERICA? Boo-hoo. It’s amazing how humans are afraid of rain.
I have to sit back and laugh at this “trend”. It’s not like the neighbors talk to each other and plan this stuff.
Yep..let’s all stay home today. Yeah, welcome home folks. Glad you can enjoy your home on this Saturday, I’m here EVERY DAY and EVERY NIGHT. Nice to see you, too.
Jerks.
I mean, people are double-parked today. Usually it looks like a closed mall, where there are just a few cars. But today? Even Cousin Manfred was invited over today.
What? Do people in Broward County actually care about the Cleveland basketball game? Oh, we’re supposed to be Orlando Magic fans now?
Come on…
What’s the secret?
Everyone was gone last weekend due to Memorial day. Heck, because of the three days off, people weren’t here for the WHOLE WEEK. Where do they go?
But today? Yeah..it’s the weekend after Memorial Day, let me take a break from driving..weather’s bad anyway.
Yeah, okay whatever.
It’s not just a South Florida thang.
When I was in Tampa it was the same thing. I lived in campus at USF- in Theta Hall. My dorm and campus was EVACUATED on the weekends and holidays all the time. You’d think someone called in a bomb threat or something.
Does everyone have two homes?
It’s like people in cities are just transient by nature
Addicted to driving? Must investigate further.
Posted in rant, travel | 2 Comments »
One advantage of going on a group tour for gay travel vacations is that tour members can be relaxed, feel accepted, and part of a like-minded community. A Spirit Journey, however, takes it to the next level, with its gay and lesbian workshops, gay retreats, and journeys which are open to straight, gay, and lesbians couples. With a goal in mind, everyone can share the spiritual journey while traveling to an exotic location.
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I had a business meeting scheduled recently at a government office in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I originally thought it would be by the beach or near Las Olas. Wishful thinking I guess. After we got off at Sunrise Blvd from 595, I realized we were in Sistrunk Blvd, near Broward Blvd.
Welcome to the ghetto.
Here I am in the backseat of some $40,000 SUV, with two others guys dressed in suits driving around in the residential streets.
Things I observed from my windows, more scenes that destroy the illusion of the all-powerful United States.
1) Everybody was home and walking around at 9:45AM on a weekday. Able bodied men and women were either unemployed or they all worked 3rd shift at Tashman.
2) Lots of babies and little kids running around.
3) The women were wearing uhm… “stylish” outfits.
4) Your typical bails bondsmen, pawnshops, strip clubs, fast food joints, car washes, rim stores, and baptist churches.
5) Burnt out cars.
6) Furniture on the lawn.
7) A mean-scowled man with dreadlocks, gold teeth, blasting music in a low rider car (and gold plated rims w/oversized tires).
Old guys in the street with paperbags w/liquor so early in the morning.
In other words, it felt like home for me (Brooklyn, NY).
When we finally got to the government office, it was surrounded by a tall and pointed steel black gate/fence.
After we left, we passed new condos being built in Plantation, Florida, and I felt pretty melancholy that the Sistrunk Blvd revitalization project has not happened yet. After years of politicians bickering and budget issues, it’s time for some Obama money to be put into restoring our nation’s ghettos.
Years ago, Las Olas and parts of Delray Beach were overrun with crime. Police officers would warn of carjackings and muggings. There’s no reason that Sistrunk has to remain in this state of poverty, crime, and decay.
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Are you are interested in Argentina travel packages, including Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Ecuador, and Antarctica cruises? The truth is these tours, cruises, and hotels are one of the fastest growing travel vacations, so you are not alone. The good news is that professional travel agencies all you to customize tours and experience what you want to see on your trip.
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If you and your family are thinking about staying at the Outer Banks of North Carolina, do not hesitate at all! Vacation rental homes at the Outer Banks are the hidden gem in North America. Many vacation realty companies and private owners do not have field technicians that address house issues that creep up, so be careful of who you select.
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Are there travel deals in this current economy? The answer is yes, of course. The whole world knows that you have less money in your pocket, and there are flight deals and hotel deals to make your travel destination and vacation cost effective. From Caribbean resorts to luxury hotels in London, be sure to check out the travel sales and discounts.
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Yes, it is that time of the year again. Whether you want to see boxing matches, gamble, experience the strip, see your favorite singer or entertainer in person, or just have some fun, it is time to find the best Vegas vacations package today and get away from the hustle and bustle. Recession? What recession? You can find cheap Vegas vacations online today- all inclusive Vegas deals, too.
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Remember when Michael Moore went to Cuba in his documentary SICKO? Moore got on his soapbox and “proved” how great the medical care and facilities were under Fidel Castro’s regime. He rubbed it in when U.S. veterans received free treatment in a Cuban hospital, coverage which they were denied in the United States. Moore said that all the bad things we’ve heard about Cuba were from the right-wing U.S. propaganda machine and MEDIA.
Moore has been challenged by his critics that called that portion of his documentary a staged event by the Cuban government. Moore has maintained that this was an “average hospital” and the incident was “normal”.
Even as I watched SICKO I knew Moore was being used as a propaganda tool by Castro. After all, Moore and his crew just waltzed right into Cuba and went to a hospital. I was happy that the people got the medical help they needed, but not happy that it was done as an anti-American publicity stunt by the turncoat Moore.
So either Moore is a liar, or his hatred of the U.S. government (masked as libertarian patriot) is so great that he is totally skewed.
All you need to do is check out this website to see the Real Cuba. This page has been confirmed by someone I trust, who managed to escape Castro’s 1984 socialist and communistic military government as a kid. The bottom line: tourists from rich countries get (slightly) better treatment than Cubans. Tourists named Michael Moore get full treatment as long as the cameras are rolling. The myth about socialized medicine and proper care in Cuba is a lie. Most “patients” get no help, in fact they get worse. And heaven help you if you have HIV or AIDS. You get sent someplace else… Check out the Real Cuba link for the stone cold truth (with real photos and experiences).
Michael Moore, fraud. Not that we needed more proof, but I figured I would focus on Cuba’s LACK OF A TRUE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, sanitation, or prescription drug program, something SICKO refused to say.
Posted in Jumped, health, politics, society, traitors, travel | 28 Comments »
I am a New Yorker at heart, and proud of it; I won’t deny it. I was raised in Brooklyn, and went to NYC every other weekend or so. After I moved to Florida at age 13, I saw how Broward County, Florida is: laid back, slow, cheap unemployment checks, a lack of unions, weak gangs, slow trends, generic newspapers with no pun headlines, and MUCH less…but I digress.
New York City, as portrayed in movies, TV, novels, and sports- in addition to foreign MEDIA, is the capital of the world, and the best city in the world. Nothing else counts. New Yorkers believe this, too. That’s where their arrogance and sense of ENTITLEMENT comes from.
Although NYC has tons of positive things about it, allow me to knock this myth of NYC = The Best around a bit, no offense to New Yorkers, and I’m sorry to attack NY, but I had an urge to thanks to the MEDIA bias there. (This post in inspired by the Heroes of Hudson, and Tony Vahl’s excellent post today; if the plane landed safely in water in Michigan it would have been a blurb, not a national “historical” moment.)
1) Economy: There’s no question that power players of various industries are based in NYC- it’s the home of the stock market, major banks, and Fortune 500 companies, not to mention the center of American MEDIA. However, the cost of living is INSANE, even with high-paying jobs, the taxes are mind-boggling, and the homeless are still on the street corners. Believe me, the poor always outnumber the bigwigs. Things are so bad- (after all, NYC is the epicenter of companies that need the bailouts) that billionaire Mayor Bloomberg rigged the system for another term to get the city out of dire straights. Even before the financial CRISIS, Hong Kong and London’s stock exchanges and economies were more stable. $9.50 for a burrito in New York- EAT IT AND WEEP.
2) Technology: Silicon Valley. MIT in Boston. Tokyo. Seoul, where everyone is in The Matrix thanks to broadband. Then you have NY. ’nuff said.
3) Who wants to live there? NYC is never ranked in places to live lists, which are based on housing, scenery, quality of life, pollution, population, financials, job growth, and crime rates.
4) Tallest building- this used to be a (useless) claim to fame, not anymore.
5) Sports: Yankee Stadium (Bronx) and Madison Square Garden may have been historical important and the closest thing to the Roman Coliseum in modern times, but they haven’t been the “best” for decades. Newer and better sports venues had emerged. New Yankee Stadium (2009) was a response to that. Meanwhile, boxing has moved to Las Vegas, and Mixed Martial Arts isn’t even legal in NYC. Professional wrestling runs PPVs in much bigger and newer arenas now. On the subject of sports fans- they have love/hate relationships with their teams, as in love them when they win a championship, and hate them when they lose.
6) MEDIA: OLD MEDIA is based in NYC. And let me tell you something about OLD MEDIA: it stinks. New York newspapers are overrated tabloids, and even the New York Times has had corruption and bias charges. There’s nothing prestigious about NY journalism, or their magazines, especially the far left New Yorker. Oh, and CNN Center is in Atlanta, folks. NY was way behind in the cable TV revolution.
7) Olympics: You’d think the Olympics would have been held in the capital of the world ny now, right? Do the 1932 Lake Placid Winter Olympics count? Ouch.
Politics. So much for liberal enlightenment. NY political scandals are legendary, and happen all the time. Speaking of politics, no president was ever born in New York. It’s also very lame that NY will vote Democratic, and the state is never up for grabs. At least in Florida, we can turn an election. New York Republicans are not as conservative as their counterparts in other states, making election outcomes predictable in NY. New York Republicans are much more liberal than the rest of the country, making for a close minded- not balanced- political perspective. Not to mention that anyone with a Southern or Midwestern accent is looked down upon as being dumb.
9) The UN: Home base of the UNITED NATIONS. ’nuff said.
10) 9/11: Quick facts: The Pentagon was also hit. Also, back in 1995 according to history books, there was something called an “Oklahoma City Bombing”, and the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was blown up by a terrorist named Timothy McVeigh. Oh, and Indians, Iraqis, and Israelis deal with terrorism in their faces every day.
11) Rap/Hip hop: West Coast rap is just as, if not more popular than East Cost rap. Dirty South is closing in, too!
12) Universities: Columbia and Cornell are ranked high, but not the best, and certainly not if you include world rankings.
13) Hollywood: The East Coasters never could have envisioned how westward expansion would make the focus of movies and entertainment in California!
15) Transportation: Traffic- Baghdad seems safer. Subways: HAHAHAHAHAHA! An underground world where craiglist people are left unsupervised. Trust me, the Chinese have it right in Hong Kong- no littering, no arguments, no muggings, no sex on the subways or buses: with no posted penalty. The people just know.
16) New York Pride and Community: Yeah, a bunch of loudmouth primates. Ya tawken ta ME?
17) Airports: Unimpressive when one sees how clean and organized some of Japan’s airports are- and they don’t even speak English there.
18) Modern urban city: The Jetsons it is not. Although NY embraced WiFi, it is the epitome of an urban jungle: strips clubs are open Sunday at 8:30AM, you spend hours getting to and from work, there is always NOISE regardless of hour, and neighborhoods are degrading and falling apart.
19) Multiculturalism: It’s true- every race, religion, and country is represented, but NY is still predominantly Euro-centric and black American.
20) Weather: The truth is, winter = blizzards and you’ll be forced to wear winter clothes you’ve never even knew existed; summer = hot, humid, dry, sweaty days and nights where the garbage in the streets and dumpsters fries…mmmmmmmmmm.
So…to answer my question: Is New York overrated? Answer: Yes. But it’s still cool, and LA is generally in 2nd place. Meanwhile, South Florida is a poor man’s NY, and can’t even be compared to it without laughing. NY’s dominance is over though. It is now spread in this new global marketplace of ideas, technology, and economy.
Posted in MEDIA, travel | 34 Comments »
Carolina Designs Realty focuses on providing the best vacation homes that the Outer Banks has to offer (since 1998). Carolina Designs was the first Outer Banks rental company to provide linens as a standard amenity, and they were one of the first Outer Banks rental companies to offer a full color brochure along with offering floor plans for all of our homes.
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In the early 20th century, Japanese immigrants formed the Yamato Colony in what is now Boca Raton, Florida. They literally brought their culture here, and set up their own farming community. A couple of generations lived there until World War II, when the U.S. military “relocated” the remaining colonists, and seized their land and property- something they worked on for their entire life. Florida Atlantic University and the Boca Raton Airport were built over the site.
However, their legacy and final memory remains at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach, when George Morikami donated his farm to Palm Beach County to be used as a park. The Museum opened in 1977, and the main building opened in 1993. Construction of the gardens began in 1993.
The following are pictures from my visit (along with CCB3 and my wife)…it truly was stepping into a time machine to land in pre-imperialistic Japan. It was a beautiful experience- no noise, no pollution, no outside world, no problems. Entrance was FREE Saturday, due to a promotion. Special thanks to Tony Vahl for letting me know about Morikami last year.
All photos copyrighted Damian Hospital and DailySkew 2008 and cannot be used without permission and link.
Posted in Japan, history, travel | 4 Comments »
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