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I think about this a lot: part of why I get so mad at this fucking country is that it's really underachieving... but that's why I'll never leave it. I care too much about the stupid place. Because, if ideals actually held, it'd be tremendous.

that's what makes it great, the people and the spirit, not just the skyscrapers

Love this! I was at the NY Philharmonic concert in Central Park this week and they mentioned they started doing it in 1965. Probably mentioned here.

There's a big difference between loving your country and loving your government imo. Despite what people in power say being patriotic doesn't mean that you love *them* lol.

bsky.app/profile/shoo...

My (New Yorker) Uruguayan aunts were visiting - they made Brazilian and Scottish friends just walking around Central Park, and had drinks with Knicks fans in midtown. I love our city so much.

In Alaska, even. Anchorage is an extremely diverse city

I think folks are falling in love with cities again. Just look at how people in Michigan talk about Detroit with love now. That’s probably the first that’s happened since the mid-1960s.

I miss Southern California so bad. Hopefully things can calm down so I feel safe to visit again.

Smog was mostly a problem in the San Fernando Valley, and even that cleaned up real nice. That's why I'm all for environmental regulations; LA is proof that they fucking work.

The California Air Resource Board and local research did wonders for progressing air quality. The saying "Where California goes, the nation follows." Exists for a reason.

Oh man so much. I talked to someone about how they thought acid rain was like quick sand; something so common in media but not in real life. Had to tell them about how it was a real problem, we just, kinda fixed it mostly.

It might have been, while you were growing up

I mean, it WAS those things. In the 80s you could smell the smog and it was so thick you couldn’t see things in the distance. It is still burdened with traffic, it’s in constant drought and the friendliness is fake, but ok. Glad you’re enjoying it.

It legit was. We fixed things, largely due to government regulations. But more needs done.

The arch enemy of Mario?

reported

Yep. I like to say that America is great DESPITE our corrupt, greedy, murderous systems, not because of them.

I love that I can walk around and hear languages I don’t understand just taking a walk. And the languages I do understand of course. And there’s always an opportunity to just have a variety of tiny micro interactions yes that adds so much flavor to any day.

was talking to my wife about this, and this is also why I don't want to cede stuff like "rooting for national teams" for all its flaws, there is so much to love about that country and what we at least *aspire* to be

right to the kids and I thought "THAT is America"

Just baffling how the people most adamant about calling themselves patriots not only hate democracy but also hate what makes America America. (Ditto for chest-pounding Christians who despise everything Jesus advocated, and it’s a heavy overlap.)