The Friday Link for 10/4/24

Howdy all! 

This week, I have a bone to pick with the Minneapolis-St. Paul haters.  

There has always been this metro/rural divide in America, mainly since about 100 years ago when people started to leave the farm and head into the big city.  Out of resentment, rural America started painting the metro areas of this country with a more and more negative brush.  

Now I know immediately I'll hear, "Metro areas badmouth the country way of life too!"  Yes, they do, but as someone who has lived extensively in both rural and metro America, many rural people CONSTANTLY bad-mouth cities, although the ratio in the other direction is dramatically less, something smaller communities falsely inflate to justify their non-stop bad-mouthing.

Republicans over the last 20 years have gleefully fanned the flames of this rural disdain of the cities with all the tropes.  "It's expensive!" "It's crowded!" ""So much crime!" "There is a 'bad element' there!" "It's confusing to get around!"  You get the idea.

In the age of Trump, this criticism got kicked up a notch. "THEY'RE ALL BURNTOUT HELLSCAPES, GHOST TOWNS, WHERE YOU'RE GUARANTEED TO GET MURDERED AND CRIME IS OUT OF CONTROL!"

I live in the Twin Cities metro area and I love it. There are great elements of living in rural America, but the quality of life my family has here is exceptional! As much as some insist it's overridden by criminals, I go out into the city all the time. I've rarely seen any crime myself and I feel safe in my city.

It doesn't mean it doesn't have problems.  Of course it does! Every town, big and small, does, but I've had it with people whose only goal is to hate for hate's sake, usually with an ignorance that is hard to comprehend. 

A few weeks back I posted the Chef Reactions videos where he LOVED the Minnesota State Fair and the Twin Cities. I also posted another positive video of a French woman visiting Minnesota.  This week it's The Endless Adventure and their visit to Minneapolis, which they seemed to really enjoy! 

Also this week ZeFrank has another hilarious MORE ADULT True Facts, exploring the mysterious world of the jellyfish! 

To everyone out there:  You have one life to live.  If you are unhappy where you are, move.  Go find your happy place. You will be happier and that's all that matters. It really is.

Please get vaccinated and stay safe.

Have a great weekend!