[skytrekker]

See Photo Collection


Connecticut As Seen From Above - Courant.com

[RVer]

I enjoyed the pics.

[Wyoming53]

Those were beautiful pics.

[skytrekker]

thank you both for the kind words about our tiny but important state

[RVer]

Sky I enjoy learning about, seeing documentaries about, seeing pictures of and of course visiting each state.

Has anyone seen the "States" series on the History Channel? Every now and then I catch it. They highlight 4 states per one hour show. The show usually runs most of the day. They go into lifestyle, cost of living, places to see, what the state is famous for and something about the people.

[skytrekker]

Actually RV, I have seen it several times- but have yet to go through ALL of the 50 states!

[skytrekker]

Not to be picky RV

but your signature- seems a bit off

Obama has been office a year- the problems we have today started in 1980 under your hero Reagan-- perhaps in 30 years you can honestly assess the good and the bad of Obama.

[summerville]

skytrekker said:

See Photo Collection


Connecticut As Seen From Above - Courant.com

Nice photos, Sky! I can see why you love it there.

[skytrekker]

Bay

my hometown is Washington DC--but by now after living here since I was 6 years old- it is a great state to live!

The states iconic symbol Katherine Hepburn-born in Hartford- was once asked why she did not live in California- she responded that she did not like 'brown landscapes' and 'Spring in Hartford' was so beautiful after the cold and gray of winter.

[summerville]

skytrekker said:

Bay
my hometown is Washington DC--but by now after living here since I was 6 years old- it is a great state to live!
The states iconic symbol Katherine Hepburn-born in Hartford- was once asked why she did not live in California- she responded that she did not like 'brown landscapes' and 'Spring in Hartford' was so beautiful after the cold and gray of winter.

It was beautiful when we were up there, about 4-5 years ago or so. Coming home, we had a car accident in New Haven, not a bad one....some kid wasn't paying attention and hit us in the rear at a red light. We had planned to do some sight seeing there, but that put a damper on things.

Don't think I knew you were in D.C. Bet you're glad you're out of there!

[skytrekker]

Bay

drivers here are not the best in the nation-in fact drivers in New England are not all that good- but I have avoided an accident for awhile now---lets hope I do not jinx myself.

I was born in DC- and lived in suburban MD before my family moved to Connecticut. Washington is a fascinating city that offers much- I am in fact a person without a state-

but crime in DC and even suburban MD is high - the traffic is as bad as in Los Angeles and San Francisco in CA- and the lifestyle in the DC area is too frenetic for me.

Eastern Connecticut- where I am now is known as the 'Quiet Corner'; it is very slow paced, with nice down to earth people, A low cost of living, light traffic---DC as much as I love it and proud of being a native- is too much for me to take at my age, and from being away from the region most of my life, I am very happy here.

[summerville]

skytrekker said:

Eastern Connecticut- where I am now is known as the 'Quiet Corner'; it is very slow paced, with nice down to earth people, A low cost of living, light traffic---DC as much as I love it and proud of being a native- is too much for me to take at my age, and from being away from the region most of my life, I am very happy here.

Sounds like CT is your real home now. I travel over to DC, Silver Springs, MD and that area about every other month. It's quite a hair-raising ride. Having made that trip for a number of years, I've gradually seen it change....not for the better, sadly.

[RVer]

skytrekker said:

Not to be picky RV

but your signature- seems a bit off

Obama has been office a year- the problems we have today started in 1980 under your hero Reagan-- perhaps in 30 years you can honestly assess the good and the bad of Obama.

True about the 20 year thing. I just thought it was too funny so I made it my signature for a bit. Reagan is not my hero. I hate all politiicians with every last cell in my body. I have no place for them in my life. When I hear Reagan the first thing I think of is all those Air Traffic Controllers who he fired and had no business doing so. That is my memory of him. Anyway I will put up a new signature shortly.

[skytrekker]

I know what you mean Bay

The DC area in the mid to late 50s was a pleasant place to live- I was very small then- but the city was far more civil in every way-including politics, where everyone tried to get along. The traffic was far less, and the sprawl was very small, Things began to change in the 70s- and today the DC area and northern VA are just too crowded. Housing prices are double what they are here- the people are not so friendly- and can be rude, the traffic is horrible, the sprawl never ending and the crime problem is not inly an issue in the city, but is some of the suburbs.

[skytrekker]

RVer said:

True about the 20 year thing. I just thought it was too funny so I made it my signature for a bit. Reagan is not my hero. I hate all politiicians with every last cell in my body. I have no place for them in my life. When I hear Reagan the first thing I think of is all those Air Traffic Controllers who he fired and had no business doing so. That is my memory of him. Anyway I will put up a new signature shortly.

I think that the era of massive deregulation starting in 1980 under Reagan-who said that 'Government was the Problem' reached its Rubicon under Bush II - and then we saw the financial collapse in late 2008- this was a logical conclusion to the of an era. We have had a conservative ideology in the country for 30 years- and this includes the nation still fighting the cultural wars of the 1960s- and a very laissez faire economic policy not seen since the Gilded Ages and the roaring 20s. All Presidents since Reagan followed the same very [ro business polices -including Clinton- and today Obama IMO needs to separate himself as FDR did from corporate interests.

Now we are flat on our faces- and the reform and changes needed will take time. Americans fight reform because they dislike change- nut they do not realize that its been the reason our Democracy has been so successful.

Social Security was fought against intensely in 1935- as was medicare in 1965-both today are greatly supported by older Americans.

The reforms by Obama for health care are more conservative then those conceptualized by Harry Truman in 1948! Yet some folks still refuse to admit the the health care indusrty needs regulated- Teddy Roosevelt tamed and busted the business trusts-Obama thus far IMO has been to timid to take on these special interests.

To be sure Obama has stumbled in my opinion; firstly he has done a poor job of selling health, consumer and financial reform, and why it is needed- and secondly he has surrounded himself with too many 'Wall Street Tycoons' who where responsible for poor lending practices and easy money lending that resulted in the economic meltdown. I also have been disappointed by Obama's lackluster and low key 'Mr Spock' like approach----

I was expecting a Teddy Roosevelt and got Quasimodo.

Remember this also; Arthur Miller the great American Playwright -who once said 'An Era Ends when its basic illusions are exhausted '.

The conservative era of the last 30 years is likely over- A new Progressive era has likely begun- what this evolves into is anyone's guess- but like the 'conservative era' we have seen in the last 3 decades, this new progressive era is likely to last about 30 years. The reforms will make the nation stronger and better- this has been the case in the past- with the 'Progressive era' of the early 20th century- and the reforms after 1932. As in the past the pendulum will likely begin to swing back to a conservative philosophy- but that is a long way off.

[RVer]

skytrekker said:

I think that the era of massive deregulation starting in 1980 under Reagan-who said that 'Government was the Problem' reached its Rubicon under Bush II - and then we saw the financial collapse in late 2008- this was a logical conclusion to the of an era. We have had a conservative ideology in the country for 30 years- and this includes the nation still fighting the cultural wars of the 1960s- and a very laissez faire economic policy not seen since the Gilded Ages and the roaring 20s. All Presidents since Reagan followed the same very [ro business polices -including Clinton- and today Obama IMO needs to separate himself as FDR did from corporate interests.

Now we are flat on our faces- and the reform and changes needed will take time. Americans fight reform because they dislike change- nut they do not realize that its been the reason our Democracy has been so successful.

Social Security was fought against intensely in 1935- as was medicare in 1965-both today are greatly supported by older Americans.

The reforms by Obama for health care are more conservative then those conceptualized by Harry Truman in 1948! Yet some folks still refuse to admit the the health care indusrty needs regulated- Teddy Roosevelt tamed and busted the business trusts-Obama thus far IMO has been to timid to take on these special interests.

To be sure Obama has stumbled in my opinion; firstly he has done a poor job of selling health, consumer and financial reform, and why it is needed- and secondly he has surrounded himself with too many 'Wall Street Tycoons' who where responsible for poor lending practices and easy money lending that resulted in the economic meltdown. I also have been disappointed by Obama's lackluster and low key 'Mr Spock' like approach----

I was expecting a Teddy Roosevelt and got Quasimodo.

Remember this also; Arthur Miller the great American Playwright -who once said 'An Era Ends when its basic illusions are exhausted '.

The conservative era of the last 30 years is likely over- A new Progressive era has likely begun- what this evolves into is anyone's guess- but like the 'conservative era' we have seen in the last 3 decades, this new progressive era is likely to last about 30 years. The reforms will make the nation stronger and better- this has been the case in the past- with the 'Progressive era' of the early 20th century- and the reforms after 1932. As in the past the pendulum will likely begin to swing back to a conservative philosophy- but that is a long way off.

All I can say is "huh"

You sure lost me. Did you major in politics in college? My IQ is very high but less then zero when it comes to politics. I know all I want to know about it though. From where I come from, if me and you hung out and I lied to you and stole from you all the time...in short order you would dislike me and abandan me as a friend. I dont understand why it dont work that way in politics. How many times do they have to hurt us before we all just abandan them?


One thing you said I picked right out "Americans fight reform because they dislike change" is so very true but is exactly the opposite of what the people actually say. Everyone screams for change but they really dont want any. Humans are creatures of habbit and do not want any change. They just like to complain that they do.

[skytrekker]

RV

I have a Bachelors degree in Sociology and Geography, with graduate work in Counseling-though I did not finish my MS degree

I also have read (in teaching) the social sciences- American History and Political Science.

What I was saying in simple terms is this;

After 30 years of A very conservative, anti people, pro business economic and political philosophy, we are seeing the pendulum swing left- oh yes the Teagbag folks complain- but do they realize what groups have benefitted the most over the last 30 years?

Instead of protesting Obama- they should be protesting the huge tax giveaways to the wealthy and corporations- given mostly by the republican party-who has held the executive branch most of the time over the last 3 decades.

The republican party by the way, and its conservative Democratic allies have opposed every piece of social legislation since FDR;

This includes social security in 1935
Medicare/medicaid in 1965
the last two programs where called 'socialism' -in 1964 Reagan called Medicare 'socialist'

The GOP and its conservative Democratic allies also opposed the voting rights and civil rights bills of 1964

The GOP since Teddy Roosevelt has become an increasing corporate type of oligarchy- that does nothing to protect the rights of individuals-but creates huge monopoles that enslave many Americans - thus Teddy Roosevelt in 1912- the last Progressive republican-Left the GOP. Roosevelt did want Government universal health care in 1912!

This certainly proves how backward most of the GOP is on social and human issues (and some 'ConservaDems) but how they protect the special interests and business trusts.

After 30 years of a very conservative America- demographics are paving the way to change- the GOP for the most part has become a southern white persons political party- but this base is diminishing in number.

The Republicans will probably need to adapt like the GOP did when Eisenhower was elected in 1952- accept the reforms made by the progressives- and try and be more pragmatic. The ideas of 'small government & low taxes' was great 30 years ago- but today the role of government will again be important in a changing America.

The rebellion of the far right-the tea bags folks is a temporary blip, for what will be a more progressive era for the next generation or so.