I think my longest "commute" to work has been 15 minutes each way. Another reason why I like not living in mainstream america.

I found this interesting, although not to related to the topic on hand.
The U.P.'s* area: 16,452 mi² (42,610 km²)
Denmark's area: 16,639 mi² (43,094 km²)
U.P.'s population: 317,258
Denmark's population: 5,532,531

17 times as many people in denmark than in the UP, nearly the same amount of land.
Kinda funny. I like the population density around here. The number of nearby rally, and other auto events, is pretty decent as well. The hard part is finding a good job, nearly 18% unemployment "officially" for the UP with ranges from 12.2% up to 30.7% depending on the county.

Although some of those scandinavian places have a similar population density overall, much better unemployment rates, and even more rallies...

I think its easier to change which paradigm you live in, rather than change the paradigm everyone else lives in.



*U.P. as in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The part above Wisconsin.

I think Carl is right on about changing your own paradigm.
It may be me that has watched one too many Hollywood movies, but could it make sense to center the work and events around some sort of charity work? I have the idea that that is something that can get Americans together? Of course - I could be completely off course her :-).

---

Brgrds
Brian

I like the idea of changing one's paradigm. You've got to be the change you wish to see in the world. I think the trick is communicating that change outward; showing how cool it is to be multi-cultural and open to new ideas - to be a problem solver, to be realizing the benefits of an open mind, of mutual respect, and goodwill towards men.

The problem I see is we've been brainwashed by a sensationalist media which has found itself less and less able to actually inform the public on all issues traditionally considered newsworthy (read: actionable) and so has turned to a focus on advertising and commercialism. Without their commercial sponsors, they cease to exist because they have a lot of overhead and pretty people in front of cameras with generous salaries and benefits packages. It's in their best interest to engage in fear-mongering and blame-placing, so that's their M.O. these days.

As a result, we've turned into a society of irresponsible philistines; quick to place blame, to point fingers in any direction save a mirror. Our motto has been diluted to something along the lines of "Someone should DO something about this, but it's not MY job!" The buck is passed time and again, and the media leads us all along on a journey with that buck.

A dozen people are killed behind the wheels of their Toyotas which "accelerated out of control." We crucify a foreign company in the public eye, when in the long run, NASA can't even find an interplanetary alignment to blame for inept, unqualified vehicle operations. Meanwhile, the members of the Toyota lynch mob show no interest in the thousands of people who die every year because of cell phone usage behind the wheel.

Millions of gallons of oil are spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, and we spend more time selecting someone to eventually crucify for the situation than we do figuring out how to clean up the mess and help those directly affected recover and move on.

We boycott and file lawsuits against the State of Arizona because they're not supposed to be engaged in border security, but nobody has even a fleeting interest in understanding WHY all these people are flooding our country or HOW we can help to support and build up our neighbor to the south or even do our jobs and provide a secure border for our citizenry.

So it's up to us - each and every one of us - to turn off the telly and talk to our neighbors.

It doesn't matter if global warming is true or not, if you tell your neighbor that you just paid off your solar panels and for the first time ever have an electric bill of $0, they're going to want to know more about renewable energy.

It doesn't matter if Rally America decides to ban spectators, freelance photogs, and any rally car more than 5 years old in the interest of safety. If you help spectators do their thing safely, photogs to get the best shots and support the sport in the media, and owners of older cars to stay in the game and mentor the rookies, the sport will live on long after energy drinks and flat brims our outlawed.

It doesn't matter if everything about the world and rally is wrong where we live. If we get to know the places where things are right, if we understand why things are right, and we can forge those paths in our local communities, we can help others to walk those paths with us. The more people realize the benefits of doing things that work, the more the movement will grow.

But it all starts with our deciding to be the changes we want to see.

VIVA L'RALLYISTA!

---

Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

my club is having our first meet up on the 14th of august here in fargo.

the plan is to hang out and try to set up some kind of direction for the club.

Let us know how that goes...

Greg Donovan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> my club is having our first meet up on the 14th of
> august here in fargo.
>
> the plan is to hang out and try to set up some
> kind of direction for the club.
>

Hey get on the agenda the concept of mass migration, ya knows? Like the Mennonites did several times....

I think that is the solution to USA's lack of a "critical mas", everybody should just move to the Seattle area. 230 car entries!
THEN the interest becomes perpetuating.....
>

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

john vanlandingham Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> I think that is the solution to USA's lack of a
> "critical mas", everybody should just move to the
> Seattle area. 230 car entries!
> THEN the interest becomes perpetuating.....

I'd be all about it, except the fact that 360 days of overcast, dismal weather would break my Zonie bride. Perhaps we could open things up to the whole state of Washington?

---

Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

yeah - you guys have the best condition cars for a reason - but the whole overcast thing wouldn't be making it - and not enough snow/ice for my taste

Lived in Belgium for a year - great place, great people, great beer - sh*t ass weather

You boys do realise the whole always overcast thing is way overblown thing to keep out riff-raff, dotcha?

And ya wants snow?
It snows in the mountains 40 minutes from here about 12-13 FEET a year at the lowest pass in the state.
Snows in Canada by law.

Our weather is nothing like the North Atlantic Marine Climate that dominates from France onward northwards...

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

You callin' my wife "riff-raff?" Doesn't speak well to interstate rally relations, now does it?

---

Brian Driggs | KG7KCA | PHX, AZ | 89 Pajero
alterius non sit qui suus esse potest

who cares about snow, how thick does the ice get on the lakes? And not for fishing. And, do they allow cars to drive around on them?

---

---** To be in compliance with the Anarchy **---
Jorden R. Kleier
Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA
1990 Mazdog Protege 4WD
1973

SgtRauksauff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> who cares about snow, how thick does the ice get
> on the lakes? And not for fishing. And, do they
> allow cars to drive around on them?

They do in Ashcroft BC....
>
> ---** To be in compliance with the Anarchy **---
> Jorden R. Kleier
> Baraboo, Wisconsin, USA
> 1990 Mazdog Protege 4WD
> 1973

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

...and here in Nude Hampster as well..