Yeah, western MA deserves way, way better.

UMass Worcester is amazing but Brigham & Women's was the closest I've seen to a TV hospital. Every doctor was like an international celebrity model. The cath lab looked like the Starship Enterprise.

Wallet Hub sucks, but there is plenty of basis in fact...Massachusetts has the second highest concentration of tech startups in the country after Silicon Valley. There are a ton of programs and incubators for new biz, plus a highly educated workforce and hotbed of science.

Here's a non-clickbait article on the subject.

The depth and amount of human crazy is unfathomable. I just assume everyone is either stupid or insane and a lot of the time I'm not wrong. Try modding any big community....then you really see the extent of the rot. The level of mental illness and just plain agner is about 10x worse than what you see on the surface.

I've spent 25 years working in digital media and it's madness all the way down. I once managed a large military website and the stuff that came through my inbox was terrifying

Oddly, I did worse the closer I got to my house. I don't use a map locally so guess I can't recognize towns by shape.

Completely agree. I lived in Brighton for more than a decade and never thought I'd leave, but now that I'm here Providence is more accessible and has a ton of cool stuff. Plus with Mansfield and Foxboro close you have easy access to all the big summer shows.

wait, is this "excellent job" the one you mention working with dishwashers at? wtf excellent job would that be? jesus fucking christ low standards abound....floridian restaurant worker goblin line cook....dude.

just know someone out there is laughing at ya. Nice chat.

lol

Okay, then, what's your fucking problem? Are you just pissy because some internet people said you made a stupid real estate move to live in one of the lowest rated states? Or because you don't agree with commonly accepted science? That's all it takes to rile you up?

I mean, I own a home in a much more desirable state and have saved well for retirement. Still concerned for the planet because I'm not an asshole and still think it's lousy you got suckered by a bank into a poor investment. But if you are happy with florida there's not much I can say...some just want less for themselves and the world.

p.s. just took a look at your post history and, unsurprisingly, you are a shitty racist as well. There's always a dogwhistle with you idiots. Hurry up and fall into the sea, already.

I doubt they can afford it, and really feel for the non-stupid who are trapped. I really think most folks aren't bright to understand what will likely happen, but that's always been an unfortunate thing. All we can do is help those who are willing to be helped and willing to behave decently enough to be helped.

In short: gators and cool people come north, everyone else stay down with the mosquitos and bigotry.

Yup, you're stupid as all fuck. And don't spew bullshit...you are only taking someone else's word as gospel, not thinking freely. By all means, call out the elite, most of them are completely disingenuous. But you are only calling out half of them, sucking down rich GOP talking points and acting like they apply to poor lil' you. You're a partisan lackey when you should be fighting capitalism, therefore you are only helping the elite get richer. Neither dem or gop gives a shit if you drown, so why are you shilling for the very elites that would bury you and your family? You've been had so hard it's ridiculous. And now you are saddled with a property you'll still be paying for when it's gone.

Obama is fucking rich can can afford vacation properties he can lose. Do you not understand the simple fact that he's loaded and you aren't? You're such a dumb shit it's nuts....this is some basic financial shit, dude. You aren't Obama, or Trump, and will therefore be fucked and paying for a worthless property because you believed the bank man...jesus. It hurts to write it's so stupid.

>no bank would ever give out a home loan in those areas

omg....laughing so hard I can't even breathe....yes, of course, so no bank wants to give out grossly inflated loans they know you'll have to default on due to damage and lack of funds....

EXCEPT THAT IS LITERALLY HOW REAL ESTATE WORKS IN THE U.S.

You took the bait, buddy. Florida is queen of foreclosed homes bought by people with no money through predatory loans. Rich people can write off their losses, so they can afford to trash a vacation home and to enjoy the property while they can.

I'm betting you can't. So you jumped on a chance for a cheap home in a highly unregulated market at a price it will never be worth. That makes you the prey. I'd feel sorry for you if you weren't so ignorantly proud of the mistake you've made. You think like a poor person, assuming a billionaire values a home the way you have to. You made your decision as if you have millions to toss around, so here's both hoping you do and wondering why the fuck you didnt get an education if you could afford one instead of investing in floodlands. Now pardon me while I enjoy watching this leopard eat your face.

like they've got 50 years! Florida is doomed and its voters are just letting it sink. The latest studies I've seen predict coastal areas in FL underwater by 2040. Most Floridians don't realize their government has plans for this...it's not a "might happen" but a "how soon."

Hopefully some of the wildlife will outlive the human population. There's a ton of biodiversity down there when you remove the icky humans.

Yeah for us it was just a decision between tiny condo in Boston or single fam with yard on the RI border. Since we both WFH it was an easy choice. That said, property values have gone way up in the last few years and even our area is pricey now. But it's still doable if you are willing to deal with the tradeoffs, and urban amenities (diversity of food, better entertainment, arts & culture opportunities) are growing.

Better mass transport would help us to connect in all directions.

Maine is a poor state with an aging population. They should build whatever housing they need to to attract younger residents and strengthen the state. Those buildings look fine and most of us think of Freeport as an outlet mall anyway.

The Providence > Boston part is fine. Dealing with the T once you're there will add a bunch of extra time, depending in where you have to go. If you work close to Back Bay or South Station you'll be good, otherwise plan for some extra time and frustration (still doable, bring a book/movie).

I did from just inside the RI border to Boston for years and it was okay. Better than driving!

'kay, good luck with that. Guess what I've heard from industry leaders is meaningless and all. Great if you know resourceful people, but your thinking is still narrow and unsustainable. No job is guaranteed and whatever toilet your folks are cleaning now will pay less and less as the ski money dries up.

Do you really think the $2billion colorado lost in ski revenue last year hasn't affected anyone? I guess they're all cleaning my weed for big bucks now? lol...yes, I'm sure someone who grooms snow for a living has many, many lucrative career options.

I don't work for Vail, or even ski. I've done some marketing as a contractor. As shitty as the jobs may be, until there are better options, people rely on those wages. Knowing we need better alternatives doesn't mean we can wrench away what people have now.

Anyway, fuck every corporate ski slope owner if...I care about saving the land and the using it wisely to help the people who love and need it. I'm not sure how anyone got supporting Vail out of supporting their workers.

This is true. It is to protect the bottom line but a lot of people who work for even the corporate resorts love the sport and mountains.

>The wildlife will be better off without the resort.

Of course, except even a temp change of a few degrees changes ecosystems enough to make them extinct.

As for staff, I'm talking about anyone who works for the slope/resort. Quality of the jobs aside, people do rely on that income. A handful of companies own most of the resorts so this includes staff that work remote.

Ski slopes are panicking. I do marketing for a few and there is a real sense the industry will die if temps keep going up.

I know it's hard to care about a sport for primarily rich people ending, but tons of people make their living on the mountains, plus all the wildlife.

Time and patience. Start in a public park or somewhere where the squirrels are used to seeing people. Stock your pockets with unsalted hazelnuts (a favorite, and healthier than peanuts). Start leaving them where you can watch the squirrels eat and gradually move closer over a period of days and weeks.

Most urban squirrels will come to you pretty quickly. I can often get them to climb up my legs to get treats from my hands. Wear thick pants and possible gloves...I've never been nipped but it's good for hygiene, etc.

For a super treat, I make them cookie bars: Melt 2 cups each beef suet and unsalted peanut butter, mix in 4 cups sunflower seeds, nuts, dried fruit, cornmeal until it makes a thick batter. Press into a pan, chill and cut into squares. Squirrels flip out over it.

Yes, I chose a wealthy town to show that not all rural residents are poor. That's a logical statement, nothing ironic about it. You need to read more slowly because you aren't understanding much of what we're discussing here. Your confusion and bitterness are apparent, but your argument is nonsensical. I'm sorry you take issue with your representation, but you're not really communicating your needs, either.

It's also odd to comment on my self-awareness when I haven't mentioned myself once. I believe you meant to insult my social awareness.

All the ad hominem stuff aside, we agree that the less fortunate should be helped. I'm more confident in my ideas than yours is all; you'll live.

It's as representative as any subgroup. Point is, you don't speak for everyone you think you do and what you're complaining about wouldn't be solved with more representation because lack of seats is not what's keeping you down.

When you're ready to fight income inequality and the wealthy gap, especially in politics, you're welcome to join us fighting the system. If you're just looking sympathy as a poor disenfranchised white dude who wouldn't offer the same sympathy to an urban dweller, you can get bent all the way to Connecticut.

lol....yes, the underprivileged of Lenox....not every rural area is impoverished, and do you think poor people get elected anyway? You're complaining about the wrong thing if you want power.